Recurring Hot Spots - Page 1

My 2 year old GSD has another hot spot...he had one before back in July...The vet gave him a powder to put on the spot to dry it and antibiotics...I still have some of the powder and am applying it...but its been 2 days and no difference...its oozing now...he is on a grain free/yeast free kibble diet...I don't want the vet to shave him again, because he is just starting to look better after 4 months from when they shaved the spot before...I would love to feed raw, but I can't find a good recipe to make myself...buying if pre-made is really expensive...

I am not sure if my female has hot spot. But she had a small patch on her foot that I just couldnt get hair to grow back right. Once it would start comming in she would naw at it and stop the progress. I am not sure if this is the reason but I started feeding her 100% raw and it has gone away. She had it for months and I was concerned and am so glad to look at her leg and she it has gone away. You can actually see it on her picture with her pedigree. Her name is Ravyns Sweetheart Athena if you want to compare it but her's wasnt oozing or at least I dont remember that. Good luck

Reggie

 2 Things to try.

To dry up the hot spot make up a solution of strong brown (black tea), rubbing (i.e. isopropl) alcohol and aspirin. ---1/2 cup tea, 1 cup alcohol and 2 normal aspirin ground into a powder. Place in spray bottle and spray liberally frequently. I have used this over the years with great success.

As for diet---it may not be diet. I personally have never found it to be the case but some of my club members have. If it is diet, many people swear by feeding raw. The easiest thing to do would be to use a commercial raw food. There are several on the market. Of course, you could do it yourself but you have to be careful to get the right balance.

The problem could be triggered by grass or other vegetation or even something in your house or another pet such as a cat. Or even boredom.

I'm beginning to think its not food related either, since all the changes I have made showed little or no improvement.  Apart from the hot spots he's just always itchy...we sit down on the couch and he's chewing his feet or his legs or something...it's usually not bad enough to cause a hot spot, but occasionally it will.

Chewing feet and legs can be a sign of stomach pain. Hotspots are an allergy-related thing, often, and much of the immune system in centralized in the gut. Your dog still could have an allergy, even though he's on grain-free kibble. I have one who gets hot spots when he eats a lot of venison after hunting season.

Has he been vaccinated recently? Frontline or similar chemical applied? Hot spots are always secondary, so there is something going on, definitely.

I don't think there is an allergy to the food, because I've pretty much eliminated everything he could be allergic too...he's on petcurean go Salmon....he is actually overdue for a vaccination and it's been about 1 1/2 months since he got a flea treatment...

It sounds like you may have pyoderma I fought the pyoderma for months on a dog I had which turned out to be an intestinal issue. Diet made NO difference (I feed raw btw). Antibiotics worked initially but after awhile, then didn't help. Some of the tests I did before I found out what he really had was:

Complete Blood work up
Chest xrays
Thyroid
Addisions
Titers for Lyme, Valley Fever

i definitely wouldn't be vaccinating now until you know what your dealing with since vaccines imo destroy the immune system. You can have the skin scraped and if it comes back neg, I would be looking for other causes.

Good luck. I wouldnt want anyone to go through what I did.

Your dogs coat might be getting wet and not drying quickly enough causing the skin to get irritated and create a hot spot

Gentocin spray works wonders but you must get it from your vet. I just bought Vetromycin, it's over the counter, for my girl with HD...she chews her back end, especially in winter. So far seems to be working well.

I have found a vitamin E caplet once a day helps, too.

When I was a kid, my stepdad had an Irish Setter that had terrible trouble with her skin.  She always chewed her back, sides, and tail, had no hair to speak of, and oozy, crusty skin that drove her nuts.  The vet could not find a cause for the problem, and said it was an allergy to fleas.  She didn't have any fleas, though.  The problem became so bad...Nothing the vet offered could do anything, and I believe he took her to several different places...Only the best for his dog.

The only thing that cleared it up was getting her out of the house.  Once her primary residence became the outdoors, her skin problems cleared up and she regrew all of her hair.  She could come in the house for short periods of time, but could not live in the house full-time.  She remained that way until she died, a few years later from cancer.

Don't know what it was in the house that troubled her, but no cause could ever be figured out. 

Good luck getting your issue resolved.

Crys