Treatment for Hot Spots & Skin Infections
Causes of a Acute Moist Pyoderma and How to Heal a Dog's Hot Spot
Sep 23, 2008
Technically known as acute moist pyoderma, a dog's hot spots can be very difficult to treat and heal. These often chronic canine skin infections can affect dogs of all breeds and ages.
Healing a dog's hot spot can be a difficult task and the redness, inflammation, oozing and discharge from the hot spot can last for weeks, or even months. The dog will often lick the hot spot, making the skin infection and overall situation even worse in many cases.
What Are Hot Spots?
Acute moist pyoderma - hot spots - is a form of skin infection that affects the outer layers of a dog's skin, forming a sore. These sores known as hot spots can arise within a matter of hours in some dogs, and they can worsen exponentially due to a trauma caused by a dog's urge to bite and lick at the hot spot.
Hot spots occur when bacteria invades the skin via a tiny scratch or other breakage in the skin's surface. The hot spot often starts out as a small scratch from when the dog itches, or the hot spot develops after a bite from a parasite like a flea or mite breaks the skin.
The bacteria that causes the infection associated with a hot spot is bacteria that is constantly present on the dog's skin In certain conditions, that bacteria is allowed to grow at a rapid rate, unchecked. This rapid bacteria growth makes the dog's hot spot infection too severe for the canine immune system to handle on its own and medication and regular care become necessary in order to heal the hot spot.
Why Do Hot Spots Occur in Dogs & Other Pets?
Dogs with thick fur, a thick undercoat, matted fur, or long fur are most at risk of developing acute moist pyoderma, especially when the hot spots are allowed to develop and fester unnoticed due to the dog's thick or matted fur. Veterinarians have also found that dogs who are prone to ear infections and dogs with a history of allergies are most at risk when it comes to developing hot spots.
The dog's thick coat or matted areas of fur hold in moisture and block air flow to what starts out as a small canine skin infection. But in the absence of air flow, bacteria grows and multiplies at a very rapid rate in the moist area of skin, resulting in rapid formation of hot spots in dogs.
Contributing to the development of hot spots is the dog's tendency to lick, bite and scratch at the skin sores, which further damages the skin, adds moisture to the equation and introduces additional bacteria into the dog's open skin sore.
Skin parasites are often associated with hot spots and skin sores, as the dog's frequent scratching breaks the skin's surface, and bacteria contaminates the tiny wound, leading to the formation of an infected skin sore.
How Do You Treat Hot Spots?
Hot spots often require oral antibiotics to promote proper healing, and preventative measures like daily brushing and grooming for thick-coated dogs can also help to avoid the formation of acute moist pyoderma - hot spots - in dogs.
The first step to treating acute moist pyoderma involves cutting away mats and shaving the dog's fur in a manner that exposes the edges of the hot spot. Air flow is vital to preventing the build-up of moisture that triggers the rapid growth of bacteria and skin infection in dogs.
Once the hot spot is exposed, the area must be washed and disinfected three times a day. Dog owners should use an anti-bacterial soap like Dial to wash the sore. Once that's complete, the area should be patted dry and Betadine - a disinfectant solution available in the first aid section of the drug store - should be applied to the area to kill off bacteria.
Once disinfected, a thin layer of antibiotic cream (not ointment - cream only) can be applied to the skin's surface to promote healing.
In addition, most hot spot sufferers will require an Elizabethan Collar, also known as an "e-collar" or "lampshade collar" to prevent licking and biting at the hot spot, as this will only introduce additional moisture and bacteria.
Severe cases of actue moist pyoderma will require a prescription for oral antibiotics from the veterinary clinic.
Hot Spots in Cats
Notably, cats can also develop acute moist pyoderma hot spots, particularly when matted fur is present. The treatment for cats with skin infections, sores and hot spots is essentially the same, though careful monitoring is required for cats due to the tendency for feline skin infections to turn into abscesses - pockets of infection beneath the skin.
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