Hot Spot

[Staff'n'Toller]

Good luck, let us know how it goes eh??

I'm going to bed, the other inhabitants of my house are starting to complain about the lights. LOL

Mel.

[Lablover]

OK. Thanks again.

I am waiting for them to cool.

All this for a hot spot. Who would have thought??????

[melree]

Lablover, One of my goldens is prone to hotspots, usually started by the other dogs hanging off her ears LOL.

I usually clip them, scrub with either salt water of betadine. I scrub them to remove the scabby stuff and dry. Then I apply neocort. Usually meds include macralone and clavulox or keflex. If she wont leave them alone, I will put an elizabethan collar on her to prevent her causing further trauma to the area. Get the vet to check her ears too.

[Tim'sMum]

Just a point. A friend's dog had a hot spot on his tail for several weeks. He was on medication (not sure which one) but also a topical cream. It improved initially then got worse. They stopped using the cream and let it dry out and it healed up very quickly. You could try not using anything that leaves it moist for a few days and see if there is an improvement?

[~Harminee~]

Hi all...

When i lived in Thornton ( NSW) my next door neighbour had a Golden Retriver who was prone to hotspots.

Her vet told her to use the chemist strength peroxide. It works a treat. It will proberly have a litte sting to it initially, but it fixes the hot spot up very quickly.

I have tried it on a Maremma and also German Shepherd,, both time works very quickly, with no vet creams necessary...

hope this helps

Maree

[cavNrott]

.

Edited December 13, 2008 by cavNrott

[WhiteLight]

I use Calamine lotion it also works a treat.

Though I have Calomine, I have green tea, I have lavender. HMMMMM

HI HO hi ho its brewing I will go.

Steve,

Thank you for the corn information I have been feeding my brood heaps lately will stop this straight away.

[Clyde]

. She has continued her treatment with Claxulox, Macrolone and Masaseb.

Just a quick note, Pyohex would be better than Malaseb for the more "serious" hotspot, as it has higher levels of chlorhexedine in it.

[Romanysky]

I found this natural remedy

Ingredients:

Lavender water, aloe vera, peppermint oil.

Why these ingredients:

Lavender water cools and soothes, aloe vera heals, peppermint oil anaesthetizes and is valuable in relieving skin irritation or itching when used in dilutions of less than 1% (used here in a dilution of 0.4%).

Directions for use:

Spray on affected area twice a day.

If problem persists see your vet.

*Note

We avoid the use of synthetic additives and emulsifiers. It's very important to shake the bottle well before each use.

250 ml; only $16.50 aud ::add to cart

I dont know the proportions but maybe you can whip it up? :D

[Lablover]

Thanks again everyone for your help.

We trotted again to the vet this morning. I was beginning to think an urgent skin specialist appointment would be necessary.

Our vet does not think the hot spot has progressed rather that it is very strange that despite our best efforts significant improvement has not been made.

Possibly due to my over zealousness with using the Malaseb wash I had not been giving enough time for the hot spot to dry (even with swab blotting/drying). We have dropped the wash as many vets apparently do not like the wash for this reason. On the other hand the wash aids in softening the scabs, so pus can escape.

Regarding the Macrolone tablets we have no idea why they are not helping her as expected but will continue with them for the time being.

We have changed her antibiotics.

Skin scrapings were taken. All clear.

All the vets in the practice came to look at her in wonder, that she has not improved significantly, LOL. I am lucky it is just a hot spot, I was definitely thinking by this morning and it was something more sinister.

[mita]

The treatment regime Melree posted is very close to what I've come down to dealing with hot spots in my Tibetan Spaniel, Gracie. She developed this condition after moving from a cooler climate to Queensland.

Truly....I tried all sorts of things until I pared it down to what seemed to work best:

TOPICALLY: I shave the hair right back & gently put on a thin layer of Betadine. The vet told me not to drag the ointment across the surface as that keeps affecting the surface cells. Rather, gently, very gently dab it on.

Also look for redness inside the ears. The vet said this is real 'flag' sign for the hotspots elsewhere. I put Dermotic drops on the inside ear flap & inside.

The vet told me that all the oozing horror that hotspots turn into...is actually infection caused by the skin breaking (from the dog's chewing, rubbing etc)...& the bacteria which normally lives on the surface of the skin, get in.

INTERNALLY: When there's oozing infection, the vet has given antibiotics.

When hotspots are starting to appear...those tiny white or red lumpy things...I give Gracie Anti-histamines. Vet said she can have up to 4 a day. He told me to use Polaramine (check this with your vet, if you want to try it.)

FOOD: I've found a lower-fat, plain, no colourings & preservative diet helps Gracie best. She has Supercote Lite, chicken with fat removed, vegetables, basmati rice (low starch) & canned tuna in springwater (for the Omega 3....good for skin.)

As a supplement for Omega 6....essential for skin health...I put some Melrose Cold-pressed Flaxseed (Linseed Oil) in her food daily.

I don't give her lamb...too fatty.

BATHING & FLEA CONTROL: I don't give Gracie lots of baths. I use Episoothe Shampoo (from vet) & Episoothe Conditioner.

I have to be fanatical about flea control. Have found regular Advantage is best. If a bit late & see one flea, I give her a Capstar tablet (hardly ever happens!)

ENVIRONMENT: I find keeping Gracie's skin temperature cool important. Fortunately we have air-conditioning. But I've wished someone would invent a cooling vest for dogs....like the ones the athletes wore in Greece's hot Olympic summer. So finding the coolest spot in the house to snooze is important....maybe that's why the Lab headed for the pantry.

