Hot Spots

hot spots are self inflicted wounds,,,ie something irritate the area and the the dog either licks or scratches at it untl it is infected...You gotta find the cause first...Most usual cause is fleas, next is an allergy  etc...you had better spray the dog house with an insecticide to kill any critters that might be in there. then check for ear infection, teeth infections etc. There are many topicals that will treat the hot spot asnd giving steroids oral will help  lessen the irritation...Also be sure you check the ears because that is a prime spot for neck scratching....have fun

My golden retriever (they are noted for hot spots) will get one or two in the srping and in the fall.  I don't kow about fall, but we know she is allergic to bermuda grass and even more so we think to live oak pollen.  AND they can go form the size of a pencil ersure top to the size of a silver dollar or bigger in just hours..  I use to always take her into see my vet and he would shave the area around the hot spot and clean it with peroxide.  It it was large or looked really infected, he would put her on antibiotics..which was only a couple of times..
 
Finally he told me to stop spending money by breinging her in.  Get some clippers myself, clip the spot and scrub with peroxide several times a day.  If she kept at it, put the"cone" on her so she couldn't lick.  However, if after a couple of days it was not much improved, then it was time to bring her in.
 
AND I hve learned, via several dog forums, that Gold Bond Powder (the kind used for athletes foot) is GREAT for hot spots.  I clip and clean, let the fur dry and then spinkle on the powder.  It stops the itching as well as helps heal.  I am never without Gold Bond Power becuase if I get a case of itches (I get dry skin) I rub it on myself and it sure does help.

I too have heard about Gold Bond Powder working great.  Last year Sassy had her first (and only) hot spot and it was under her neck.  We knew it was from getting wet from splashing in the pool and then the collar rubbing on it.  I only had Sulfadene in the house and dabbed it on 2 or 3 times that day and by the next day, it was dried up.  I left the collar off during this time so it wouldn't continue to irritate the skin.

The Micro-Tek spray and shampoo I posted about keeps these at bay...and the spray will soothe them right up....
So please check out my post on Shampoo that I posted yestereday were I give the link to these products.
Alley has had a couple so far in the past couple months...

Are you using flea prevention?  If not, its likely thats his problem.  You should be using Frontline or Advantage or Advantix every 3 weeks to a month.... I stress this even more because hes an outside dog.
 
Aside from the meds the vet gave you Benadryl could work when it flares up.  There are also sprays you can buy that are soothing for these areas.  But to prevent his discomfort make sure you treat for fleas.

I always take the collars off after a bath and leave them off til both dogs and collards are dry.  It takes FOREVER to get a goldens coat good and wet for shampoo, and then FOREVER to get it dry after bath.

Thank you!! 
 
Yes, I do treat for fleas.  I am using the Advantage on the lab and Frontline on my JR.  I also treat the yard, front and back for fleas and mosquitoes.  I have been using the same yard stuff for a long time. 
 
His spots are looking a lot better to day!  Thanks for all of the advice.  I will for sure go to the store and get some of the Gold Bond Powder and some Benadryl.
 
Thanks again![]

Sandra_Slayton, Hi.  I also hae a Golden and in all of his 4 yrs he has never had a hot spot...until about 6-8 months ago.  Now it's skin allergies all of the time. 
 
He gets finished with his meds and it comes back.
 
I took him into the vet today just to get a bath and they trimmed his paw pad fur.  He now has moist dermatitis between his toes on both of his front feet.  This is also something new.  Although he has been licking his front feet a lot.
 
My question....would the Gold Bond powder help that?  It is all red between his toes and I feel so bad for him.
 
Any other suggestions?

Not to speak for Sandra, but one problem with the Gold Bond Powder, especially on the feet, is they may lick it right off.  What has helped my lab with all the foot problems, is using a black tea solution.  I just make a small pot of very strong tea (any kind will help).  I put it into a squirt bottle and a few times a day, and everytime she comes in from outside, I pour it on and then use a soft towel wipe off the excess.  It really seems to help, but you have to do it every day for a few days to see improvement.

Thanks.  I guess because it is moist dermatitis I was assuming I should put something on it that would keep it dry, since it is between his toes.  By the way, he does stay inside, always.

Yes, I agree about keeping it dry as well.  With my lab, it's always (previously) been a yeast infection.  She currently has a bacterial infection though. Either one, the feet need to be kept dry.  The tea has a lot of tannin in it, so it's actually quite drying (I even notice this when I drink it - sort of makes my mouth dry).  You do want to blot the moisture off as best you can, but you don't want to rub too hard or it'll just make the itching more intense.  The dogs usually doing a pretty good job of keeping it moist unfortunately, at least mine does, but the tea solution really seems to help. 

Cakana, thanks...I will absolutely try it.  I feel so bad for my big ole boy.