Hot Spots and How to Treat them.

How to Treat Hot Spots
Hot spots are painful to look at and irritating to your dogs. They start by your dog licking, scratching and chewing at the same area until their skin is red and raw, Ouch!

What are they and Where do they come from?
Pyotraumatic dermatitis also known as a Hot Spot, can develop within a few hours and can have different reasons as to the cause of the lesion. Could be from an insect bite, activity they were involved with, contact with allergens-outdoors, inside or food, or an underlying skin disorder. Dogs with allergies already have sensitive skin prone to itchiness making them more susceptible to hot spots.

What are the Symptoms of Hot Spots?

• Persistent licking
• Persistent chewing
  
• Persistent scratching
  
• Pruritus (severe itching of the skin)
  
• Alopecia (baldness)
  
• Lesion that becomes red, moist and swollen
  

These lesions typically start off small but then become larger as the dog continues to lick, scratch or chew at the spot.

Treatment for Hot Spots
Ideally the best treatment involves treating the lesion and removing the underlying cause. You must stop the need to lick, chew and scratch in order to break the cycle. Your dog may stop for awhile, but if you do not find the underlying cause, its only a matter of time before they begin licking, chewing and scratching again. Hot spots left untreated can become infected and then require more intensive treatment to include antibiotics.

As soon as you notice your dog developing a lesion as described above then it is time to take your dog to your veterinarian. The lesion can develop quickly after the initial breakthrough of the skin and depending on how persistent your dog is, their lesion can develop in one day of licking.

By seeking treatment and receiving medications quickly, the prognosis of recovery should be a good one!