Pets and Vets
Hot Spots
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Wise Words By Deirdre Wilson
n these times of lockdown and travel restrictions, many of us are dreaming of the hot spots we would love to visit - Bali, the Maldives, Skegness – but for vets the term “hot spot” has an entirely different meaning.
Hot spots appear mainly on dogs especially in warm, sultry weather. They are patches of raw, red moist skin and can range from an inch in diameter to several inches, forming a large sore patch on your dog’s skin. The first sign many owners notice is a patch of hard, sticky fur where the skin has oozed and this has dried the fur together. Usually, the dog is very itchy in this area and scratching at it makes the sore worse and it can get very large, very quickly. It can also be painful and dogs can be reluctant to let owners look at it. Probably, the most common breed of dog to get hot spots are Golden Retrievers but it can occur in any type of dog or cat.
What causes a hot spot? A small bite such as a flea or midge bite causes an itch. An underlying allergy can cause your dog to itch and even joint pain will mean that your dog over-licks the area in an attempt to soothe the pain. As your dog scratches at the spot, he introduces bacteria under the skin and infection starts to spread. We usually clip the affected area and owners are often astonished at how far the lesion has spread. The good
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news is that most of the time the damage is superficial and can be treated with topical skin disinfectants. Those prescribed by your vet will kill the bacteria and antibiotic creams are also very useful. Never put anything on the wound that will sting – the skin is raw and sore, so your dog is unlikely to be happy with you! Some hot spots are very painful and require a course of oral antibiotics and even steroids to help them heal. Hot spots on the face may mean there is an ear infection and the ears also have to be treated to clear all of the lesions. It is important to keep your pets clear of fleas as they are the culprit in at least 30% of all skin cases presented to vets. You may never see the fleas on your pet and often if only one jumps on your dog, feeds, causes an itchy spot, then jumps off again waiting for the next victim, you will never, ever see the little blighter. So, always, always protect your pet against parasites, no matter how clean you think they are and keep the flea treatment going through the hot weather especially. Many of the veterinary spot-ons for fleas will also kill ear and skin mites as these can be implicated in causing hot spots too. So every time you’re dreaming of those exotic places you’d love to visit – put a reminder in the calendar to flea your pet as well.
BOURNE
t. 01778 422863 e. info@alder-vets.co.uk 15 Exeter Street, Bourne PE10 9NW
SPALDING
t: 01775 766646 e: info@alder-vets.co.uk 58 Bourne Rd, Spalding PE11 1JW
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