Free consultation and order
warencorb My Cart 0 item(s) - £0.00
Your shopping cart is empty!

Detecting and treating hot spots in dogs

Hot spots in dogs

Hot spots are common in dogs. They can occur in any breed, but are particularly common in animals with long and dense coats.

We will explain to you what a hot spot is in a dog, what its causes are and how you can recognise it. You will also learn what is necessary for the treatment and what prevention options are available.

What is a Hot Spot?

A hot spot is a superficial skin inflammation. Hot spots are usually circular, strongly reddened and also have a bad smelling secretion

Due to the wound secretion, Hot Spots are also called acute weeping dermatitis in dogs.

Possible causes of hot spots in dogs

Hot spots can have different causes in dogs. Ultimately, however, the four-legged friend always adds it itself by itching and licking affected areas excessively and scratching due to itching.

As a trigger for the itching, which finally leads to the Hot Spot, the following things are possible:

  • Allergies (especially flea saliva allergy)
  • Ectoparasites (fleas, mites or ticks)
  • Insufficient coat care by the owner
  • Injuries
  • Skin irritations

When it is humid and warm, hot spots develop particularly easily. For this reason, they occur more frequently in dogs, especially in summer.

Identifying a Hot Spot in a dog

A hot spot is relatively easy to recognize in dogs. The skin inflammation is strongly reddened, purulent, weeping and smelly. As a rule, hot spots have a sharp border to healthy skin areas. 

The exuding secretion sticks to the surrounding hair. In the direct area of the hot spot, however, hair loss usually occurs due to excessive leakage.

In dogs, hot spots occur increasingly on the front of the legs, back, trunk and neck. In many cases they remain a local problem. However, it is also possible for the hot spots to spread further and inflame additional areas of the body. 

Since the dog wants to counteract the itching of the hot spot with licking, scratching and biting, the symptoms worsen without countermeasures.

Diagnosis of hot spots in dogs

In most cases, an optical examination of the skin is sufficient for the veterinarian to diagnose hot spots in dogs. An additional biopsy is only necessary in exceptional cases.

In addition, the veterinarian will ask you about the course of the disease to date and any symptoms that you may have observed in your dog next to the hot spot.

Finally, it is necessary to exclude other skin diseases as the cause of the inflammation. Only in this way is it possible to take appropriate treatment measures.

Treatment of a hot spot in the dog

For the treatment of a hot spot, the dog's coat is first shaved around the affected area. The next step is to disinfect the inflamed area and treat it with drying medication. 

Depending on how the quadruped undergoes this procedure, the administration of a sedative may be necessary. 

The treatment must be carried out over several days and should normally take effect quite quickly. In some cases, astringents and creams containing cortisone are also used. If the veterinarian has also diagnosed pyoderma in the dog in addition to the hot spot, he will also prescribe antibiotics to the animal.

If the excessive licking cannot be controlled despite the treatment, the temporary putting on of a stop collar makes sense.

Healing chances for dogs with hot spots

The chances of healing are usually very good for dogs with hot spots. However, in addition to skin inflammation, the actual trigger of the itching must also be eliminated. 

Otherwise, it is only a matter of time before the next hot spot appears on the dog's skin. Depending on the exact cause, a successful cure can therefore also include treatment against mites, fleas or skin fungus.

Preventing hot spots in dogs

Ideally, don't let it get that far in the first place and prevent the formation of hot spots in your dog from the outset.

Pay sufficient attention to coat care for this purpose. With long-haired dog breeds you should of course plan a little more time for this than with animals with a short coat.

In addition, we recommend a dietary supplement with Bellfor Skin & Coat. Thanks to its unique combination of very special ingredients, this natural preparation provides your dog's body with important nutrients for skin and coat health.

Protection against parasites

In addition to adequate coat care, protection against parasites such as mites, ticks or fleas is an important part of the prevention of hot spots in dogs.

You will also find the right products for this purpose in the Bellfor range:

Unlike traditional preparations, our parasite products contain no harmful ingredients, so you don't have to worry about your dog's health when using them.

Hot spots for dogs - the most important things at a glance

Hot spots occur in dogs due to excessive licking due to itching. The itching can have several causes, such as an infection with skin fungus or an infestation with parasites. 

For this reason, it is important to treat not only the hot spot in the dog itself, but also the underlying trigger.

If you want to avoid the development of hot spots in your dog, you must counteract the possible causes early on or ideally avoid them from the outset. In the Bellfor range you will find a range of natural care products and nutritional supplements for this purpose.

Was this page helpful?

Write a review

Bad
Good

Suggested Products

£12.68
126.79 £ / 1 L
£22.37
£18.64
372.75 £ / 1 L
£11.18
223.53 £ / 1 L
watsapp-button-icon
bellfore motive