Hot spots

[Rottielover]

I could not find a vet forum, so can you move it if there is one.
It looks like harley has 2 huge hot spots, and another growing on his nose. Does anyone here have a good way to ease them away. Poor dog right now has a cone on his head so he does not scratch them.

[Luba]

Oh geeze I hate those things. My former GSD used to get them since he was very young. The best thing that worked on it was just keeping it cool and dry.

I remember thinking he had gotten into something greasy (black coat and all) so I gave him a BATH of all things and kept rubbing and the spot wouldn't go away OMG was I horrified when I took a towel to him and saw blood.

(I am sooo sorry Bear)

Anyways back to YOU and your doggie....

Something cool and soothing for hot spots is aloe vera gel and it's very very cheap too, can get it any any health food store. There is NO sting to it and it sooths the skin nicely.

Poor cone headed puppy, is he really chewin/lickin at them?

Give him something to chew on like a bully stick or a raw beef bone to occupy him, it will take his mind off the other spots.

[Rottielover]

I got him shaved today poor puppy. They spread so fast, and now look like alot of scabby bumps all over his head. I do not know if that means they are starting to heal ? No longer pussy, or red, just alot of little bumps that scabbed

[MIA]

Keep the area clean and shaving the hair off is perfect! I would wash the area with Betadine twice a day and let air dry, I have also used anti-fungel cream which seems to really help.

[Dahlia]

My MIL's shih-tsu (or shih mix, she was a rescue) has hot spots that she bites and scratches till they bleed. It's so annoying to watch her so I can't imagine how it must be for the poor dog. She uses aloe and oatmeal shampoo but I'll suggest to her the aloe gel and the betadine.

[coppperbelle]

Sounds like they are on their road to healing if they are dry. Have you any idea what may have caused them? Has he been swimming? One of my dogs gets them on occasion after swimming later in the day. I guess she doesn't get a chance to dry sufficiently.

[goldenblaze]

Some thing that will help dry up hot spots and it stops the itching too is, Gold Bond Medicated Powder. I know others that have used this and they say it works great

Blaze has only ever had one hot spot, TG but it cleaned up pretty fast and didn't spread.

[Rottielover]

My only problem, as they start to heal, he is scratching them, so they start to bleed. What I have been doing now is putting calomine lotion you put it on mosqito bites to stop the itching
After I have cleaned it with witch hazel. He has so many of them. his cheeks, his neck down to his chest. his snout. So the cone is out of the question, that is what made it spread to his chin, and neck.....What else can i do for the scratching to allow to heal

[melanie]

i odnt know about faces, but my girl had them on her rump. i took her to the vet who reccomeded i scrub her rump down. there are a miriad of products out there you can get.

basically you make a warm strong salt water solution, and then he said the scrub her rump till i removed the scab, obviously not too hard, be gentle but firm, then dry heaps and keep really dry. he said the bug that helps keep the hotspot feral can live in the scab so remove the scab and start with a fresh scrubbed bum...creams and medicated creams only keep it moist you want it to be very very dry...

this problem is prominant in dogs iwth a double coat such as GSD because moisture gets trapped under the first layer, so after a swim or bath make sure they are very dry... alos watch swimming in creeks that have blue green algal blooms, even if slight. my girl tends to get hot spot if she goes in this type of feral water.... good luck