Hot Spots..... a frequent occurrence during the summer. Also known as Summer Sores or Moist Eczema.
Any dog is susceptible to hot spots, but those dogs with thick fur, or double coats are of course most prone to getting them.
Hot Spots can seemingly appear spontaneously anywhere on a dog's body and the area involved can rapidly spread. This moist, raw skin disorder has a variety of causes but the most consistent factor is bacteria. 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. Anything that irritates or breaks the skin can create the environment for bacterial contamination if the skin surface has just a bit of moisture on it. That moisture can be present from a recently given bath, from swimming or being out in the rain, from rolling in wet grass or even from a slightly oozing sore that provides nutrients for bacteria. For some reason, cats rarely acquire Hot Spots; dermatological problems in our feline friends are far less common than in the dog.
Treatment:
Hot spots can be treated at home, without the use of antibiotics, Prednisone or cortisone shots.... all of which your vet will want to prescribe. Although in severe cases, a Prednisone or Cortisone shot will help with the itching, the side effects of these drugs are severe and long term use can cause liver and kidney failure.
I have two GSD's and one of them Dax (who is the thicker coated one) has always suffered from hot spots. This is how I eradicate hotspots on Dax, while keeping him comfortable and still allowing him to be a dog.
1. Dog grooming: Always keep your dog well groomed, especially during the summer. Dax gets his coat shaved down (NEVER to the skin) with about an inch left on him. This prevents him from sunburn, but also allows for flow of air and prevents moisture from locking up under his coat. Regular groomings is key to this. Dax gets brushed every two days and groomed (hair cut) every three weeks.
3. When I first spot a hot spot forming, I treat it by using black tea bags (non-herbal). I will describe how this is done below.
2. Doglando sells a products called EPI PET, which is truly a miracle spray for almost any skin problem. I use this on Dax for when the hot spots seem to be spreading, oozy or if Dax is really itchy.... and within two or three applications the hot spots are gone completely!
Directions for using black tea bags:
1. First be sure to following our dog grooming guidelines. You must keep your dogs coat maintained. If your dogs do not get brushed regularly, their fur clumps up under the top coat (which you don't see until it is matted) and this causes moisture to lock in and is the start of bacteria forming.
2. As long as the areas around the hot spot are short (if not, apply K-Y Jelly to push hair off sore, then carefully clip around); use warm water to rinse sore.
3. Make sure effected are is cleaned off thoroughly. Put Black tea bags in boiling water then remove and let cool. Apply tea bag to hot spot for about 5 minutes.
4. Repeat step 3, four to five times daily until hot spot is dry and healed.
5. You can also use Witch Hazel as a drying agent.
Dog Responsibly.... Groom Responsibly.... University of Doglando
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