Dog Hot Spots: Possible Reasons, Treatment & Prevention

Does your dog suffer from skin irritations that
make him constantly scratch, lick and chew at
the infected area, resulting in skin
inflammation or possibly even bleeding, pussy
skin lesions? This condition is known as moist
dermatitis, or hot spots, and it often stems
from an allergy that can result in very tender,
painful skin lesions, which can flare up and
spread quite quickly, causing inflammation, hair
loss, and open lesions. Dog hot spots are
generally deep pink or red areas of inflamed
skin that feel warm and moist to the touch, and
often secrete a pussy discharge if left
untreated and infection is allowed to set in.

What Can Cause Dog Hot Spots

Hot spots in dogs are usually brought about due
to an allergic reaction with some external
stimulus. Grass seeds, pollen, and dust are all
known to cause allergies in dogs with sensitive
skins. Flea allergies are also very common, and
once the dog starts scratching incessantly to
alleviate his discomfort, the constant clawing
at the skin can damage the tissue and allow
infection to take a hold. A dog may sometimes
come out in a clipper rash following grooming,
especially if he has been shaved quite closely.
The resulting discomfort may cause your pet to
lick and chew at the area, resulting in further
trauma being inflicted. Sometimes the allergy
may be related to food intolerance, so if the
symptoms persist you should consider changing
your dog's diet to test whether the food you are
feeding him may be causing the problem.

How to Treat Dog Hot Spots

Your primary objective will be to offer your dog
some relief from the itching and pain to
alleviate your pet's suffering. In order to
achieve this, you will need to take the
following steps:

1. Trim excess hair away from the infected area,
so that it can be cleaned and treated with ease.
2. Wash the area with a medicated shampoo to
kill any bacterial infection. Products
containing Tea Tree extracts offer natural
anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties,
together with soothing agents to treat dog hot
spots using natural remedies.
3. Reduce the inflammation by applying a pet
soothing agent to provide relief from pain,
irritation and inflammation.
4. Veterinary medication may be necessary.
Antihistamines will help reduce the
inflammation, and may be obtained in tablet form
to administer orally, or as a hydrocortisone
cream to be applied locally to the infected
area. Antibiotics can also be administered
orally, or an anti-bacterial cream may be
applied to the affected area to combat bacterial
infection.

How to Prevent Hot Spots in Dogs

In order to prevent hot spots from reoccurring,
one needs to find out what is causing them in the
first place. This can sometimes be quite tricky,
but it may require simple observation, and
following a process of elimination to rule out
all possible causes. Once you have identified
the culprit, you need to take action to
eradicate it from your pet's environment, or
minimize your pet's contact with, or access to
areas where he is likely to become infected.

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Alex KellyAs a big animal lover, I try to base my
articles on issues I feel are important for
fellow pet owners.Pet Promenade has everything
you will need for the furry member of the
family. From pet food, dog leads, grooming
equipment and bird cages.With over 5000 pet
products, at competetive prices, it's worth
paying us a visit at
http://www.petpromenade.co.uk/

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