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Hot Spots! Just What Are These, Anyway?

Lets take a look at some photos of Moist Eczema... you can call them Hot Spots, too.
(Click on the images to enlarge)

You make an appointment with your veterinarian because your dog is chewing incessantly at some wet, raw looking skin lesion.   And it seems to be noticeably bigger than it was just hours ago.  This is getting to look nasty.   You show it to your neighbor and they say your dog has a "Hot Spot".  What the heck is that, you ask?

Also known as Summer Sores or Moist Eczema, Hot Spots can seemingly appear spontaneously anywhere on a dog's body and the area involved can rapidly spread.  This moist, raw skin disorder has a variety of causes but the most consistent factor is bacteria. There are a number of kinds of bacteria that can be cultured from a "hot spot" and fortunately most respond to oral and topical antibiotics. Anything that irritates or breaks the skin can create the environment for bacterial contamination if the skin surface has just a bit of moisture on it.  That moisture can be present from a recently given bath, from swimming or being out in the rain, from rolling in wet grass or even from a slightly oozing sore that provides nutrients for bacteria.  For some reason, cats rarely acquire Hot Spots; dermatological problems in our feline friends are far less common than in the dog.

Below is a view of a minor Hot Spot.  But even this little lesion 
could spread rapidly and become as severe as the case above.

(Click on the images to enlarge)

A Typical Hot Spot... and How To Treat It Click on an image to enlarge in a new window
In this photo we can see, now that the fur has been parted, the raw, weeping circular Hot Spot. These often spread under the cover of the fur so that by the time you notice them they are well established and spreading.  This particular case of Moist Eczema may have been caused by a tick bite. The fur is shaved over the moist eczema to facilitate application of medication as well as to allow drying.	An area well beyond the margins of the lesion should be shaved.  That tiny black spot at the top of the Hot Spot is an area where the skin has actually died and may be where a tick was attached.  Why one tick will trigger Moist Eczema and others won't is still a mystery.  If every tick bite caused this much reaction the magnitude of skin problems in dogs would be staggering!	Daily cleaning of the Hot Spot, even every two hours for the first day or two, will speed up the healing.   Also, any topical anti-bacterial ointment will arrest the growth of the bacteria.   These skin lesions can take a week to finally dry and look like they are going to heal.  Once they are no longer oozing, simply keeping the Hot Spot area clean will be all that's needed.  The fur begins to grow back (sometimes a different color!) within two weeks.	This severe case of active moist eczema on a Golden Retriever (different from the case displayed above) shows how extensive the infection can be and the degree of damage a Hot Spot can do to the skin of a dog.  This case has been shaved and cleaned; vigorous treatment with antibiotics and cleansers is started.   Rarely will a scar be a consequence of Hot Spots but scarring can happen.
Veterinary medical attention is needed with these cases!

So, now you know about Hot Spots, Moist Eczema and Summer Sores.  They really do seem much more prevalent in the summer months.  They can cause severe itching and self-trauma because the infection goes into the deep layers of the skin.  That's why Hot Spots may take two weeks to finally look like they are going to heal.   On occasion if a dog has extensive and deep areas of Moist Eczema, oral antibiotics and antihistamines may need to be prescribed and large areas of skin will be shaved.

Watch for these skin sores and keep your dog well groomed especially in hot seasons. Any dog that has matted, dirty hair coat is at greater risk of developing Hot Spots.  Many owners will have their long or   thick-furred dog shaved closely in the summer.  This really does help prevent the thick coat from covering any dampness on the surface of the skin. By the fur covering any accumulated dampness and not allowing evaporation, the wet skin surface is a perfect environment for bacterial growth and invasion of the skin surface.

This Lick Granuloma on the left may have started as a simple "Hot Spot" on the dog's foreleg.  Repeated infections and irritation from licking have created scar tissue and chronic infection.  A severe Lick Granuloma may result if persistent treatment is not performed.  Hot Spots seem to be mostly a summertime problem but can occur any time.  If your dog needs veterinary help for any skin lesion, don't delay in making that call.

Many types of dermatological problems are avoided if the dog or cat is consuming an optimum diet.  In some cases, adding a supplement such as DermCaps, a popular Omega Fatty Acid supplement with a number of beneficial ingredients, is the key factor in avoiding repeated episodes of Hot Spots and other skin afflictions.  If your dog or cat seems to lack good coat and skin health, consider upgrading the diet to a meat-based ingredient formula and adding a supplement such as DermCaps.  The first ingredient listed in the pet food Ingredient List on the pet food label should be a meat such as chicken, lamb, poultry, beef or fish; if it is corn...pass it up!  Meat based pet food are far superior in nutritional content than grain based pet foods.  For much more information on how to select a proper pet food for your dog or cat, visit the IMPORTANT TOPICS section of ThePetCenter.com.

Follow these links below to other skin related articles in ThePetCenter.com.