Hot Spots

[Max, Sunny Girl and Jeanine]

Any info on hot spots would be appreciated.  Max now has 2nd one in a month - both after boarding.  Vet treats w antibiotics and steroid powder.  Off the to vet this morning but am curious as to cause of the "hot spot".  Allergies vs separation anxiety?

Thanks,

Jeanine

[Cheryl & Matey & Checkers]

Matey has his first hot spot this year. I was unsure what it was. It looked like a thick blackish scab on his head. Connecticut had a bad summer for fleas and ticks. Matey did have a tick in the same area a week before which I pulled off and treated with a bit of tea tree oil, but he has never had a bad reaction to a tick bite so I didn't think that was the cause of the hot spot. It did look like that it may be a heavy concentration of flea eggs (not sure why I thought this because I have never ever seen a flea before). I called the groomer and they said it sounded like fleas so I took Matey in for a flea bath. The groomer said that they did not find any fleas and were not sure what was going on with the top of his head so off to the vet we went. The vet knew immediately that it was a hot spot perhaps caused by the tick bite which Matey hadk irritated by scratching (I never saw him scratch at all). He gave him a weeks worth of antibiotics and a cream to put on the now shaved area and a cone to make sure he would not fuss with it. Not sure if this helps you but I thought i would share our experience.

Did Max's hot spot happen in the same place? Do they feed him the same food that he has at home? Is this the 1 & 2 time that he has been boarded at this facility?

[Max, Sunny Girl and Jeanine]

On the same side but first one was under jaw area and second is on the shoulder.  The first one felt like a hard disc and the second one was just a reddened area but starting to harden this morning.  The vet said it could be allergies (inhaled or ingested) or possibly anxiety since both started during boarding.  He has been scratching alot for at least the last six months - I thought at first he might have fleas but none so far.  Need to try oil on a more consistent basis on his food to keep skin from drying out.  Using shampoo recommended by Dixie but groomer uses something else!  This summer was extremely dry here in Central Texas.

I take his food to boarding - he has been boarding here for about 1 yr - so not a new experience for him.

Thanks for sharing your experience really appreciate the info.

Anyway, on antibiotics and topical powder.  They had to shave a large area this time.  We are watching him closely but he is not scratching too much today - now at home with his Pack :)

[Cheryl & Matey & Checkers]

What do you feed him?

[Christine & Shelby]

Sorry Max is experiencing this.... Shelby's never had a hot spot, so I don't have any advice to add, but will read and learn... just in case she ever develops one. 

[Merrill Kirkpatrick]

Both of my dogs were getting hot spots after they were bathed and groomed.  They were so bad that I would have to take them to the vet for a steroid shot.  He gave me some shampoo that has helped a lot.  The name of it is DermaBenSs by DermaPet.  It seems to really help them.