# Stuck In Hot Spot Hell!



## jnmarr (Mar 7, 2008)

Please feel free to offer suggestions.. I am 55, have had dogs all of my life and have NEVER had one get a hot spot. We took him to the vet Friday, who said it was most likely a flea saliva allergy. Rusty's is not a lick granuloma, but is red, rashy, very itchy, and is loosing fur and growing fast. He is mad to get to it. So far I ran a search on this site.. and have shaved it, washed with Liserine, blew it dry, patted on GB medicated powder. He licks it off. So I head to the store and get PG's tip.. 1/2 bitter apple and 1/2 Absorbine Jr. I spray around the area he licks it all off. I wash, dry, repeat and now spray Adams flea spray around because he really hates that.. He licks that.. and Penny tries to help. :doh::doh: I am watching him, redirecting, etc. Last night I put a tee shirt on his rear to give it a break..I checked at 3 it was still on, looked down at 6 it was off.. I think I will call the vet tomorrow and get a No Bite collar.. and the RX for the antibiotics. I also am switching him to California Natural.. Sick of wondering about the Canidae. They are 1/2 and 1/2 with the switch, and I started the Salmon Oil up again. He also had his flea preventative Friday, Comfortis. Guess this is mostly a vent.. and thanks for listening.. I am open to all advice!  Oh, and don't ask me how.. but I now know what bitter apple and Absorbine Jr tastes like! :yuck::yuck::yuck:


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

Try taking the regular (brown) Listerine, mixing it 50% with water and dab the spot every hour, or as often as you can. It has antibacterial qualities and it tastes bad to dogs. I have used it on my mom's dog, though she insisted on doing full strength and it cleared up within 48 hours.

Poor baby! I had a dog who used to get them all the time. Looking back now, I am pretty sure she had flea allergies.

I feed CA Natural and love it. My dogs are so soft and they never have hot spots. Plus they smell good, unless they roll in something disgusting!


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

It sure sounds like you have had good advise but it is still not working. I think you are right to head for the vet tomorrow. I hope Rusty finds a cure quickly those nasty things can not be comfortable.


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

Poor baby...and poor you too It sounds like its a good idea to go see the vet. My dog Misty got a hot spot...then I found fleas and I think she was allergic to the fleas..got rid of the fleas and I put neosporin on her hot spot and it was gone after a few days..good luck


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

There are times that you cannot stop these from spreading and need to get them to the Vet. Shadow had one that got so big, so fast, he needed a shot of cortisone, antihistamines, and prednisone. I'm forgetting something.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Bummer nothing is working .. what you listed here worked great for Hooties hot spot and Abbies lick granuloma


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

You'll need a cone collar for him, that's the only way to keep him away from it until it heals. A vet visit is a good idea if it's still spreading. Don't despair, you will get it under control!


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

I think it is right that you are going to the vets. Sometimes you cant get them under control no matter what. But a cone is probably going to be the way to go.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

*ugh. I Hate Hot Spots. Hunter Had A Few, But By 2 Was Not Bothered With Them Any More. Kaycee Still Got Them When She Got Older, But Not As Bad And Usually Just When Live Oak And Pine Pollen Was Flying, Bermuda Grass Was Greening. She Was Also Allergic To Fleas And Mold Spores, Buck Only Ever Had A Hot Spot Once, When He Was 11 I Think. It Was On His Hip, But He Developed A Worse One On His Throat Due To Slobbering So Bad While Wearing The Cone. No Other Dogs Of Mine Has Ever Had One. Good Luck To Your Boy. I Know He Is Miserable.*


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I'm sorry you are in hot spot hell. So am I! My non-allergy 4 yo golden has had 2 this spring/fall in the exact same spot! MylissyK is right--a cone collar is best--learned this the hard way! 

Last week I had a long talk with my vet about these hot spots. We told her we had started him on benadryl, tritop ointment and cleaning with a listerine mixture. We had also been spraying the Genta spray, but it was annoying to our guy. We had not shaved the spot because we caught it early and shaving seems to make his recovery longer--he licks it more when the fur starts to grow back in. She prescribed something you can put on the first 3 days while it is moist--neopredf with tetracaine. Here is a link http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=13&pCatId=10024
It worked for us after a day. You just puff it on them several times a day. The neosporin is an anti-bacterial, the pred is the steroidal element and the tetracaine helps with inflammation and itchiness. She also prescribed benadryl taken 2 times daily (2 in the a.m., 2 in the p.m.). She also suggested this, although we didn't try it--make an oatmeal paste by mixing water with some Quick cooking oatmeal (the Quaker stuff out of the box without the sugar and flavors) and putting it on the hot spot to help with the itching. It's like an oatmeal bath when we get allergic reactions. My guy inhales oatmeal so we didn't think it would stay on too long! 

Although this doesn't help you our vet mentioned there is a research project going on now to determine why some dogs get hot spots in the same exact spots repeatedly. I hope they find some answers!


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## Hudson (May 18, 2005)

Good luck with clearing the hot spot, they can really make the dogs feel really miserable, so its probably time for the vets and a cone on his head so he cant lick it. Hope its clears up very soon.


