It starts small, almost imperceptible. You only notice it when you’re petting your pup and feel a wet spot in his fur. You gently explore through his fur and find a small, moist area of slightly irritated skin. It doesn’t seem too bad at first, but what is this wet spot? Is it water, puss, or blood? Ahh, no worries, it’s nothing serious. But the next morning, that little irritated area has transformed into a raging volcano, oozing with a mixture of blood and puss, and his skin has the glowing redness of lava. That’s right, you’ve discovered a hot spot on your pup!

But What the Heck is a Hot Spot!?!

A hot spot is the “street-name” for moist dermatitis or pyotraumatic dermatitis. This condition is a common topographical skin infection that often progress rapidly. Hot spots can explode from any kind of skin damage to become red, itchy, moist, and then finally infected. Even if your dog is not touch sensitive, he will be reactive to touch in these molten areas of his skin as hot spots can be quite painful for pups. 

How’d My Dog Get a Hot Spot to Begin With???

The flare up of hot spots can be caused by a great number of culprits as they can flourish from any type of skin damage. However, here are some of the most common causes for hot spots:

• Irritation from collars;
• Insect bites (fleas, flies, mites, etc.);
• Allergies (food, inhalant & contact);
• Skin scrapes;
• Ear infections – inducing excessive scratching in a localized area;
• Anxiety habits (scratching, chewing or licking out of boredom); and
• Excess skin-surface moisture

Since these afflictions are irritating and painful to dogs, their natural response is to itch and lick them. You can’t blame them for that; I mean what do you do when an insect bites you? Itch like crazy!! Unfortunately, this instinctive response only worsens the condition by exposing the area to bacteria, and fosters the explosive spread of the infected hot spot. These infections usually bore deep into the dog’s skin, which is the source of the ever-flowing magma of puss and blood. Oh, and that noxious odor emanating from the hot spot is attributed to the exacerbated bacterial infection. At this point, it should be obvious that your pup needs help to prevent the hot spot from eroding into serious ramifications.  

Step by Step Instructions on Treating a Hot Spot

Luckily, the majority of hot spot cases can be treated at home with minimal supplies. There are several stages of treating a hot spot: Prevent Further Erosion of the Hot Spot, Reducing the Fiery Pain, and Identify the Fault of the Problem & React Accordingly. 

Prevent Further Erosion of the Hot Spot

1. The most important objective is to expose the hot spot to air flow. So, once you have identified the surface area of the hot spot, you must clip your pup’s hair at the hot spot with at least an additional inch bordering the effected skin. Shave down the hair as short as possible. You many need to use water to separate hair that has become hard and crusted over from the overflow of puss. Use pet-grade grooming clippers to complete this. DO NOT USE SCISSORS! Since hot spots are painful to dogs, there is a high probability that pup will flinch during this phase. 
2. Once you have successfully shaved down his hair, dry the hot spot with a sterile pad as good as you can. Using a veterinary approved over-the-counter antimicrobial wound and skin care product clean and treat the hot spot. Do not leave the hot spot wet with excessive amounts of the antimicrobial product as the goal is to allow the area to dry. Allow the antimicrobial time to dry, about 10-15 minutes, before moving on the Reducing the Fiery Pain stage.
3. It is time to prevent pup from licking, scratching or chewing on the cleaned up hot spot. Yep, you guessed it, the Cone of Shame. This is the easiest way to ensure he doesn’t self-inflict more damage once the hot spot is treated. Under no circumstances place any bandages or wraps to cover the region; the hot spot needs to breath so it can dry up and solidify. 
4. The anointment of the antimicrobial should be sustained one time daily until the hot spot has healed.

Reducing the Fiery Pain

Just because you shaved your dog’s hair down and treated the hot spot, it doesn’t mean that the torrent pain of the hot spot has subsided. It’s time to be your dog’s best friend and get a veterinary approved hydrocortisone topical to spread over his hot spot. This is a godsend for your pup to help with the intrusion of pain and irritation emitted from the hot spot. Again, remember to not apply a thick layer of the hydrocortisone which can trap moisture. Use only a thin layer of the topical. You should repeat this process 3 times a day. 

Identify the Fault of the Problem & React Accordingly

The best solution is prevention! Just like volcanos, dogs that develop hot spots are likely to have detonations again in the future. To prevent the forthcoming bursts, you must identity the underlying cause. It could be one of the common causes noted in the “How’d My Dog Get a Hot Spot to Begin With?” section, or it could be something else. Either way it is important to be vigilant for potential root causes, and it may be necessary to take your pup into the veterinary office to get tested for hypothyroidism, skin & food allergies or even behavioral issues. Some suggested defensive actions to take are:

• Flea & Tick Control
• Regular Bathing & Grooming Schedule
• Thorough Drying After Bathing or Swimming
• Reduce Doggy Boredom & Stress (plenty of exercise & mental stimulation)
• Essential Fatty Acids in Food or Supplements (promoting healthy coat)

Potentially Destructive Hot Spots 

Most hot spots don’t boil over into catastrophic cases, but that can happen from time to time. Such cases occur as a consequence of not discovering a hot spot in its early development. Dogs that get this degree of hot spots typically have another kind of skin disease, like a deep skin infection, deep wound or bite, or possibly immune-mediated disease. In events of proliferation of hot spots, your dog may require sedation to be able to properly clip and clean the area due to the devasting pain he may be in. If you suspect any such instance, do not attempt to treat your pup at home. You should schedule an emergency visit to your veterinarian to get him the expert care he needs. This may include the need for oral or intravenous mediations for pain, anti-inflammation and/or antibiotics.  

Act Fast

Upon discovery of a hot spot, don’t delay treatment until it has a volcanic eruption. Act fast in these simple ways to cool down them down to prevent an explosion of pain and discomfort for your dog. Do your research into the cause of the flare up so you can take care of your best friend and prevent any further denotations; ridding him of hot spots for good!