Help Home remedy for a dog with hot spots
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Meemur
Voice on the Prairie / FJB!
PM Summerthyme if she doesn't post soon.
You have to shave the hair over and around the hotspot, and put an antibiotic creme on the area, and wrap it with a nonstick gauze pad and vet-wrap. Also, when Hermione was plagued with hotspots, it was determined to be a skin infection, and she had to take oral antibiotics in order to make it go away.
Oh, try summer’s anti-itch salve.
Oh, try summer’s anti-itch salve.
NoDandy
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I am no expert, but would suggest the following:
1. avoid feeding ANY grease
2. Go to feed / garden store, get a bag of sulfur. Get a bottle of olive oil. Mix up a batch, stir into a paste. Spread on the affected area. Has helped our fur babies, with spots, cuts, etc. Sulfur is real good on injuries, abrasions, etc. Keep it on. They will lick it off, but that is OK, just keep it on
3. Put fish oil on his food
Hope Summerthyme can provide better help.
Keep us posted, let us know how he responds !
Regards
1. avoid feeding ANY grease
2. Go to feed / garden store, get a bag of sulfur. Get a bottle of olive oil. Mix up a batch, stir into a paste. Spread on the affected area. Has helped our fur babies, with spots, cuts, etc. Sulfur is real good on injuries, abrasions, etc. Keep it on. They will lick it off, but that is OK, just keep it on
3. Put fish oil on his food
Hope Summerthyme can provide better help.
Keep us posted, let us know how he responds !
Regards
WildernessGirl
Contributing Member
What kind of food are feeding? Dry, canned? Commercial foods typically do not have any omega-3s in them. Maybe look into giving him an omega 3 supplement to help heal them from the inside. (If they say they add them to the food, do not believe them. Both dry and canned foods are created using a heat process and this destroys the omega 3s)
An article with other good suggestions:
(On my phone at dr office otherwise I would also post article)
An article with other good suggestions:
How to Heal Hot Spots Naturally
Hot spots are areas of skin that become irritated and inflamed. These spots are often characterized by the circular pattern in which they usually form, as well as hair loss, inflammation and sometimes a discharge of pus that emits a foul odor. Hot spots are actually a form of dermatitis and may...
central-bark.com
(On my phone at dr office otherwise I would also post article)
Just had our ancient dog to the vet. Had a hot spot, among other things. Vet said to mix 1/2 cortisone cream and 1/2 neosporin, apply it twice a day and cover the area in a sock to keep him from licking the top of his foot. We use vet wrap. Too early to tell if it's working or not.
Our dog's hot spots grew to cover half her back. We tried everything. We were already feeding her grain-free food, I think Natural Balance. I switched her to Taste of the Wild and it cleared up completely, never had the tiniest hot spot again. I have no idea why, but it was clearly the food.
I have been using this "recipe" for years. It works well for hot spots just like for ears. It kills both gram positive and gram negative bacteria, and the witch hazel provides itch relief.
The gentian violet can be ordered at any pharmacy and is cheap. The boric acid can be purchased where the first aid stuff is, Do not use garden boric acid.
The gentian violet can be ordered at any pharmacy and is cheap. The boric acid can be purchased where the first aid stuff is, Do not use garden boric acid.
Kayak
Adrenaline Junkie
There are two parts to this.
The first is to make it so the dog can't keep licking it. You do this with either a cone or collar so the dog can't reach to lick, OR you block the area off with a bandage, which isn't so easy on the tail for most breeds. Once the spot is covered, you can also give the dog something to do (to keep them from taking the wrap off), so a kong with peanut butter inside, or a bully stick, or maybe even a knuckle bone. A super special treat that will make your pupster forget all about the tail.
Second, if there's an infection then you'll need to see the regular vet tomorrow for antibiotics. Otherwise, shave or trim the area and then either neosporin or some other antibacterial ointment, gauze over that, and vetwrap/coban over that, but as I've already noted, keeping it on a tail is possible for some breeds and beyond impossible for others. I've seen people use pipe insulation to wrap around the tail and then tape that on for serious tail injuries, but hopefully you won't need to get that drastic.
The first is to make it so the dog can't keep licking it. You do this with either a cone or collar so the dog can't reach to lick, OR you block the area off with a bandage, which isn't so easy on the tail for most breeds. Once the spot is covered, you can also give the dog something to do (to keep them from taking the wrap off), so a kong with peanut butter inside, or a bully stick, or maybe even a knuckle bone. A super special treat that will make your pupster forget all about the tail.
Second, if there's an infection then you'll need to see the regular vet tomorrow for antibiotics. Otherwise, shave or trim the area and then either neosporin or some other antibacterial ointment, gauze over that, and vetwrap/coban over that, but as I've already noted, keeping it on a tail is possible for some breeds and beyond impossible for others. I've seen people use pipe insulation to wrap around the tail and then tape that on for serious tail injuries, but hopefully you won't need to get that drastic.
Granny Franny
Senior Member
Lots of good advice from everyone here. My dog had a hotspot on his paw this summer, he has some allergies and licks his paws. I washed with soap and water, covered with gauze and one of those no-stick bandage wraps. When I took him in for his shot, the vet wanted to check it out, and was surprised at how good it looked. One thing she suggested was to give him some Benadryl to help with the allergy. So he get 6 Benadryl a day (90 lb) - 3 in AM and 3 in PM and it has helped a lot with the licking. Now if he starts licking a specific spot, I just stick it in a sock for a day or two until he gets over the urge.
