Avoid Hot Spots in Pets
Your pet may scratch, lick, and chew themselves into a hot spot when their skin feels burning from scratching. Learn more about these incredibly uncomfortable sores to assist your furry friend in overcoming the itching.
What are hot spots in pets?
Inflamed sores that form on a pet’s skin are referred to as hot spots, acute moist dermatitis, or pyotraumatic dermatitis. These bumps can quickly turn into an oozing, painful mess that is excruciatingly painful for your pet. They frequently appear to appear overnight.
What causes hot spots in pets?
Hot spots are generally caused by skin inflammation from environmental, flea, or food allergies. However, anything that causes your pet to lick, chew, or scratch an area to the point of raw skin can be a culprit.
Hot spots can be triggered by:
- Ear infections
- Skin infections
- Matted fur
- Urinary tract infections
- Anal gland issues
How are hot spots in pets treated?
To avoid a severe skin infection, treating your pet’s hot spots as soon as possible is essential. Put your pet in an Elizabethan collar (also known as an e-collar) as soon as you notice a small area of inflammation so they can’t irritate the skin any more.
When your pet arrives at our hospital for hot spot treatment, we may administer sedation paired with a strong analgesic medication, as hot spots can be incredibly painful to the touch. Once your pet is comfortable, we will clip away matted fur to allow air to reach the area. Wet, matted fur serves as a breeding ground for infection and must be removed to allow the hot spot to heal.
To remove fur and other debris, we will gently clean the area with an antiseptic rinse. Next, we will apply topical medications to the clean, dry skin to relieve the itch and treat the infection. Depending on what caused the hot spot in the first place, we may advise allergy medication, anal gland expression, ear medication, routine grooming, or other therapies.
If you notice an irritated, inflamed area on your pet’s skin, don’t wait. Give our team a call to schedule an appointment before a minor irritation flares into a large, painful hot spot.
