How To Treat a Hot Spot on a Dog

Summer is right around the corner, and that means it’s time to be on the lookout for hot spots on your dog. 

Though hot spots can happen year-round, they’re more common in the summer months since bug bites, humidity, and moisture can make your dog’s skin irritated and cause them to excessively bite and scratch the affected area.

Hot spots are uncomfortable for your pup and are upsetting to see as a pet parent. Luckily, there are a few ways to manage and treat hot spots with home remedies. Read on to learn more about the best hot spot treatments along with other changes that can help prevent hot spots in your dog.

How to Tell if Your Dog Has a Hot Spot

Hot spots, or acute moist dermatitis, are a fairly common skin condition in dogs. They can be caused by any number of factors, including allergies, insect bites, ear infections, and environmental factors like humidity and heat. 

Hot spots can first appear like a small flea or tick bite. As your dog scratches and licks the area, it can rapidly worsen and spread, which can be concerning to pet parents, explains Dr. Judy Morgan. A hot spot on a dog is often:

• •Bright red in color

• •Inflamed and sore

• •Oozing pus or scabbed over

• •Accompanied by hair loss in the area

How To Treat an Infected Hot Spot on a Dog

When you notice your dog has a hot spot, you can treat it right at home with natural ingredients. 

Hot spots can occur anywhere, but are most common on your dog’s face, neck, legs, tail, or paws. Here are some steps you should take to treat an infected hot spot on a dog from Dog’s Naturally Magazine:

• •First, you should always clean the area around the hot spot. Gently remove any pus or matted hair.

• •Then, you’ll want to prevent any further skin infection by rinsing the wound. You can use a homemade herbal rinse made with Himalayan salt, water, Self-Heal, crab apple flower essence, and echinacea tincture.

• •After the wound is cleaned and rinsed, you want to help it heal. You can use a healing powder and anti-inflammatory herbs like calendula or St. John’s wort oil that can calm the skin and reduce the itch.

Overall, you want to ensure your dog’s hot spot remains clean and able to breathe while it heals. You can use a variety of natural remedies to help in this process, such as calendula, colostrum, St. John’s wort, and apple cider vinegar. 

No matter where your dog’s hot spot is, you want to make sure your pup isn’t licking or scratching the wound, which can make it worse.

How To Treat a Hot Spot on a Dog’s Leg

When a dog has a hot spot on their leg, it can be difficult to make them stop licking it. You’ll want to make sure you’ve carefully removed any hair around the hot spot with clippers (not scissors) so you can treat the hot spot. Then, you can use an Elizabethan collar to ensure they can’t lick it as it heals.

How To Treat a Hot Spot on a Dog’s Tail 

According to the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center, a hot spot near your dog's tail is likely caused by flea bites. This is because fleas tend to live near the tail base. You can prevent hot spots in this area by using safe flea control and treating the hot spot like you typically would.

How To Treat a Hot Spot on a Dog’s Paw

Itchy paws aren’t uncommon among dogs and are often a result of allergies. This can be anything from environmental to food sensitivities. Like with a hot spot on your pup’s tail, you also want to treat the root problem of the itching along with helping to soothe and heal your pup’s hot spot on their paws.

How a Raw Diet Can Soothe Hot Spots

Now that you know how to treat a hot spot on a dog, you can also take steps to ensure your pet doesn’t develop them. Along with practicing good hygiene, switching your dog to a raw diet can also help prevent hot spots.

As Dogs Naturally explains, you can help heal your dog from the inside out with fresh, whole foods. Traditional kibble is full of carbohydrates and common allergens that can inflame your pet’s skin, leading them to scratch and develop hot spots. Meanwhile, the raw diet is full of bioavailable nutrition that allows your dog’s body to function optimally, resulting in shiny, picture-perfect coats and an itch-free life.

Learn more about the benefits of raw food for your pet’s skin and overall health today.