Your dog has been spending lots of time in the great outdoors this summer, and he really seems to enjoy it…but lately you’ve noticed that he keeps licking and biting at a particular spot on his flank or one of his paws. You decide to take a closer look to see what the issue is–maybe a bug bite? But then you notice that the fur is gone around the area he’s been licking and in its place is an angry-looking, oozing sore. Your dog has what is commonly known as a hot spot.

Hot spots, also known as moist eczema, can develop very rapidly (in as little as a few hours). If something is irritating the dog’s skin so that he begins to lick and bite at a particular spot, and the fur and skin become moist, or if he already had a small sore and went swimming or had a bath, the moisture combined with the irritated area allows bacteria to infect the skin. If the dog continues to lick at the spot, the sore grows rapidly and within a very short time develops into a wet, oozing mess. A small hot spot may not be immediately visible without parting the surrounding fur, so if you notice your dog licking one spot excessively, it’s wise to check the area to prevent the hot spot from worsening.

Small hot spots are relatively easy to treat. The first thing to do is to clip or shave the fur around the sore. This will expose it to air and dry it up quicker, making a less favorable environment for bacterial growth. Next, clean the area with a mild shampoo formulated for this type of issue and dry thoroughly. Your vet should prescribe a cream or spray to stop the itching and speed healing as well as an oral antibiotic (you need to be careful with these as antibiotics can encourage the growth of yeast, which is another problem in itself.) You need to eliminate your dog’s access to the area (because you know he’ll start licking it again), so an Elizabethan collar (the cone thing) is your best bet to accomplish this. (Dogs absolutely HATE those collars, but there is one on the market called a ‘Comfy Cone’ that is made of sections of foam rubber covered in soft wipe-clean vinyl. This collar is flexible and can be folded back for ease in eating and drinking. Your dog still won’t like it, but it’s more comfortable than the hard plastic ones.)

If the hot spot goes untreated, it will continue to grow in size and severity and treatment will be more difficult. Secondary infections may also develop; I speak from personal experience. About 4 years ago, our Golden Retriever, Cosmo, developed a hot spot on his flank during an unusually chilly, damp May. Since we keep him in full coat year-round (and he has REALLY thick fur), I didn’t really notice anything at first. When I did notice what looked like a tiny bit of blood in his fur, I parted his coat and was absolutely appalled at what I found. I got him to the vet ASAP, and it turned out to be even worse than I thought. Once the fur was clipped away, I saw that the actual hot spot was as big as the palm of my hand–and this had developed in the span of about 1 1/2 days. And it gets worse–Cosmo not only had the bacterial infection that comes with hot spots, he also had a staph infection as well. He was placed on some pretty heavy-duty antibiotics along with a steroid. (And yes, he had to wear the Elizabethan collar. I think he hated me for awhile.) Altogether, it took about 3 weeks for him to heal completely–and he also developed 3 other less severe hot spots on the other flank. Now, whenever he begins to lick excessively at any particular spot, I immediately check to see if anything is developing–and then I spray Bitter Apple on the area to keep him from licking it anymore.

Oh–I forgot to mention that diet can also be a factor. Many dogs are grain-sensitive (especially to corn), and this sensitivity can cause itching. It’s best to just avoid wheat, corn, and soy altogether when choosing a food for your dog.

Here’s to a hot-spot-free autumn!!