Hot spots
Hot spots are a common skin condition that affects thousands of dogs in Australia every year. A hot spot is a focal area of skin infection, called superficial pyoderma. In appearance, it is red, moist and usually roughly circular. They can appear very quickly (within a couple of hours) and are intensely irritant to the animal. They are often found around the head – usually under the ears and on the neck, but they can be anywhere on your pet.
Hot spots can start for many reasons: anything that causes an irritation to your dog will start them scratching at an area of their skin. This includes
- ear infections
- eye problems
- skin parasites such as fleas
- dental disease
- allergies to food or environmental factors.
Once the itching starts, it becomes a self-reinforcing cycle so that even if the initial stimulus is removed, the skin irritation remains. Through self-trauma a dog can create a raw wound the size of a bread and butter plate within an afternoon.
If you think that your dog has a hotspot, a visit to your vet is advised. The most important part of treatment is to stop the cycle of scratching as quickly as possible. This involves identifying and treating the underlying cause (see above) as well as treating the skin infection that has resulted.
Your vet may shave an area of hair so that they can clean up the hotspot and help the skin to dry. They may use medications such as anti-inflammatories (to help stop the itching) and antibiotics (to treat the skin infection) either as tablets or topical treatments. Many dogs will need an Elizabethan collar (head bucket) to stop licking and scratching until the hot spot starts to heal.
Prevention (regular parasite control, routine ear cleaning) and early identification are the key factors in making sure that your pet does not suffer the discomfort of a hot spot.
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