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## jnmarr (Mar 7, 2008)

Thanks everyone.. all sound advice and good links. Where he was seen by the vet Friday a call is all we need to do today.. I don't understand why she didn't give me the script for the antibiotic... she said if he got worse within 2 months he would need one??? I hate that cone.. I am wondering if we could use the No Bite collar on him? Worked so well on Penny after her spay.. She could lay in her crate, eat, drink without any trouble. I had to pay a $30 deposit which I got back when we returned it. 
The thing actually looks some better today.. maybe a flea allergy after all.. that plus when I saw he was eating everything I was putting on it all I did was use the Listerine.. How much Zinc is too much after all! He is up to 3/4 part California natural with a whole Salmon oil capsule, also. 
Thanks again!


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## jnmarr (Mar 7, 2008)

UPDATE>>>
The spot looks like it is drying up.. he still licks it a little now and then.. I am just putting Listerine on it every few hours.. it never oozed .. just grew and looked rashy. Vet finally called in the antibiotics.. think I will give him a round to make sure it doesn't get infected. Thanks for all the info. Wouldn't you know it.. I have the only dogs that will lick the Gold Bond, Listerine, Bitter Apple and for Heavens sake Absorbine Jr. !!!


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## Auretrvr (May 6, 2008)

Sorry to hear of this struggle! HS are so yucky. 

Once you get this cleared up, you might try this. I give my guy one Dermcap ES each morning. (It was recommended for healthy skin, and really makes his coat soft and shiney.) We are home and around him a lot, so we know if he is scratching an area a lot. I give him some regular rubs which also can turn up an early spot, and I really study his skin when I blow dry him after his bath. (I have a high velocity dog dryer; be careful not to use a people dryer that gets too hot...their skin is more sensitive to burn than ours). I have caught 2-3 spots before they got to dime size. Right away, I use an antibacterial wash (like Bactine) to clean the area and dry it well. Then I put a drop or two of Tresaderm (prescription from the vet) on it. I do this twice a day until the spot is gone in 3-4 days, and I have not had a spot get away from us using this method.

I will note that he doesn't get wet much which I understand can bring on HS more readily. Of course every dog is different, but maybe this will work for you.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

I'm glad it's clearing up. I know they put Bailey on antibiotics when he gets a hot spot. Shadow only had the antibiotics when he had that awful hot spot. He hasn't had another since we keep him away from foods he is sensitive to.


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## jnmarr (Mar 7, 2008)

Thanks for the support. My dogs are field Goldens.. and thankfully dry really fast. I don't use a dryer on them. They are wet daily. Living here in Florida it is a way of life. The ground stays wet.. and they roll when they play.. morning dew is always heavy, rains an awful lot, etc. I have to rinse them off before they come in the house. Sometimes just the feet. They are so good. I tell them come get ready.. and they will stand on the deck by the back door and let me hose them off, then they shake and come into the screened room, where they roll on what ever I have laid out for them to dry off on.. then go into the air conditioned house and dry within a few hours.. I am noticing a difference in their coats.. don't know if it is the salmon oil or the California Natural but they are shinier and softer. Still haven't seen a flea... But I am sure they are out there, too. Can't wait for his bald rashy butt to clear all the way up! :crossfing


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## goldensequoia (Jun 4, 2008)

*Sequoia's Pilgrim Collar*

hello all - I certainly recommend using the collar - We are in Miami and with heat, fleas, and more, we can't help but find a hot spot on Sequoia from time to time. I check her skin off and on throughout each day and brush her twice a day to get a good look at her skin. Keeping close watch helps me find a small damp spot before it gets bad and then she gets the collar. She is very good about wearing it. We call her the little Pilgrm Girl when she wears it. Catching the spot early on, and wearing the collar when you are not around, helps the skin dry and heal over just a few days. We sometimes sprinkle Neo-Predef to help dry out the area. I am including a photo of Sequoia wearing the collar when she had a lump removed from her leg. Keeping her from licking the area helped her skin heal quickly. She looks happy, doesn't she?
all the best
Cindy


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## Carol V (Aug 9, 2008)

I am sorry I didn't see this thread sooner...It was someone recommending Gold Bond powder that brought me here....I also have used the liquid from a real aloe vera plant and that healed my golden's hot spots pretty fast...especially the ones on his face where I hated putting anything harsh on them...but recently I tried the Gold Bond on another one of my goldens and that worked faster than the aloe did ... Glad things are getting better...I hate hot spots....:yuck:


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

There is another thing you can try but no matter what works I think you need to get to the "Cause" especially if it reocurrs. I may be a food allergy, reaction to an insect bite, due to something in water where swimming and so on. Many feel most hot spots actually start on the inside and are a way for the body to get rid of toxins. 
There is a product that you can get through your pharmacy without a prescription. It is called Domeboro. 

Good luck!1


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## jnmarr (Mar 7, 2008)

Wow! Thanks EVERYONE! I am copying, pasting and printing LOL. I have been spending so much energy on Rusty's butt I neglected the one on his foot.. It got bigger ARGH! It has rained so much our yard is a mucky nasty mess. I am glad we have the antibiotics for that reason. We grow alie vera plants, I never thought if that. We were using Betidine. I sure hope this isn't an on going thing, poor baby.


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