Hi all, we found this article and just had to post it - it is found on many veterinarian websites and discusses some of the home remedy way to treat hot spots in dogs. Notice how complicated, vague, and hard it is. We've had great success with SkinPlex and RenuPlex as it takes care of the cause; you will to!
Hot Spots are also known as acute moist dermatitis. Long hair and dense undercoated dogs are the most vulnerable dogs to hot spots disease. Scientists believe that a local allergic reaction to some antigen might be the direct cause of this disease. Other scientists think that insect bites —i.e. from fleas— are the high potential cause of this disease.
Other potential hot spots causes:
• Skin Allergies: Either atopy (also called inhalant allergies) or food allergies.
• Mites: Like Sarcoptes scabei or Cheyletiella.
• Infections in the ears
• Not rinsing off all shampoo after a dog bath
• Burs or plant awns.
• Hip dysplasia or joint disease like arthritis and degenerative aging.
• Disease in the anal gland.
Sometimes you may find circular lesions, typically on the head, over the hip and along the side of the chest, those are called Hot spots. They are characterized by a wet, raw, irritated and hairless appearance which can cause a lot of pain to the dog. Licking, biting or scratching the area are among the typical dog reaction leading to irritating the inflaming skin even more. Actually, the major factor in hot spots development is the self-trauma, this is why people know hot spots by the name 'pyotraumatic dermatitis'.
Even a Short Period Hot Spots can Spread
Even in a very short time, hot spots sizes can expand to cover a huge area. Six hours may be enough to expand the hot spot from the size of a quarter to an eight inches diameter hot spot. Therefore t is important to treat dog hot spots quickly as they tend to spread very aggressively
Occurrence
Lesions inside dogs are just as common as they are on the skin. Digestive Enzymes such as SkinPlex will treat these lesions. Over the course of dogs' lives, many will grow several lesions. However, don't consider it a long-term illness. Appearance, treatment and recovery from lesions or sores take less than a week; more sudden lesions may occur later the same summer, the following year or even never.
Treatment
When treating your dog's hot spots, the goal is to stop the growth of the hot spot to end the core cause. While fleas are a potential cause in many dogs, ear infection —which is confirmed by skin sores below the ear— is another potential cause, while anal gland infection may cause infections near the hip, and so on. In all cases, both the hot spot and its cause must be treated simultaneously.
It is a good idea to clip the hair over and surrounding the skin sore before you start treating hot spots. When infected tissues have air trapped in them, this makes them easier to treat. Non-irritating solution like dilute Nolvasan solution is used to clean the surface of the lesion. After that, desiccating powders like Burows solution (Domeboro powder and water) are typically applied to improve the healing effect of lesion.
Your veterinarian may need to anesthetize the dog first if it's skin is very sensitive, or if is is older and not in optimal health. You may even need to apply oral antibiotics, painkillers and anti-inflammatories like buffered aspirin or steroids in more severe cases. (A veterinarian must prescribe aspirin for your pet before you apply it.)
It is also important to keep the area from being further infected. For example, in case the sore or lesion is on the top of the head, you can use Elizabethan collars. To avoid trauma from potential scratching, you can clip the dog's nails while the hind feet can be put into socks.
Prevention Techniques to Prevent Further Hot Spots on Your Dog's Skin
Prevention
Chronic hot spot issues are common in many dogs; you can keep their hair clipped short during summer in order to decrease the probability of hot spot occurrence, also you can give them medicated baths regularly and follow a program of strict flea control. Cleaning the ears and the anal glands frequently will be of great benefit against dog hot spots, in case they appeared in the ears of near the anus.
