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Barnyard Buddies:  Hot spots on dogs?  |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 03 2009 : 10:33:39 PM
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My dog, Boxer, apparently has a "hot spot" on his right side and it was starting to get infected (last night I caught him chewing at it) so I got one of those "Elizabethan" dog collars (I don't know their real name). I thought he would have a fit about wearing it but he doesn't seem to mind it that much. I cleaned the wound with betadine and then put neo-sporin on it. Is there anything else I should be doing, or any other tried and true remedies? One person recommended something called "Nu-Skin" that you can spray on--I'd never heard of it before so I'm not sure if it's safe for dogs. I also put some aloe vera gel on it, more for comfort (mine, I think) than anything. Boxer is almost like a service dog to me (I have a mild disability) so when he suffers, I suffer too. I hope it's only a hot spot and nothing more serious.
Cindy
"Dog is my co-pilot"
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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maggie14
True Blue Farmgirl
6784 Posts
Hannah
Washington
USA
6784 Posts |
Posted - Sep 03 2009 : 10:43:55 PM
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Hi Cindy, Here are some great tips on how to cure hot spots naturally. hope this helps! Let me know how he does.
Maggie
Trim the area around the hot spot with scissors. If the area is too big, you should shave it. Exposing it to air will dry out the moisture and help speed healing.
Step 2Clean the area with a gentle baby shampoo or mild skin cleanser for dogs and rinse with cool water. Pat dry.
Step 3 Apply hydrocortisone spray to stop the itching. Benadryl tablets can also stop the itch, but it's best to check with your veterinarian first.
Step 4Prevent your dog from biting, licking or scratching the area. Placing an Elizabethan collar (plastic cone) around your dog's neck will keep him from biting and licking at it.
Step 5Keep an eye on the area to make sure it continues to heal and doesn't worsen or spread. In most cases, hot spots are infected and require a visit to the vet. There's always the possibility of a deeper skin infection.
Hot Spot Remedies
Updated: 07/30/2009
Hot spots are those nasty and extremely painful sores that develop on a dog#65533;s skin and could be the result of many things, such as a little bug bite, a small sore or a scratch on the skin that begins to itch and bother the animal.' As the issue becomes increasingly irritating, the dog will begin to lick, chew and scratch at the area, causing bacteria to grow and before you know it, your puppy has a hot spot. The key with hot spots is to act fast!!! Did you know that a hot spot can go from being barely visible, to several inches in size in just thirty minutes? Did you also know that when the problem goes untreated the spot can increase to twenty times its size in just a day? Like I said, you need to Act Fast!
Here#65533;s how you can treat those hot spots at home, easily and effectively.
First of all you need to clear away some of the fur in the area of the hot spot. Use some K-Y Jelly and apply it to the spot. Hold a couple of fingers against the spot so that you can carefully cut away the fur above your finger line and go beyond the outer edges of the sore approximately one inch. Use warm water to rinse the area well and you#65533;ll find that by using the jelly, the fur has stuck to it and washes out easily. Afterwards use electric clippers to shave off only the fur that surrounds the sore.
Now you need to cleanse the sore well. Use a Water Based Cleanser or antiseptic Betadine if you have it. Be sure that all the cleanser is rinsed away as it could cause further irritation if any were to remain.
Treat the hot spots by using Black Tea Bags, (but don#65533;t use herbal ones). Black tea contains tannic acids, which will help to dry out and heal the sores quickly. Soak the tea bag in hot water and once removed let it cool. Apply the tea bag directly onto the hotspots for about five minutes. Repeat this treatment three to six times every day until the spot is dry and healed.
You can also use some Witch Hazel on the spots, as it will provide a cooling and soothing sensation.
P.s. Please tell me if this helps or not and I will look for more things to help you out.
Maggie
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Sep 04 2009 : 12:36:37 AM
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Maggie--thank you for the tips! I am getting ready to soak a tea bag in hot water and I'll stop by the pharmacy and get some hydrocortisone spray in the morning. I don't know if I can trim the hair around it--his hair is pretty short to start with. It's only in the past few days that it's gone from being dime sized to quarter sized. It looks better tonight than it did last night (it actually bled a little last night but maybe that's a good thing, seems to have had a cleansing effect). If it gets worse I'll take him to the vet. I'm so glad I can go to this site and learn things about animals that I otherwise wouldn't know. Thank you for your help.
