How To Treat Golden Retriever Hot Spots

Ringworm Treatment For Dogs

Most dogs can be treated for ringworm on an outpatient basis, but quarantine procedures should be considered due to the contagious and zoonotic nature of many types of ringworm. In mild cases, topical treatment may be all that is needed to speed recovery and reduce the chances that the disease will spread to other animals or people. Shaving a pet with a long coat can help topical medications reach the skin. Options include lime sulfur dips, enilconazole rinses, and miconazole shampoos.

For more severe cases, a veterinarian will also prescribe oral anti-fungal drugs like itraconazole, griseofulvin, fluconazole, terbinafine, or ketoconazole. Treatment often must continue for several months and should not be stopped until followup diagnostic testing shows that the dog is free of ringworm. If an underlying condition is thought to be playing a role in the dogs development of ringworm, it should be addressed as well.

Home Remedies To Treat Dog Hot Spots

Heres how to treat hot spots on dogs at home:

• Trim the fur around the spot, preferably using clips. If you are using scissors, be very careful not to cut your pet in case they suddenly move or jump. If the affected area is large, it might be a good idea to shave the surrounding fur pending your pets sensitivity and vets advice.
• Clean the affected skin area using warm water and mild soap, then pat dry with a paper towel or cloth.
• Apply topical ointment to alleviate itching and speed up the hot spot healing stages. Some over-the-counter products you might have at home that you can use include:
• 1% hydrocortisone cream: this topical steroid is rich in vitamins and highly effective for itch relief
• Benadryl: diphenhydramine such as Benadryl comes in a topical gel form and may be effective at treating hot spots on dogs with allergies
• Coconut oil: a natural hot spot treatment that helps soothe the inflamed skin
• Apple cider vinegar: mix with 50% water to create a hot spot spray that neutralizes itchiness and acts as a natural flea repellent
• Aloe vera: only use aloe vera for hot spot relief on areas your dog can not lick or bite, as it can cause vomiting and diarrhea if ingested

Hopefully, your pets condition begins to improve, but its still wise to visit your veterinarian to understand what caused your dogs hot spot and how you can prevent them in the future.

Oral Steroids Or Antibiotics

Using conventional medications, such as oral antibiotics, is not a good idea. It can even be harmful over the long term.

Skin conditions like hot spots are never just skin conditions. They always have an underlying cause. The hot spot is nothing but a symptom of that underlying disorder. Thats why its important to address the cause of the hot spot otherwise, itll just keep coming back.

Conventional medicines almost always work by suppressing symptoms. In this case, the hot spot is the symptom. Thats why so many conventional medicines start with anti medications There are antifungals, anti-inflammatories and in this case, antibiotics. All work to manage the signs of the disease but they do nothing to stop your dog from getting sick again.

Remember you can get through this without antibiotics or conventional drugs. And you need to try hard to do this.

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What Are Hot Spots

Medically classified as a form of acute moist dermatitis, Hot Spots are infected areas of the skin that appear abruptly with no early warning signs. Hot Spots can occur anywhere on the Goldens body, but they are most commonly located on the neck, face, hips, or limbs.

Left untreated, these red, itchy, and inflamed areas of the skin will double in size in a matter of hours and can spread rapidly to the rest of the dogs body.

Home Remedies For Dog Hot Spots

The first line of treatment for infected skin irritation is always a trip to the veterinarian. Once an appointment is set, however, there are a few ways of treating hot spots at home that may help your dog feel more comfortable.

If your dog allows you to touch the affected area, you can temporarily treat hot spots at home by cleaning the area with warm water and applying a saltwater solution to the lesion to gently draw out pus.

Some dog owners use warm wet tea bags as a compress. But always consult with your veterinarian to make sure that these home treatments are appropriate for your pet, given their symptoms.

Your veterinarian can also provide expert instructions for administering safe and soothing home remedies to help your dog feel more comfortable before your appointment.

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Easy Steps To Treating Hot Spots On Dogs

Noticed a hot spot on your dog? Theyre extremely common during the warmer months, when temperatures get human and bugs are on the prowl. Dont let hot spots cramp your summer adventures. With the right treatment and care, your dog will feel better in just a few days.

Allergy And Skin Infection Management

The most important part of a hot spot treatment is to prevent continued irritation of the area. Insect bites can often be safely treated at home, so long as you keep a careful eye on your pet to ensure that complications, such as an allergic reaction, do not occur. Groom your dog regularly and dry your dog after the coat becomes wet from bathing or swimming.

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How To Manage Chronic Hot Spots

If your dog suffers from chronic, recurring hot spots, its best to consult your holistic vet. Your vet can help you figure out and manage the underlying cause of the chronic hot spots.

