If a hot spot is quite advanced, at least a 10-14 day course of a broad spectrum antibiotic is required to prevent immediate recurrence. The best way to deal with a deep skin infection is to deliver antibiotics to the site of the hot spot via the blood stream. As a consequence, the dog may need to urinate more frequently than normal. Your dog may be more hungry and thirsty while receiving corticosteroids this is a common side effect. A one off steroid injection is usually very effective, but sometimes a short course of oral steroids is necessary. To allow the hot spot to heal, the dog must stop scratching at it. use buster collar, or only use topical cream if hot spot on face). There is little point of this if the dog will simply lick the cream off (i.e. Topical medication: the area can be cleaned with an antiseptic solution such as chlorhexidine, and a topical antibiotic cream applied.Clipping will expose the area to the air and accelerate healing (scabbing over). The hot spot may be more extensive than it originally appears. If the hot spot is on the dog’s back leg it is worth checking that the anal glands are not the source of the discomfort by emptying them. – A patch of hair loss with reddened moist skin, often with a film of pusĭiagnosis is usually obvious from the clinical signs, but your vet may be inclined to search for any contributing factors by doing allergy testing or take a bacteriology swab so that antibiotic selection is targeted specifically at the bacterium responsible. – Scratching or biting at one area incessantly Golden retrievers and young dogs seem to be predisposed, while they are seldom, if ever, found in cats. Typical locations for “hot spots” are the side of the face and the flank areas. A hot spot that is left untreated may turn into a lick granuloma, which can be difficult to get rid of. Regular grooming enables swift intervention if a hot spot is developing often they will simply get worse and worse until treated so veterinary help is advisable. ![]() Some owners keep their long haired dogs shaved in the summer, which helps prevent the thick coat from covering any dampness on the surface of the skin. ![]() Hot spots tend to occur most often in the summer months, and dogs with matted, dirty coats are at greater risk of developing them. If left to develop the infection goes into the deep layers of the skin. The itching then causes the dog to lick or chew the area, which further damages the skin, and creates a cycle of itching, scratching and chewing. The body’s response is either to itch or become inflamed. There are a number of kinds of bacteria that can be cultured from a hot spot and fortunately most respond to oral and topical antibiotics.Īnything that irritates or breaks the skin can create the right environment for bacterial contamination if the skin surface is wet. This raw, unsightly skin disorder has a variety of causes but the most consistent factor is a bacterial infection. Hot Spots can seemingly appear spontaneously anywhere on a dog’s body and the area involved can rapidly spread.
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