Cindy
"Dog is my co-pilot"
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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maggie14
True Blue Farmgirl
6784 Posts
Hannah
Washington
USA
6784 Posts |
Posted - Sep 04 2009 : 09:39:38 AM
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I'm so glad I could help.
Maggie |
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gramadinah
True Blue Farmgirl
3557 Posts
Diana
Orofino
ID
USA
3557 Posts |
Posted - Sep 04 2009 : 09:56:30 AM
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My newfoundland had a Hot spot it went from quarter size to all the way down her back legs and up her back in 24 hours I cliped cleaned and finally had to have her shaved and a shot of cortisone She was a much happier dog after the shave. I think I will have her shaved every year now her summer has been so much easier on her.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #273 |
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Ingrid
True Blue Farmgirl
432 Posts
Ingrid
BC
Canada
432 Posts |
Posted - Sep 04 2009 : 1:47:32 PM
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Sometimes a hot spot can be food related. Have you made any changes to your dogs diet lately?
My dog gets hot spots and just try to keep it clean and stop him from chewing it.
Give thanks to yourself everyday for all the wonderful things you do! |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Sep 04 2009 : 8:55:02 PM
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Diana--your poor dog really went from having a small hot spot to one that required her to be shaved? I hope that doesn't happen to Boxer--I'd have to pit sunscreen on him! He does seem a lot better tonight. The sore appears to be healing so I'm just going to let nature take its course. At least he can't lick it or chew on it.
Ingrid--thanks for the tip about diets. I did add some homemade dogfood to his regular meal before he got the hot spot, so maybe that affected it. But the homemade diet was just chicken, brown rice, and veggies, things he's had before. I f I had to pick one suspect ingredient, it would be the chicken. With all the chemicals added to the chickenfeed, who knows what was in that chicken? And it's very hard to get free-range
organic chicken around here. though maybe it would be a good idea to start searching...
"Dog is my co-pilot"
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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maggie14
True Blue Farmgirl
6784 Posts
Hannah
Washington
USA
6784 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2009 : 12:27:00 PM
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How did the tea bags work for you?
Maggie |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2009 : 3:44:36 PM
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Hot spots that are diet related are usually caused by excessive proteins, usually beef, try lamb, and chicken should not of caused it. Also can be caused by irratants, i.e., poisen oak or ivy, sumac, fertilizers, etc. Keep clean with mild soap for babies, and us a drying agent on it like witch hazel.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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gramadinah
True Blue Farmgirl
3557 Posts
Diana
Orofino
ID
USA
3557 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2009 : 4:17:26 PM
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By the time we had her shaved we had no idea the extent that is was at. But with he long very thick hair and all it was all I could do to keep up so I just went with the shave and she was really a lot happier and so much cooler. So much so that I think I will have her shaved every summer.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #273 |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2009 : 8:00:12 PM
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Maggie--the tea bags must be helping because it's starting to heal. At least, the hair is growing back. It doesn't seem to bother him too much, so that's a good sign. I'm glad I was able to use that black tea for something--it was too strong to drink (I like herbal teas) and I was almost ready to get rid of it because it was old.
Teresa--could the hot spot have been caused by a flea bite? I found a couple of fleas on him about a month ago and now he's on a once a month pill to prevent and kill fleas.
he's never had a hot spot before so it's really kind of puzzling.
Cindy
"Dog is my co-pilot"
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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doglady
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Tina
Howard
Ohio
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2009 : 9:13:09 PM
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Hi Cindy,
Like Ingrid mentioned, check out the food for the problem since he's never had it before. I would try Natural Balance's Sweet Potato & Veninson or something simular. I use Benedril cream for any skin things that might pop up on my dogs. Good luck.
Tina
You can tell your dog all of your secrets and they'll never say a word!
www.kennelcreations.com |
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OregonGal
True Blue Farmgirl
511 Posts
Chris
No. IL
USA
511 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2009 : 7:48:27 PM
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And I don't know if what your dog has is a hot spot, but for what its worth, people should also know that
dogs should NOT be given softened water to drink, it can cause skin/itching problems for them. |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2009 : 8:04:56 PM
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Prariehawk, yes fleas can cause hot spots cause their saliva can cause an allegic reaction, and dogs tend to lick, bite and chew these spots. Be very careful useing pills and that liquid that you put on once a month, alot of dogs have had severe reactions and some have died, its a poisen and it can build up in their systems, try natural if you can, i.e., orange oil, brewers yeast, etc.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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Barnyard Buddies: Hot spots on dogs? |
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Hot spots on dogs?
