# Hot spot = Sad dog



## esSJay (Apr 13, 2009)

Sorry for yet another thread about a hot spot! 

Poor Molson has been so miserable the last few days since returning from the cottage (swimming) on Tuesday night. On Wednesday I noticed a dime-sized wet spot on the fur on his face, right at the back of the jaw and below his ear. Had no idea what it was so I put polysporin on it before going to bed. 

Last night it wasn't any better, and another spot showed up on the other side of his face. All of a sudden I realized what it was - a Freaking HOT SPOT!  I'm kicking myself for not realizing sooner and taking action!

I cleaned it with listerine & gold bond, but when I woke up this morning, both spots had spread to about 3"-4" diameter.  I just used gold bond this morning and put the CoS (Cone of Shame) on before I left for work. 

I _reeeeeeeallly_ don't want to trim/shave his face fur, and even more-so, I would like to stay away from the vet to avoid antibiotics - if possible. If it gets worse, I will definitely take him in. 



What I would love to hear from my GRF friends is...

*1)* other creative ways to help clean & dry out the spot (would a hair dryer on low/cool work??? my guess is unlikely but I'm willing to try anything!)

and more realistically, 

*2)* reassurance that if I do trim/shave his neck fur, that it will be best for him and that the fur will grow back quickly, right back to what it was before! 








Sorry for the devil-eyed pic!


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## Abbydabbydo (Jan 31, 2007)

Oh not Molson, poor guy! All I know is if it keeps spreading you might need an antibiotic. Poor cone baby!


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## ELI&BAILEY'S MOM (Dec 18, 2008)

Poor Molson! Hope he feels better soon. Eli had a hot spot that started in the middle of his cheek and went half way down his neck. We had to shave him. It didn't take long for it to grow back. Now we can't even tell that he was ever shaved.


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

Poor Molson. Jack sympathizes with the CoS. He had to wear it two weeks ago for 5 days. Jack's was in the same spot-ish and I dried it with a dryer on low several times. I kept gold bond on it as well. My breeder told me this product called Vetricyn works well on stubborn hot spots - she heard about it on Work_Gold, I guess. I bought it and used it and it seemed to work but he was already on the mend I think so I can't totally attest to it's effectiveness yet. Someone on here, can't remember who, recommended Sulfodene. I bought that also just so I have a hot spot arsenal for the future.

I didn't want to trim Jack either since he has some shows coming up in the next couple of months, but would have if it hadn't improved. I think it would take some time to grow back on the neck/face area.


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

Definitely trim the area!! That hair just traps the moisture in and it'll never dry up, trust me!! The fur will grow back quickly, especially on the face area where it's shorter, don't worry 

Poor Molson, Dillon sends his sympathies.. those hot spots are just awful!!


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## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

I just had Nygel into the vet this week as the "hot spot" situation was just getting out of control. I've shaved his belly and under his front legs to keep the area clean but the concerned areas just kept spreading every day. Every day I was shaving further & further back. I was applying a paste of Listerine & Gold Bond powder & it was keeping any actual infection from occuring & drying up the areas but he finally needed more. The vet told me to stop the paste as it would cause Nyg pain when applied (I don't agree with him as Nyg seemed to enjoy having it applied & absolutely NO pain observed). Nyg is now on an antibiotic pill twice/day & a topical cream called "Panalog". It seems to be working after 4 days but the treatment will take about 10 days.

The hardest thing will be the instructions given to me of "NO SWIMMING or getting wet until all is cleared up". We head into the interior of Algonquin Park on August 13th for a whole week where the dogs do nothing but sleep, swim, eat, swim, play, swim, hike, swim, sleep......

The second hardest part was the $246 vet bill for what I already knew - Nyg needed that extra help (antibiotics) & an improved cream (panalog) that I've used many times. Noooooo they needed to see him in the office.:uhoh:

On the positive side, Nygel seems to be just loving the extra attention he's getting. When company comes to the house, they just need to look at him & he's on his back, rolling over for all to see his "belly". He even knows the command "belly" when it's time for inspection or meds!::

I think that this is just going to be one of those bad "hot spot" summers with the high temperatures and humidity. I heard on the radio this morning that the water temps are 25C!!!!!!! (that's bathtub temperatures and breeding ground for lots of bugs for dogs & humans alike)


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Aw, poor Molson! What a sad expression...

I'm not much help for hot spots. I took Ranger to the vet when I got him and he told me Ranger had the beginning of a hot spot on his back, where the hair was starting to stick together due to excess oil production. Vet clipped just the little quarter sized area down to the skin and then put hydrogen peroxide on it to dry it out since it was NOT raw yet. It did the trick since it never "bloomed" into an actual hot spot. That's been my only experience *fingers crossed*. 

Hope Molson gets all healed up quickly!