Kayak
Adrenaline Junkie
To add to what I said about wound management --- as others have said, it's possible you're looking at a food-related allergy. Safflower oil on their food can help, kind of like putting lotion on from the inside. We had a GSD with a corn allergy twenty years ago (when nearly all dog food was mostly corn) and switching to frou-frou food helped, but the safflower gave true relief. Our dogs now tend towards dandruff, and the safflower oil keeps that away. Plus, they think it's a special treat on their food.
My daughter's dog is allergic to nearly everything (pine, oak, grass, etc) and it gets worse when the pollen levels are high. The dog gets a Benedryl every night and it keeps the hot spots at bay. The vet says there are more expensive ways to deal with it, but Benedryl is the safest.
So, some of this is going to be trial and error if the hot spots become a problem. If it's a one-time deal, treat it as such for now.
My daughter's dog is allergic to nearly everything (pine, oak, grass, etc) and it gets worse when the pollen levels are high. The dog gets a Benedryl every night and it keeps the hot spots at bay. The vet says there are more expensive ways to deal with it, but Benedryl is the safest.
So, some of this is going to be trial and error if the hot spots become a problem. If it's a one-time deal, treat it as such for now.
I forgot to add this:
If there’s scabbing, you need to gently debride the wound with a washcloth and water. I never used soap. The scabbing is full of infection bacteria.
If there’s scabbing, you need to gently debride the wound with a washcloth and water. I never used soap. The scabbing is full of infection bacteria.
Kayak
Adrenaline Junkie
I've never done this, and neither has our vet. A scab is a good sign because it means you're keeping them from licking it, and it's an important stage of healing. If the area is infected or wasn't cleaned before the scab formed, you may need to do so, but if there's no sign of infection and it's clean, I wouldn't do so.
We have retired working dogs who often forget they are no longer on the job. We use Neosporin for minor wounds, and an expensive but totally worth it silver ointment we buy from our vet for the nastier ones -- and we buy coban/vetwrap by the case, because we usually treat an injury two or three times a month. We don't take them to the vet unless we see signs of infection, or they need stitches. I've never debrided a scab. I've removed dirt and gravel more times than I can count, so there's a clean wound before the scab forms. If you don't clean it first, you'd need to do it later.
My vet told me specifically to debride the skin-infected area before applying the creme. Now, if you’re thinking I was running a f’ing belt sander over her, you may disabuse yourself of that belief. I treated her skin lesions for over a year, under the direction of a competent vet.
Raggedyman
Res ipsa loquitur
many great suggestions here. you can get this in any feed/tack store. chewey and Walmart have it too as does Tractor Supply. runs about $15/12oz tube. topical ointment containing sulfur. stops the itch RFN. if this is a wet lesion it will probably need shaved. the area has to dry out in order to heal. if the dog keeps going back to the lesion (he's formed a lick habit) he needs to be in a cone.
Check For mites also.
We always used epsom salt. Use very warm water and add Epsom salt till no more will dissolve. Cool to lukewarm and use a rag to bathe the spot. You will be amazed how quick it will heal. We have used this method many times over the years. Cheap and usually saw results after first application. Continue till healed.
psychgirl
Has No Life - Lives on TB
All of this.
Once one starts , they’ll spread.
It’s nasty and gross once it gets out of hand.
I “suppose” there are things you “could do” OTC but basically, it’s a clip and clean/scrub, then oral antibiotics.
That’s it. I’m sorry.
psychgirl
Has No Life - Lives on TB
This also can help.
GeneSD
Retired December 31 2022
sjhenderson
Senior Member
5W-30
oops
Veteran Member
An old vet told dad to make sure his coonhound only ate lower protein durin the off season n only give him the higher protein feed durin coon season if he was huntin more than 3 nights a week...so he gave him 17% durin off season n 21% durin huntin season...cause most hot spots are the result of too hot kidneys...right wrong indifferent...Joe never had hot spots...sadly findin low protein was next to impossible a few yrs ago...no clue about now...
dioptase
Veteran Member
Low protein is possible, but it can be hard finding it in kibble, short of a vet's prescription. (Our dog has kidney disease, which requires low protein...not that he would eat that diet.) You may have to try canned food instead of kibble, in order to get non-prescription food that is lower protein, and you may have to search for odd brands. "Senior" kibble (which all seems to be chicken plus something else), is a bit lower in protein than the "adult" kibble, but even that can run to > 17% protein.
Kayak
Adrenaline Junkie
Yes, epsom salts can help a great deal. If the hot spot isn't where you can easily soak it, then get a washcloth sopping wet with a strong epsom salt solution and put it on the hot spot for fifteen or twenty minutes. This works better if it isn't terribly raw, though. It can hurt on raw skin. Some dogs take it in stride, but others will scream and carry on with much drama.
Also, make sure you thoroughly rinse the epsom salts off, because if the dog licks the area and it isn't properly rinsed then there will be explosive diarrhea.
helen
Panic Sex Lady
The 14 year old chihuahua mix has a strange allergy that causes almost total hair loss from the back of the shoulder blades to the tip of his tail. Then he licks hot spots. I use generic skin lotion for humans and cover him liberally in it, even rubbing it into his scalp and the outside of his ears. He won't lick it. It soaks into his skin quickly. The hair starts growing back immediately.
NoDandy
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I have to agree with the Nu-Stock. We have used that, and it does well !!!
Good addition to other suggestions.
