With Reflexologist Nuria Weaver
Home Remedies for Dog Hot Spots
People love to keep a pet dog at home but taking good care of him is a tough job. You need to follow a schedule for its diet, bathing, cleaning and check-ups. Dogs are very prone to skin infections, as their skin is sensitive and catches bacteria easily. Dog coat also provides bacteria a good reside to grow ad reproduce. Here we have discussed, a skin infection called hot spots in dogs. In this article, you will read symptoms, causes and home remedies for dog hot spot.
Hot spots are exposed painful circles of inflamed skin known as pyotraumatic dermatitis or acute moist dermatitis. These spots are usually caused by food allergy or a fleabite; the area becomes intensely itchy and your dog will rub, lick, bite and scratch the area to find relief. Hot spots grow quickly and leave your dog helpless to a dangerous bacterial infection.
Signs: A very smelly, itchy, oozy area appears on the skin. There may be many spots. Hot spots generally form on the face and the ear ends. These spots are very painful.
Causes: The common name for a hot spot is acute moist dermatitis. The bacteria infect the hair follicles. They occur mostly during the warm summer months. Any kind of a scratch or a wound can lead to skin infections and develop into a hot spot. Most hot spots are secondary to some type of skin allergy.
After reading the symptoms and the causes, let us discuss some home remedies for the same.
Clip the fur: Remove the fur covering the hot spot with clippers or scissors. This allows adequate airflow to reduce the moisture and help the wound to heal soon.
Trimming and cleaning: The hot spots should be cleaned regularly. Trim the hair around the infected area carefully to keep the area dry and clean. Use a dog muzzle as the hot spots can be very painful and the dog may get aggressive if you try to touch these spots.
Clean the area with an antibacterial liquid or soap or you can use a mild, non-perfumed liquid soap. Gently wash the area and pat it dry. Alternatively, wipe the skin area with a mild disinfecting solution.
Cleansing: Cleanse the hot spot, as it will help to kill the bacteria and prevent the infection from spreading. Clean the affected area gently with cool water and hypoallergenic soap or astringent solution.
Tea Bag Remedy: Tea contains tannic acids that have special properties to relieve sores. One can prepare a compress with tea bags and apply it to the dog's hot spot. You can use either green or black tea, which helps to dry out the moist skin lesion.
To prepare a healing compress, dip the tea bag in hot water. Allow it to cool and apply directly on the hot spots for few minutes. Repeat the process three to four times a day for best results. This will not only soothe the hot spots but will help to cure it soon.
Reduce Inflammation and Irritation: The hot spots are inflaming and irritating. You need to give a soothing compress to the dog to relieve the pain and inflammation. A cool water compress will be a good option for relieving the swelling and discomfort. It will also soften some of the crustiness surrounding the infected site. Use a soft cloth after soaking in cool water and apply this compress to the skin area for 10 - 15 minutes. Repeat the process twice to thrice a day.
Make a Salt Water Solution: Fill a bowl with warm water and add one teaspoonful of salt in it. Soak a washcloth in the mixture adequately. Place this wet cloth onto the hot spot infection and allow it to sit for a few minutes. This remedy helps to reduce the swelling and eliminate the pus from the hot spots.
Other Helpful Tips:
Provide the dog with plenty of activities that can keep him busy. Once the dog is busy in doing other activities, he will not scratch the skin repeatedly.
There are special collars available in market to prevent the dog from moving their head backwards. Get your dog one of these collars, so that you can stop him scratching and gnawing the skin.
Trim your dog's nail once in two weeks. If the nails are too long, dogs can make harmful scratches on skin while itching.
Try to keep the skin cool to heal the inflammation. You can use hazel to soothe this problem.
If you do not find any improvements in the infection, consult the doctor. Avoiding the problem may lead it to severe state.
Home remedies for dog hot spots are helpful in soothing and curing the problem. However, you need to keep a constant eye on your dog to avoid the problem from getting bigger. You will find the remedies given above effective as well as costless.
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