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## esSJay (Apr 13, 2009)

Thanks for all of the sympathy! I will pass it on to him as soon as I get home!

When you guys say the fur grows back 'quickly', what kind of timeframe are we looking at here? A week or two, or a couple of months?

I have another product called Topogen which is an anti-inflammatory/antibiotic spray that I will try tonight instead of the listerine. Fingers crossed that it helps.


I feel really horrible and dumb for asking this question but I'm going to ask anyway - how long should I wait/how big should the hot spot get before I give up on my own and head to the vet?


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## esSJay (Apr 13, 2009)

Gwen said:


> I just had Nygel into the vet this week as the "hot spot" situation was just getting out of control. I've shaved his belly and under his front legs to keep the area clean but the concerned areas just kept spreading every day. Every day I was shaving further & further back. I was applying a paste of Listerine & Gold Bond powder & it was keeping any actual infection from occuring & drying up the areas but he finally needed more. The vet told me to stop the paste as it would cause Nyg pain when applied (I don't agree with him as Nyg seemed to enjoy having it applied & absolutely NO pain observed). Nyg is now on an antibiotic pill twice/day & a topical cream called "Panalog". It seems to be working after 4 days but the treatment will take about 10 days.
> 
> The hardest thing will be the instructions given to me of "NO SWIMMING or getting wet until all is cleared up". We head into the interior of Algonquin Park on August 13th for a whole week where the dogs do nothing but sleep, swim, eat, swim, play, swim, hike, swim, sleep......
> 
> ...


 
Poor Nygel! That is going to be just torture for him to not swim at Algonquin Park!  I hope a miracle happens and he heals up nice and quick.

Every lake I've been in this summer has been super hot, and I have no doubt that our lake at the cottage (which was so warm that it was warming up my beer that I had floating in the water!) is cooking up a bacterial storm and rubber a little off on Molsie.


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## kgiff (Jul 21, 2008)

Ugh... they're the worst.

We keep Gentocin spray on hand (from the vet) and the second we see one, we start applying the spray twice a day. If it's in an area they're prone to scratching, the cone of shame goes on if we're not around. I've only had to clip the area a couple of times and only once had to go in for antibiotics. 

It sounds like Molson needs to be clipped and possibly a trip to the vet at this point. Poor guy!


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## Katie and Paddy's Mum (Mar 31, 2010)

Aww, Steph I am so sorry to hear about poor Molson. That is definitely an uncomfortable and all too common area for hotspots. 
The first time I went to the vet with Katie for a hotspot the vet gave me the Topogen spray you are talking about - so it sounds like it is something that might be prescribed.

I am with everyone else on the shave and/or trim the area as close as possible to the skin. I know it seems awful (and it is!), but it is the best chance of getting the topical meds to the spot and it is the best way to keep it dry (and ultimately stop the spreading!).
If Katie had two at once, I would consider a vet visit right away as the infection can turn systemic and sometimes they need oral antibiotics. Alternately you could try the topogen for 24-48 hours and see how is responding.

My remedy of choice, and just this morning I got a PM from a user that tried it - he was PM'ing me to thank me - is Extra Strength Tinactin athlete's foot spray. Or any athlete's foot spray with miconozale nitrate as the active ingredient. The powder would work just as well - especially in this sensitive area close to the ears (as they do not like the sound of the spray). I apply it quite liberally 4-5 times a day...and I kid you not, it dries those suckers up really quickly.
If you really think about it, it makes sense. People get athlete's foot because of moist conditions in their foot (either covered with shoe and/or sock and so much moisture builds up which leads to a yeasty, fungus infection) and the same principal is at play with hotspots. Basically the spray/powder works to dry the area, stop the itch and the medicinal ingredients are anti-fungal and anti-yeast. Miconozale nitrate incidentally is the same active ingredient in womens yeast infection creams (TMI maybe?). 
Anyhow, it works and it has worked wonders for me. If you're at your whits end with it, I would consider a visit to Walmart or Shoppers to pick up some. I really would not steer you wrong here, I feel that strongly about it.

In the meantime, I hope Molson is on the mend real soon. I hate the thoughts of him in that CoS. My heart breaks for your little man!

All the best!
Kim


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## Goldilocks (Jun 3, 2007)

esSJay said:


> Thanks for all of the sympathy! I will pass it on to him as soon as I get home!
> 
> When you guys say the fur grows back 'quickly', what kind of timeframe are we looking at here? A week or two, or a couple of months?
> 
> ...



I would DEFINITELY go with the Topagen as that is a prescription with an antibiotic and ingredients to ease the itch and dry out the hotspot. Our vet prescribed Topagen spray a couple years ago for Pippa's hotspot. 