I put clean cotton cot sheets over her doggie mats.

ANNUAL VACCINATIONS BREAK-OUT: The vet warned me that Gracie would have a flare-up of her hot-spots straight after getting her annual vaccinations. They act on the immune system....which is connected with the cause of hot-spots. Yes, she did have a flare-up. But still better than getting Parvo.

Sorry to go on so long....but Gracie went thro' the same hell as the Lab...but at her tail end...when she first got hot-spots. By getting down to all above, they're much more under control.

Edited November 11, 2004 by mita

[Rappie]

Some great points Mita - I'm glad you mentioned the bacteria.....

Hotspots start off innocently enough as an itchy spot that gets scratched and turns a bit red. Once teeth and toenails start getting into it, the normal skin flora gets innoculated into the skin and starts an infection. The chewing and scratching destroys the normal protective mechanisms that the skin normally has and the bacteria have a field day.

Theres "superficial" pyoderma and theres "deep pyoderma", both can be treated with antibiotics but with the deep, gooey version there really isn't another way. Topical treatments really depend on the dog, sometimes antibiotics and Pyohex is enough. The Pyohex takes a bit of the itch out, sometimes enough to stop the scratching and let the area heal. Steroid creams like Neocort sometimes work, but are sometimes counterproductive. The hydrocortisone dampens the inflammation but decreases the local immune response. It's often best just to use it briefly to take the redness and puffiness out, then let the antibiotics / Pyohex do its thing. You might also find (just one of those things) that chlorhexidine works a little better than iodine - it has a longer residual action which means that the more you use it, the less often you have to use it (our usual routine is daily for 3 days, then every 3 days). Really depends on whether your dog licks, scratches, rolls in the dirt etc. :D

[Bindo]

I know that this lab's case is beyond the early stages, but I used to find that dermacool (available from the vet) sprayed on regularly as soon as you notice a little spot usually stopped it from increasing. I think it soothes the area and makes the dog less likely to scratch in the first place, thus spreading infection.

[Guest cloverfdch]

My Vet told us to never use Betadine on Hot Spots :D.

I have used Witch Hazel in the past, it is a liquid and you dab it on to the affected area, it is a good natural cleaner and helps to dry out the hot spot. Luckily my clover has grown out of getting them (And change of diet completly), she would always get them as a youngster and after swimming.

Also does anyone know if the Neocort lotion is the same a the NeoTopic H lotion? I had been using NeoTopic for Hot Spots for years and it seemed to help abit.

Goodluck, hopefully you will have progress soon.

Edited November 11, 2004 by cloverfdch

[Staff'n'Toller]

Yeah Neocort and NeoTopic H are practically the same- just a different brand.

Mel.

[Lablover]

My bitch seemed to be a little better since I discontinued the wash. Maybe the drug therapy is finally showing results.

We have gone through three Elizabethan collars so far.

If anyone is interested Email me you addresss, and I will send a photo of the hot spot. Its a shocker.

[Rusty]

Now if the skin scrapings came back negative for everything? including

mites? there are some forms of mites that only take one or two to cause damage

because they are so small and hard to detect as they can move very fast from one spot to another.

We had a rottie years ago that suddnely came out with what looked like hotspots

but turned out to be an allergic reation to a sting from some sort of furry catapillar

she was getting it on her back and her head and back of her neck.

We thought it was diet etc, but it wasnt until my OH saw her crawl in under

some plants in the garden one warm day that we discovered what was causing it.

We kept her away from that part of the garden until the catapillers went away

and lo and behold so did the rash, eventually, now every spring we look out for

those crawlies and keep her away from them.

If its on the top of her head could she be walking under something outside

or inside some plant or something that she is allergic too?

just trying to give suggestions to help. its so frustrating when you cant seem to figure it out!!!

[Cordelia]

Most Hotspots are a Staph infection.

Antibiotics should be helping........ :rolleyes:

Clean with Iodine (hurts like hell but effective) and I only do it once.

I then use INFLAMOL which is an Antibacterial, Anti-inflammatory and Anti-fungal cream.

Has Neomycin Sulfate, Prednisolone and Nitrofurozone in it.

I have found this to be the most effective of all the creams available (never found neotopic to work anywhere near as well or as quickly as this stuff).

My Cordelia used to get hotspots every few months (usually 3-4 at a time).

I think that biggest difference in them not returning is getting her off dry dog food. Certain brands will bring up a hotspot on her within 48hrs. Main one for this is Supercoat, but also if she eats any of the cheap dry foods, except Bonnie (which she doesn't get cause she gets so fat on it).

She now hasn't had one in over 12mths and although she does eat dry food every now and then, I avoid the above foods completely.

Can you post a pic of the hotspot here for us all to see please??

[Lablover]

I cannot believe it, BUT my labrador is not improving. If anything, she is worse.

I am at my wits end.

[Scales of Justice]

Hi Lablover,

Have read all the remedies above and because so many things have been suggested I did not originally post my answer, but having read that you are at your wits end I decided to reply with the all time cure for hot spots. This is an old remedy I have used for years and IT WORKS!!!

Buy some Friars Balsam from the chemist and paint it onto the hotspot (daily) - (Not for internal use). This stuff is magic - it dries the hot spot out and adds a coating which deters further activity underneath. I would be mighty surprised if you did not find this to be beneficial. The hot spots should cease activity within a day or so (couple of days at the most) and the patch should clear away and regrow hair within a few weeks.

Also with true hotspots you should keep your dog out of water (no baths no swimming).

If this doesn't work then it's not hot spots you are dealing with!!!