Homeopathic remedies can often work in more chronic cases where hot spots recur and they seem to stem from mental or emotional upset. One easy thing to start with is giving your dog Bach Rescue Remedy daily. It helps when theres prolonged household or environmental stress or where life or family changes are affecting your pet. You can put a few drops in your dogs water bowl. Do this even if there are other dogs in your household. It wont affect them if they dont need it.

Chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture or acupressure can also help with chronic hot spots.

Dog Hot Spot Treatment Costs

The cost of diagnosing and treating hot spots on dogs will depend on the severity of the lesion and how often it recurs. For instance, if the lesions appear once or twice a year and they remain uncomplicated, the owner might decide to treat such episodes symptomatically without the need to manage an underlying disease. In that case, hot spot treatment will be less expensive, ranging from $40 to $200.

On the other hand, if more comprehensive diagnostic tests are required, the expense will increase significantly. This is especially true if allergy testing is needed, which might cost up to $2,000.

Pro Tip: No matter what type of veterinary treatment your pet needs, vet bills can be expensive. However, with the right pet insurance policy, you can protect yourself against unexpected costs and ensure your four-legged friend gets the best care possible.

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Is There A Natural Treatment For Hot Spots

When treating hot spots it is helpful to trim the hair of the surrounding area. Then you will need to clean the wound. Be very gentle and use lots of treats because the hot spot is very painful. Clean away any pus or dead skin.

Calendula is an herb that can prove very helpful for reducing itching and irritation of the hot spot. It can also help the skin to heal faster. You can use calendula topically, directly on the wound in the form of an oil, tea, or tincture. If you choose to use a tincture be sure to choose one that is not alcohol-based. Alcohol will sting and irritate the wound further. Calendula can be applied as often as needed and is safe for your pet to lick.

Hypericum or St. Johns Wort can be added to calendula for even greater itch and inflammation relief. Adding hypericum to calendula can also promote healing even more. You can get calendula and hypericum tinctures and mix 13 or so drops of each with a cup of warm water. Then wash the hot spot with the water as often as needed. This will relieve itching and promote healing. As a bonus hypericum has natural antibacterial properties that seek out pathogens while leaving good bacteria alone.

Colostrum can help boost the immune system and speed up the healing process. Colostrum also acts as a natural antibiotic. You can use powdered colostrum and mix it with distilled water to make a paste to apply to the wound.

What Is A Hot Spot

Canine hot spots are red, inflamed skin lesions also known as pyotraumatic dermatitis or acute moist dermatitis. These names accurately describe the inflammatory skin lesions exacerbated by scratching that appear quickly, ooze, and may contain pus. Hot spots can be found anywhere on a dogs body, but the most common sites are head, legs, and hips. These painful, smelly sores may be very obvious or may be hidden beneath matted fur.

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Golden Retriever Hot Spots Quick Overview

Hot spots are generally a skin condition in dogs in which the area of infection looks red and have moist, itchy, and painful. It may emit a bad smell because the formed pus resulted from inflammation or bacterial infection. This is basically a type of pyoderma in canine and commonly known as the summer sores or canine acute moist dermatitis.

The good thing is that hot spots are just only affecting the outer skin layer of the dogs including the Golden Retriever. Because of that, it is not generally considered as canines skin infection. But, there is bacterial presence over the dogs wound surface. This dogs skin condition can able to multiple two times its original size for only about an hour. If not treated, hot spots can spread all throughout the dogs body.

How do hot spots occur on Golden Retriever?

Generally, moisture is the main accountable for the occurrence of hot spots on Golden Retriever and on any dog breed. There are cases that moisture, especially those that are trapped under the thick coat of the doggy may not fully dry out. This will eventually lead to the dogs skin irritation afterward. The moment the dog continuously scratches, licks, and bites his skin, he may actually acquire hot spots.

Here are the predisposing factors that contribute to the occurrence of hot spots on Golden Retriever:

• Swelling and redness of the skin

Golden Retriever Hot Spots Treatment The Different Processes

Initially, as a pet owner, taking your Goldies to the vet is the first thing to do that may come into your mind as Golden Retriever hot spots treatment. This is most likely true if you and your Golden Retriever experience hot spots the very first time. In the first place, doing that would be really a big help because procrastinating may even make this dogs skin condition worse.

When you visit the veterinarian and ask him for assistance regarding this concern, a full examination of the dog will be performed. This will be very helpful in determining the root cause of the problem. Through that, the vet will specifically address the condition and conduct necessary hot spot treatment for Golden Retriever.