I have used a cool blow dryer to dry out hotspots on Pippa. They get really gunky and messy and the vet gave me an antibacterial wash to use but then we needed to dry well before applying the meds. 

I think it's time to go to the vet when what you are doing on your own isn't showing improvement and/or the infection is spreading.

As far as the shaving goes - from my experience it depends where the shave job is. I shaved a spot on Pippa's side back in May that I thought was a beginning hotspot and the spot still hasn't fully grown back. Last year she had a nasty hotspot on her head (which we treated with Topagen leftover from prior year and it cleared quickly) and I shaved her there and it took about a month to fill it. I think it doesn't take as long where the fur is shorter.

Hope Molson is feeling better soon.


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## esSJay (Apr 13, 2009)

Thanks for the replies! We called the vet on our way home to get an appt for tomorrow morn but apparently as of tomorrow, they dont open on sat anymore so our only weekend option now is the e-vet. I made an appt for Monday and I'll try over the weekend to get it under control. If no luck the we will go to the appt, shave and get meds!

The good news is, it wasn't any worse when I got home as it was when I left for work this morning! One side was pretty dry all around, but the other side was still wet. We bathed him with an antibacterial shampoo (from the vet a few months ago). I let it sit on him for 10 minutes (he seemed to be loving it, it must have felt good for him!) and rinsed it off well. Blow dried his coat thoroughly (man he looked SO good with all that fluffy fur! I haven't blow0dried him in a while!) along with the hot spots and then applied lots of gold bond powder. I swear I could see it working before my eyes! (ok, so maybe it was just me being optimistic!)

Molson was still pretty miserable up to this point so before putting the CoS back on, Jay played fetch and keep away with Molson in the backyard for a good 20 minutes. Molson is in a totally different mood now, much happier and seems to have much of his energy back! Once this round of Gold Bond wears off, I'll spray some Topogen on and once it's dry, another round of GB before going to bed. I'll keep you guys posted over the weekend if there's any progress or regress!  Thanks again for all the suggestions and support!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Oh, hot spots absolutely do equal sad dogs. Sorry to hear Molson's feeling lousy.

When Tee got one, my vet gave me something called Hibitane to clean it everyday. It's an antiseptic cleanser - but not prescription, and not only for animals (so I think you can buy it at the pharmacy). It worked very quickly - started clearing up right away. I would also recommend shaving the area - just less to irritate the spot and/or get dirty.


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## esSJay (Apr 13, 2009)

Update:

Good news is that the spots are all dried up - no more oozing! From what I can see/feel, I don't think that the spots have spread at all, either. 

All I've put on him is the Gold Bond and he has worn his cone and booties too to not scratch. I'm just going to go wash his face with the shampoo again and blow dry him before going to bed and hope that it continues to heal!

He has most of his energy back today and back to his normal self. We went for a long walk today (without the cone!) and he was so happy to be out and seeing his friends again.

We're going to keep the cone/booties on until it's completely healed up so he doesn't aggravate it again.


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

Glad to hear Molson's feeling better and his hot spots are improving. Gold Bond really is a miracle powder for hot spots.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I skimmed the thread, so sorry if I missed it, but have you checked him for an ear infection? The one time Comet had a hot spot, it was right there, and it started because he had a yeast infection in his ear and was scratching at it.


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## mm03gn (Sep 24, 2008)

esSJay said:


> Update:
> 
> Good news is that the spots are all dried up - no more oozing! From what I can see/feel, I don't think that the spots have spread at all, either.
> 
> ...


Sorry I missed this thread before Steph - but I am so glad that Molson is on the mend!! Give him some kisses from his girlfriends in Burlington


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## esSJay (Apr 13, 2009)

tippykayak said:


> I skimmed the thread, so sorry if I missed it, but have you checked him for an ear infection? The one time Comet had a hot spot, it was right there, and it started because he had a yeast infection in his ear and was scratching at it.


Actually we just noticed that ear-infection smell on Wednesday night and that's what made me take a closer look at his face to find the original spots. We're treating him for the infection now too.


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## mybuddy (Mar 2, 2007)

My brother's girl has had 2 in that same spot! They are horrible. She was very uncomfortable and had to wear a cone for quite awhile. The vet shaved it and am pretty sure she was on meds for it.

My brother said that both times she got them, she noticed her rolling on her cheek in the park. Now, the question is...was she rolling her cheek on the grass and that caused the hot spot or was she rolling her head because she could feel the hot spot coming on? Who knows....

They are terrible!


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## Katie and Paddy's Mum (Mar 31, 2010)

Glad to read he's feeling much better and that the hotspots are drying up nicely.
What a trooper your little man is!

I had Katie and Paddy swimming quite a bit this weekend, and after drying them i dusted some gold bond around their necks and faces just to be on the safe side!
Does seem like it is miracle powder for our Goldens!

---
Kim


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