Hotspots

[Mason_Gibbs]

I have an allergy dog and he gets hotspots now and then, at the moment he has plenty - i know what to do to treat them but what I would like to do is prevent them if possible. Anyone got any tips??

[Crisovar]

Keep all undercoat groomed out.

Avoid anything that dog reacts to.

Dry thoroughly during hot humid weather.

[Mason_Gibbs]

Keep all undercoat groomed out.

Avoid anything that dog reacts to.

Dry thoroughly during hot humid weather.

Unfortunately we cannot avoid pollen, insects and mites they are everywhere but we do try.

[Starkehre]

As we know hot spots can be cause by a few things. In my experience the ones I have always dealt with have been created by the dog scratching an itch and then the broken surface becoming infected with some type of organism in the soil or in dirt already in the coat or under the nails.

So, there is a good chance that if you prevent the dog from scratching itself from it's allergies (I know this might be very difficult) you might be in with a chance of preventing the hot spots.

I do find that the anti-histamines help in this regard and also keeping the itchy dog cool and clean and it's nails short and clean.

I wish you the best of luck with it

[Mason_Gibbs]

As we know hot spots can be cause by a few things. In my experience the ones I have always dealt with have been created by the dog scratching an itch and then the broken surface becoming infected with some type of organism in the soil or in dirt already in the coat or under the nails.

So, there is a good chance that if you prevent the dog from scratching itself from it's allergies (I know this might be very difficult) you might be in with a chance of preventing the hot spots.

I do find that the anti-histamines help in this regard and also keeping the itchy dog cool and clean and it's nails short and clean.

I wish you the best of luck with it

Thanks Dyzney he is on Antihistamines and prednisolone permanently at the moment. I am suspecting it is because of the very hot, humid days we had here awhile ago as he is in and out the pool the entire day.. I feel bad not letting him swim tho as its close to 40 degrees.

[RuralPug]

It's okay to let hin swim as long as he is dried THOROUGHLY afterwards. If you can find something (maybe a furminator?) that will remove most of his undercoat while leaving the outer guard hairs in place it will much reduce the chances of a moist spot remaining and blossoming into a hot spot.

If you are having high humidity there, vigilance is really your only hope. Go over him minutely at least twice a day or if you see him scratching. Finding a tiny hot spot before it blows out and treating it instantly with an anti-fungal astrigent (Listerine will do in a pinch) will mean you don't get the full-blown ones.

[karly101]

I've only seen them in dogs with very thick under coats, so I would imagine very regular grooming and removing that undercoat would greatly help. Some people say that diet helps but hasn't seemed to make any difference in the dogs I've known.

[Mason_Gibbs]

I've only seen them in dogs with very thick under coats, so I would imagine very regular grooming and removing that undercoat would greatly help. Some people say that diet helps but hasn't seemed to make any difference in the dogs I've known.

Trouble is allergy dogs react badly to brushing, it makes them itch even more. He is a lab so he does have undercoat but not much..

My dog is allergic to chicken, beef, wheat, gluten etc so he is on a diet of goat, roo, lamb and veg.

[Jumabaar]

I have invested in a blow dryer for my girl that got hot spots. I also wash her in EPO (evening primrose oil) shampoo- there are a few different brands so you need to work out what works.

Since drying her throughly (which also blows out the undercoat instead of having to brush out the undercoat) and using the shampoo I have found some TINY scabs in her coat that would have turned into hot spots prior to using the shampoo and dryer, and have not had to deal with a full blown hot with her for ages. I also use the dryer to dry the hot spot which means that the hot spot I got on another dog was cleared up in a day.

[Mason_Gibbs]

I have invested in a blow dryer for my girl that got hot spots. I also wash her in EPO (evening primrose oil) shampoo- there are a few different brands so you need to work out what works.

Since drying her throughly (which also blows out the undercoat instead of having to brush out the undercoat) and using the shampoo I have found some TINY scabs in her coat that would have turned into hot spots prior to using the shampoo and dryer, and have not had to deal with a full blown hot with her for ages. I also use the dryer to dry the hot spot which means that the hot spot I got on another dog was cleared up in a day.

We only use QV wash as instructed by our dermatologist.....

[Erny]

Heheheheheee ..... I'd go the Calendula Tea rinse (leave in). And maybe have a look at diet to see if I could work some improvement from the inside out as well.

But I'm not a Vet - I've only had a lot of luck with the use of Calendula Tea.

And I need a "broken record" emoticon here .

Edited December 26, 2010 by Erny

[dee lee]

Last summer Honey had a rough time with the humidity.

I battled some bad hotspots and she developed some strange fungal spots on her tummy.

