What is a Hot Spot?

A HOT SPOT (also known as acute moist pyoderma) is a rapidly growing skin infection that most commonly affects the skin of dogs, especially thick coated dog breeds in areas where their coat is heavy (e.g. base of tail, side of face/neck, thighs, back).

Cause:

They are caused by any situation that creates irritation to your pets skin (e.g. injury, insect sting/bite, skin allergies, matted fur etc). This will then cause your pet to scratch or chew at the region.

Bacteria will start to grow in this region causing further inflammation. The more your pet irritates the area, the more damage that occurs to the skin.

Hot spots are more common in the warmer months.

Appearance:

The affected area often rapidly increases in size. The skin appears raw, it is itchy, inflamed, moist and often very painful for the pet.

The fur will often become matted or stuck to the affected area.

Treatment:

Due to how rapidly these hot spots can increase in size, it is best to seek veterinary help as soon as possible.

The fur over the region will be shaved off. This will allow air to access the area and will make it possible for the skin to be cleaned with an antiseptic.

Due to the area often being painful to touch, some pets may require a sedation, or anaesthetic, to allow the shaving and cleaning to be performed.

Topical and/or oral antibiotics and corticosteroids (to help reduce the degree of inflammation and pain) can be prescribed.

An Elizabethan collar (e-collar) may be required to prevent your pet from irritating the area further.

Created by Dr Tina Walder BSc. BVMS (Hamersley, Western Australia)