Creature Feature

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette dog itch illustration.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette dog itch illustration.

My dog, Mollie, got an ugly sore spot on the top of one leg. She rubbed against the door frame and constantly licked and scratched the spot. The veterinarian said it was a "hot spot" and cleaned it up. He gave her some antibiotics. Mollie is better now, but I would like to know more about this and what can be done to keep it from happening again. I bet other dog owners would be interested.

The "hot spot," also known as acute moist dermatitis, can be distressing for dog and owner because of the dog's incessant, frantic rubbing, scratching, licking and chewing as he tries to stop the intense itching. Really, talk about an itch you can't scratch.

Fortunately, as you discovered, a veterinarian can offer relief and treatment. In Hound Health Handbook: The Definitive Guide to Keeping Your Dog Happy, Healthy and Active, veterinarian Betsy Brevitz describes the treatment for hot spots as clipping the hair down to the skin at least an inch around the sore so it can be bathed with an antibacterial solution and exposed to the air. Cleaning is followed with oral antibiotics and perhaps a soothing spray or ointment. Sometimes dogs also receive a corticosteroid to ease the extreme itching.

My terrier-mix Festus developed a hot spot at the base of his tail several times during his life. The cause remained a mystery although the likely culprit was flea bites. We used every flea preventive imaginable, but the thing about most anti-flea products is that they don't typically repel fleas, but kill them after the flea has bitten the animal. What helped keep Festus free of fleas and hot spots were regular bathing and brushing.

Brevitz identifies flea-bite allergy as the most common cause of hot spots, but notes there are several additional possible causes. Among those are other parasites (such as mites), exposure to chemical irritants, seasonal allergies (grass and pollen) and matted fur.

Dogs with thick, heavy coats sometimes get hot spots when the weather warms up and they begin shedding winter coats, according to the Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook. As they shed, dead hair can be trapped next to the skin. Skin oils cause the shed hair to clump, mat and begin tugging at the skin. The mat also holds in moisture, thus the itching begins.

Allergies to foods and airborne irritants such as pollen also can cause a dog's skin to itch so badly that the dog develops hot spots. Hot spots can happen quickly, with sores sometimes appearing seemingly out of nowhere and enlarging within mere hours. When an owner sees one, he needs to take the dog to a vet quickly because of the danger of infection.

Steps to prevent hot spots include keeping the dog's hair clean, dry and mat-free, which means regular bathing and brushing. After bathing, it's essential to make sure the dog's hair is thoroughly dry. Flea preventives -- oral or topical -- are a must, as is keeping the house and yard flea-free.

If a veterinarian suspects an underlying allergy to food or something else, he'll prescribe other courses of prevention and treatment.

Sometimes owners are tempted to treat a hot spot themselves, but taking the pet to a veterinarian is always advised. A sore area on the skin might indicate a more serious condition, such as a yeast or fungal infection, demodectic or sarcoptic mange, or possibly an autoimmune disease.

Dogs aren't alone in suffering from hot spots. Cats, too, can develop itchy patches of skin because of flea bites, allergies and parasites. Sometimes symptoms are more subtle and obscured by the pet's fur, so owners need to make skin checks a regular part of their daily routine. This simply involves noting new bumps, lumps or changes in the skin while petting or grooming a pet.

Family on 05/17/2017

Upcoming Events