HOT SPOTS

Cats rarely get hot spots, but dogs, especially thickly furred breeds like golden retrievers and Chow Chows. often develop red, wet sores that make their skin look like raw hamburger. Hot spots, known technically as moist pyotraumatic dermatitis, are caused by a wide range of things.  Usually, a bug bite, tiny sore, or scratch in the skin begins to itch, the dog stats licking and chewing, bacteria start to grow, and the sore spreads incredibly fast.  It can go from the size of a pinprick to several inches within 30 minutes, and if left untreated, it can grow 20 times larger in a single day.  Hot spots look awful, and they may be extremely painful.  But they involve only the very top layer of skin and healquickly with first aid.

Trim the fur around the sore. First apply K-Y Jelly to the spot. Once you’ve trimmed the fur, clean the sore.  Any water based cleanser is fine, but any antiseptic liquid soap like Betadine Skin Cleanser is best. Make sure to rinse off the cleanser, or the irritation may become worse when the soap scum dries on the skin. Pat area dry. Medicate with an antibacterial spray or cream that dries up the sore, like a 5% benzoyl peroxide product such as Clean & Clear Persa – Gel 5, which is found at drugstores and supermarkets. No ointments or Alcohol on hot spots, because it seals the infection deeper into the skin and is too strong for open wounds and is painful.