I had to become extremely vigilant in drying her trouble areas after walking her in dew covered grass. After that she had a lot less trouble.

This summer, she has been itchy, and early on had a bad contact allergy and a couple of hotspots.

Now, I'm trying to prevent the hotspots by watching for itching and applying antiseptic (betadine) at the first sign of the skin being broken. So far so good. :p

I'm really looking forward to taking her to the beach on our holiday next week- the daily salt water really helps her skin .

I wish I could take her every day when we are home.

ETA: I dont know if it helps but, I find that the hotspots happen in areas where there is less fur- ie on her tummy- presumably because it is unprotected by her coat and exposed more to irritants. It is easy to dry these areas after every walk.

Heheheheheee ..... I'd go the Calendula Tea rinse (leave in). And maybe have a look at diet to see if I could work some improvement from the inside out as well.

But I'm not a Vet - I've only had a lot of luck with the use of Calendula Tea.

And I need a "broken record" emoticon here :D .

Its a good song though!

Edited December 28, 2010 by ✽deelee

[Furkidsforever]

From my experience with hotspots on Goldens, I suggest the use of a medicated shampoo and dry thoroughly after washing. Keep a close watch on the dog's skin and at the first sign of a hotspot, use Ectosol made by Troy.

[Anissa Goemann]

Hi,

What are you feeding to your dog?

Dogs with allergies usually don't respond well to "starchy" foods like grains and corn or sometimes even rice and potatoes. That would be the first thing I'd change (in case you haven't yet).

Erny's suggestions with Calendula is very good, too, in my experience. I prefer to use extracts (essences) though, because a lot of the very good ingredients of Calendula don't dissolve in (hot) water (hdyrophobic, lipophil) but in ethanol. This helps a lot with the itchyness and heals the skin.

(For that I dilute the essence in warm water or isotonic saline solution.)

My personal recommendation would also be a homoeopathic treatment but there are not many classical homoeopaths for animals around in Australia.

I had very good results using classical homooeopathy treating both allergies and/or hotspots but it takes some time to get better.

Regards,

Anissa

[Mason_Gibbs]

my dog is eating a diet of raw meat, ( roo, goat and lamb) he is allergic to beef, chicken , wheat, soy, rice - etc. He also gets sweet potato, pumpkin or butternut, pear, banana. This is all he can eat, anything else causes a reaction. I am almost 100% certain that the hotspots he has have nothing to do with food at present, he has eaten this diet for awhile now and has not had as many hotspots as he does now which makes me think it has to do with the very hot, humid weather we have been having.

Tried homeopathy - did nothing for my dog.

[Boronia]

Heheheheheee ..... I'd go the Calendula Tea rinse (leave in). And maybe have a look at diet to see if I could work some improvement from the inside out as well.

But I'm not a Vet - I've only had a lot of luck with the use of Calendula Tea.

And I need a "broken record" emoticon here .

here ya go Erny

[dancinbcs]

Heheheheheee ..... I'd go the Calendula Tea rinse (leave in). And maybe have a look at diet to see if I could work some improvement from the inside out as well.

But I'm not a Vet - I've only had a lot of luck with the use of Calendula Tea.

And I need a "broken record" emoticon here .

I finally tried your calendula tea on my dog and it did help a bit but it dyed him bright yellow . So beware of using it on a white dog or white markings.

I prefer my Borders to be black/white not black /yellow.

[Erny]

I finally tried your calendula tea on my dog and it did help a bit but it dyed him bright yellow . So beware of using it on a white dog or white markings.

I prefer my Borders to be black/white not black /yellow.

Gosh! I've never known this to occur before. I don't have a white dog but he has got a white patch on his chest and even a full body rinse hasn't turned that yellow. I've used it on my own skin as well, without any discolouration issues. Anyone else have this experience? It will be handy for me to know so that I can inform people.

How much of the tea to how much water did you use, Dancinbcs? And what brand, if you don't mind me asking?

Edited December 29, 2010 by Erny

[Erny]

here ya go Erny

.... thanks. I'm sure to use it .

[Malamum]

I have invested in a blow dryer for my girl that got hot spots. I also wash her in EPO (evening primrose oil) shampoo- there are a few different brands so you need to work out what works.

Since drying her throughly (which also blows out the undercoat instead of having to brush out the undercoat) and using the shampoo I have found some TINY scabs in her coat that would have turned into hot spots prior to using the shampoo and dryer, and have not had to deal with a full blown hot with her for ages. I also use the dryer to dry the hot spot which means that the hot spot I got on another dog was cleared up in a day.

I also second the recommendation of a dryer. Our dogs are prone to them when we have lots of rain but it's still hot and the dryer is our saviour.