(nope, not a cool place to hang out!)
Has your groomer or vet told your dog has a “hot spot”? Maybe it was discovered at the groomer and you didn’t even know it was there. Don’t fear- you are not a bad dog parent! We see our fair share of these troublesome skin infections here at Pet Groomerie and wanted to give you the scoop on what they are all about.
What is a hot spot?
It is a bacterial skin infection. They can be referred to as “summer sores” or “moist eczema”. They can be red, scaly or even oozing.
What causes hot spots?
There are oodles of causes of hot spots but they predominantly all involve moisture and bacteria. As the weather gets warmer dogs are more prone them. Fido simply licking a spot on his elbow or nervously chewing at his skin can cause a hot spot. Tick bites and unclean fur can also put your dog at risk.
How do I treat a hot spot?
- Keep the spot trimmed or shaved to let the air dry up the moisture and heal
- Treat with a mild antiseptic spray
- Use hydrocortisone spray, cream, or oral antibiotics prescribed by your vet
- Put a cone dog collar around his neck to prevent further biting and irritating
What can you do to prevent them?
One of the best things you can do is to keep your dog well groomed, especially in the summertime. Long haired and curly-haired dog owners like to even shave down their dogs in warmer months to keep them clean! Another source of dermatologic problems in dogs is actually their diet! You may want to look at their food and make sure it is a high quality, meat ingredient based food and consider adding supplements like Omega 3’s.