General Guidelines for Hot Spots Treatment on Golden Retriever

Normally, once hot spots occur on your Goldies, treatment for hot spots involves the following procedural steps:

• Clean the hot spots and disinfect the area of infection.
• Alleviate itching and promote healing by applying remedies whether an antibiotic hot spots treatment for Golden Retriever or natural home treatment.
• Discontinue the Goldies licking behavior over the infected area until totally healed.
• Determine the root cause and eliminate it.

Specific Approach for Treating Hot Spots on Golden Retriever

1-Trim the surrounding hair over the affected area

2-Eliminate the pus by using a moist cotton ball or gauze pad

3-Disinfect the affected area

4-Bathe your Goldies using a mild shampoo

5-Apply hot spots medication

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Signs & Symptoms Of Moist Dermatitis

The formation of moist dermatitis can be a very painful process for your pet. Pus will likely start to ooze from the traumatized skin as infection sets in. The dried pus and damaged skin surface will form a tightly adhered crust. Youre likely to notice hair loss over the infection site. Your dog will also probably show pain when the area is touched. While hot spots can occur anywhere, theyre most commonly seen on the head, limbs, and hips.

Support Your Dogs Elimination Organs

As well as the digestive tract, its important to support other elimination organs like the kidneys and liver. This will help balance out the body and support whole-body healing.

Herbs like milk thistle, dandelion, and St Johns wort can help cool the system and support the liver. A tincture of whole burdock can dissipate heat out of the system and cool it from within as well as support liver and kidney function.

General Dosage Guidelines: Give half a drop of tincture for each pound of body weight. Give it to your dog twice daily. If youre using a glycerin extract double the dose and use one drop for each pound of weight.

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Treatment Of Hot Spots In Dogs

Cleaning

The lesion must be cleaned thoroughly. Matted fur should be shaved off and away from the affected area. Because this can be quite painful, it is a good idea to bring the pet to the veterinarian where nurses can clean and shave the area. Some level of sedation may be necessary. A topical antiseptic such as chlorhexidine can then be used to clean the lesion.

Treating Bacterial Infection

Topical and/or oral antibiotics will often be administered. Antibiotic treatment may last 4 weeks or longer, especially if the infection is deep.

Treating Initial Irritation

Some cases of hot spots are idiopathic . More commonly, allergies to fleas, pollen or food are identified with a history and examination. Monthly flea treatments or hypoallergenic diets can address allergies. Regular grooming or keeping fur cut short can prevent matting, a common cause of skin irritation. Anxiety-induced chewing and licking can be lessened by introducing toys or chews and exercise and play.

Medications for Pain and Inflammation

Antihistamines may be prescribed to reduce itchiness and irritation. NSAIDS can be prescribed to reduce inflammation. A short acting corticosteroid may be administered one time to make the patient more comfortable and promote healing . Gentamicin/Betamethasone sprays are often prescribed to spray on the lesion daily.

Dietary supplements

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Compulsive Disorders In Dogs

In dogs, compulsive behaviors include acral lick dermatitis, flank sucking, pacing, circling, incessant or rhythmic barking, fly snapping or chasing unseen objects, freezing and staring, polydipsia , sucking, licking, or chewing on objects , tonguing or licking the air and other forms of self mutilation.

Causes Of Hot Spots In Dogs

Hot spots are typically caused by self-trauma, especially licking and chewing of the skin. Excessive grooming injures the skin, making it more susceptible to infection. Continued licking keeps the area moist, making it an optimum environment for bacteria to thrive and multiply. The hair may become matted over the skin, trapping in moisture and further promoting infection. Eventually, the skin becomes raw and painful.

In most cases, the reason for this over-grooming is itching or pain due to a skin problem. Dogs may also lick the skin over regions of internal pain, like joints. Less commonly, over-grooming is connected to a behavioral problem.

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Moisture trapped from swimming or bathing

Dogs with long or thick hair are more likely to develop hot spots if moisture is trapped in their dense coats. These dogs should be thoroughly dried after bathing or swimming.

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Can I Use Benadryl For Hot Spots

Some vets also recommend using Benadryl for the itching associated with hot spots, but if you use the clipping and cleaning techniques described above, the drug is usually not necessary. If you decide to administer it, consult your vet first. The dosage I recommend is about 1 mg per 1 kg every 8 hours, orally. .

Give Your Dog Relief Before Your Vet Visit

I encourage clients to treat this problem at home as soon as possible to relieve itchiness immediately, heal the skin and prevent potential pain as a result of an untreated infection. If the client finds the hot spot in the evening after work, it can be treated three to four times before the next morning to prevent the dog from being in pain a lot sooner.

An e-collar can be used to prevent dogs from licking or chewing on their hot spots.