Hot Spots on Dogs: Signs & Treatments

The scientific name given to dog hot spots is pyotraumatic dermatitis which can look a little different on every dog. Sometimes they're very obvious sores that appear along the skin while other times they can be hidden beneath fur, especially if your pooch has any matting. Hot spots get their common name from how they appear. They tend to look very sore, bright red and can even become infected quite easily.

While hot spots can appear anywhere on the body, the most common place to find them is along the legs, hips and the head. Beneath the neck where dogs can scratch at themselves is also quite common for them to occur. When these lesions first appear, they can often seem quite small however dogs will often lick and scratch at the irritated areas so they can get worse very quickly.

While hot spots can cause a great amount of discomfort in your dog and usually require treatment, they are actually a secondary symptom of another issue. The primary cause will usually be something that infects or irritates the skin which causes your pooch to continue to fuss over the area. They will groom that same area which causes it to become more irritated and sore leading to infection.

Some of the most common causes of hot spots include:

Something as small as a bug bite can cause a big reaction in your pup whilst it could also be indicative that there’s a deeper underlying problem. When dogs start to suffer from arthritis, the pain can cause them to overgroom the same area. They will usually deal with pain by licking and nibbling so when the area becomes even more sore from all of the grooming, they will sometimes continue to groom to try and relieve the issue which just makes it worse.

In a similar way, a lack of things to keep them sufficiently mentally stimulated can lead to overgrooming. A behaviour like grooming becomes stereotypic when it is no longer performing a function. A dog might groom itself when it’s dirty or to soothe themselves when they’re bored. That self-soothing behaviour can quickly turn into a self-harming behaviour if it’s not managed.

Hot spots can be quite hard to notice, especially when they are still relatively small and often under the coat. They only become obvious when the fur comes away and they become so irritated, you can’t miss them. Symptoms and behavioural signs to look out for that can indicate your pooch has a hot spot include:

Other changes in behaviour, when your beloved pet is suffering from hot spots can include them just generally seeming a little down in the dumps. When a dog is in pain they can become very lethargic and withdrawn so if your usual bright and bouncy family friend is subdued, this may indicate that something is off.

Aggressive behaviour that is out of character for your pup can also indicate that they’re not feeling well. If you have a toothache then you are likely to be a bit more grouchy and snippy in general and dogs are no different in that they may lash out more when in pain.

You may be able to stop your pup from nibbling at the painful area by putting an elizabethan collar on them or even getting creative and using a sock to cover any sore areas on the paw but getting to the core of the issue and finding what caused the hot spot to begin with will require the help of your vet.

Depending on the cause of the hot spot, a vet may give you a topical treatment to reduce the itching or an oral course of steroids or antibiotics to help heal the area. Treatments will vary vastly as the cause can be so different. If a senior pooch has developed arthritis then they will need pain management to get to the bottom of the issue. Sometimes if the hot spots are a reaction to a flea bite, you will simply need to keep them up to date on their parasite treatments once they’re feeling better.

A dog that is not groomed properly and suffering from matted fur will need to be clipped and groomed regularly to stop the problem from reoccurring. Using a shampoo like Pet Head Life's An Itch Soothing can really help to soothe their skin or even just booking regular appointments with a professional dog groomer like The Jolly Groomer means you don’t have to worry about matted fur causing issues.

If the issue is behavioural you may never need the help of a behaviourist. While dogs can start performing behaviours out of boredom, they can quickly become habits and you might need some help to reshape their behaviour.

Since hot spots are a result of trauma to the skin caused mostly by overgrooming, they are not infectious and only become infected when the area is not kept clean and bacteria can enter the open wound. They cannot pass on a hot spot to other dogs or humans.

To prevent hot spots from reoccurring, you will need to manage whatever the original cause was. If it is allergies, finding the right food or treating seasonal allergies with antihistamines will make sure they don’t reoccur. Treating any underlying issues like regularly emptying anal glands and grooming will help.

If the cause is behavioural and your pup gets bored when left alone, leaving plenty of stimulating dog toys means they won’t have to go looking for their own things to do to keep them occupied. If they get stressed and miss you when you leave the house, then enriching toys and puzzles can keep their mind off it along with the extra help of the Adaptil Pheromone Diffuser. A pheromone diffuser releases the same mixture of pheromones a mother will give off that calms her puppies which can still have a relaxing effect on older dogs.

When it comes to hot spots, you can treat the issue and get their skin back to normal but if you don’t treat the underlying issue, they will just come back! For all of your puppy and dog essentials, take a look at our wide range of stock in store and online.