What are dogs’ hot spots? They are spots in a dog’s skin which are moist, oozing and reddened which can be itchy and even painful. Vets call hot spots acute moist dermatitis. Generally, they appear when moist and dead fur are trapped next to the skin and the dog starts chewing or licking it.
Causes of Dogs Hot Spots
What causes it can also be an allergy in general or from a flea bite or other parasites, or a skin, ear or anal glands infection. It can also be caused by a chemical irritant or can simply be a grooming problem.
If a dog lives in a humid climate and swims frequently, he is more likely to develop hot spots than a dog who doesn’t. The same with dogs with long and thick coats such as Golden retrievers, Saint Bernards, Rottweilers, Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds..
If your dog starts to itch, lick and chew at a specific area rather obsessively, then he might have develop a hot spot in that area. There are medications which your vet can prescribed such as antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications, but there are also natural remedies for dogs hot spots.
Four (4) Natural Remedies For Hots Spots
If you will do an internet search, you will find a number of ways to heal hot spots naturally. Some sources recommends coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, supplements, etc. The ones mentioned here are those which I have used personally or mentioned to me by friends who have dogs like me,
1. Aloe Vera Gel or Spray
I put this in #1 because I have used this for my dog and it worked. Aloe vera has antibacterial and antiseptic properties and contains Vitamin E. I sprayed it on the affected area and it soothed the spot and the itchiness so my dog stopped licking it. I did this everyday, twice a day, morning and night until the spot healed.
I needed to put on an e-collar on my dog to keep him from chewing or licking the irritated area.
2. Keep The Affected Area Clean And Dry
This is basic and the first thing you should do. This is important to stop the infection from spreading and hence contribute to the healing process. So you can wash it with an antibacterial soap. If your dog has thick fur on and around the affected area, you also need to trim the fur to give the hot spot some air so it can dry easily.
3. Oatmeal
A friend of mine tried this and she said it worked for her small dog (papillon). So what she did was to give her pet an oatmeal bath by adding about 1.5 cups of oatmeal which was finely ground and a few drops of lavender to a big pail of warm water. Afterwards, she rinsed her dog just with warm water to remove the oats. The oatmeal relieved her dog of the itching and reduced the inflammation. She did this once daily until the hot spots subsided.
Note that my friend’s dog has a mild case of hot spots. I’m not really sure whether an oatmeal bath would work in severe cases.
4. Black Or GreenTea Bags
Again, another friend of mine told me that when his dog had hot spots, he used Black or Green Tea bags because they contain tannic acids which help to dry out the moist skin lesion. So steep 1-2 tea bags about 3-4 minutes in warm water. Then remove them and allow them to cool down. Place the cool tea bags directly onto the hot spots for abput 5 minutes. Repeat this 4-5 times a day until you see the hot spots start to dry up and heal.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-grooming-tips .
