Dogs with hot spots? How to manage open sores

[Enerchi]

Our older dog gets them about once or twice a year. He's a 10 yr old Airedale but it's not from being in the water, more likely from an insect bite or a short hair cut. I clean them with hydrogen peroxide and then put polysporin ointment on as well. We also put on the cone of shame, too, to stop him from scratching at it. The current one has healed to the point there is no more open flesh, but any advice to either prevent a new one or how to deal with the next one (but hoping there won't BE a next one). They must be so uncomfortable

 

[JewelFreak]

After spending millions on steroids, etc., I got a great cure from a show-dog forum I was on.

Hot spots are usually caused by a fungus. Clean the spot w/ alcohol or Listerine, dry it off well, and apply Gold Bond athlete's foot (or fungus) stuff. Desenex or similar probably works as well. Do this 2 or 3 times/day. My dog's hot spot cleared up in 3 days -- after the vet had been unable to cure it for 2 weeks.

Good luck -- should do the trick!

--- Laurie

 

[NewEnglandLady]

This sounds crazy, but was recommended on a newf forum I frequent. The solution was cornstarch. You pack it into the hotspot and it dries out. I actually think that JF's gold bond powder would work better, but the cornstarch has worked very well for us.

 

[webdiva]

Is it definitely a hot spot? It could also be a flea allergy. Are there fleas in your area? We put our dogs on Trifexis, the oral flea meds/with heartworm preventative and our older dog hasn't gotten any spots anymore.

For disinfecting, we have this magical disinfectant recommended by our doggie daycare - no idea if it's available in Canada. It's called Vetericyn and I know wag.com carries it, as does Petco and some other pets stores. It's $25/bottle and THE best thing for any doggie (or people) wounds! We went through 3/4 of a bottle for many different wounds and they all healed so far, without infection.

Good luck! It definitely sucks having a doggie with wounds, hopefully it clears up soon!

 

[lliang_chi]

We had a golden retriever once that would get them. We did the cornstarch + ground tumeric. The cornstarch dried it out, the tumeric has some "healing" properties. Only thing, tumeric stains so if your dog is a house dog, perhaps JF's Gold Bond would be a better suggestion.

 

[TooPatient]

We use Vetericyn also. Works great for most things.

 

[iLander]

After spending millions on steroids, etc., I got a great cure from a show-dog forum I was on.

Hot spots are usually caused by a fungus. Clean the spot w/ alcohol or Listerine, dry it off well, and apply Gold Bond athlete's foot (or fungus) stuff. Desenex or similar probably works as well. Do this 2 or 3 times/day. My dog's hot spot cleared up in 3 days -- after the vet had been unable to cure it for 2 weeks.

Good luck -- should do the trick!

--- Laurie

Hey Laurie! Is that gold bond powder or cream? Desenex powder or cream? I'm just not clear on that . . .

 

[Enerchi]

Thanks everyone! What a wealth of knowledge you all have! Zeus has made it thru this one to the point where the skin has healed and a soft fuzz is growing back...but he does still scratch occasionally. If he keeps at it, we put the cone on him, but I don't see him getting to the point of breaking the skin. Could I use these remedies even now- with the healed spot?

You guys are so great! Thank you

 

[JewelFreak]

Enerchi -- it won't hurt him to use it even if the spot is healed. Maybe he's scratching because there's some fungal remnant left. Give it a try & see. Sometimes they continue to scratch from habit -- if after a couple of days of using this, he's still doing it, you might try spraying a little Bitter Apple or similar on the spot to discourage him. Glad he's on the mend!

iLander -- I used the powder but either one would do, I'm sure. Gold Bond worked for me, but if you can't find it, Desenex ought to be the same. The cream might stay on better. As long as it is a fungicide, I don't suppose it matters what medium delivers it. I was amazed & delighted at how fast it worked -- stopped the itching so I could remove the e-collar right away. When I remember all the dr. visits, charges for meds & EXPENSIVE prednisone (which made Buck incontinent so I cleaned up urine constantly), buying the overpriced cone from the vet, and the poor dog's misery, I'm SO irritated that they didn't recommend such a cheap & effective solution. Bottom line more important, obviously -- no way they'd never heard of it.

--- Laurie

 

[webdiva]

Seriously, Chili was put on predisone too and it was so unnecessary. It's such a powerful drug that makes them pee every HOUR - I had to set my alarm to take him out but once I mis-set it and he felt so bad for peeing in front of the door. It's a great drug for very serious illnesses and we will reserve it for such illnesses, not for simple skin rashes, etc.

 

[kelpie]

I had a dog with chronic skin problems, covered in hot spots and scales and mostly bald. After trying everything topical after 7 years we changed his diet to just raw meat and he was cured. At the very least check to make sure his food doesn't contain meat by products. If the package names the kind of meat (i.e. chicken by-product) that's better, but just "meat by-products" can be ground euthanized cats and dogs with the flea collars still on and phenal barbitol in their bloodstream or expired meat still in the syrofoam tray with cellophane.

 

[Enerchi]

I had a dog with chronic skin problems, covered in hot spots and scales and mostly bald. After trying everything topical after 7 years we changed his diet to just raw meat and he was cured. At the very least check to make sure his food doesn't contain meat by products. If the package names the kind of meat (i.e. chicken by-product) that's better, but just "meat by-products" can be ground euthanized cats and dogs with the flea collars still on and phenal barbitol in their bloodstream or expired meat still in the syrofoam tray with cellophane.

WHAT???? OMG!!!!! That's insanely disgusting!!! THey both eat "chicken soul for dog lovers" (Don't have the bag infront of me - but its made with chicken)

UGH!!!

 

[webdiva]

Yup - it's true - the US is the only country that still allows this practice! I highly advise researching your dogs food on dogfoodadvisor.com and going with one of the manufacturers that hasn't had recalls. There's a lot of foods that have a ton of crap in them, pure filler just to fill up the dogs for eg. beet pulp. I then order at a discount on wag.com - no tax, no shipping - delivered in 2 days to my door!