Hot Spots in Pets

Has your pet been itching or licking more than normal in a certain area? You may have a hot spot on your hands! These are most common during warm months, but they can affect animals at any point in the year. If you take the right treatment approach, your pet will be back to themselves in no time!

What is a hot spot? These are itchy, painful skin lesions that result in excessive licking, scratching, and/or biting of one area. The area in question becomes warm and thus gets its name. Bugs and allergens can be the main causes of this irritation.

To help stop hot spots in their tracks, try these simple steps:

Find the Problem

For some animals, the problem is a bug bite or allergens in their environment. For others, it can be an obsessive compulsive problem (separation anxiety in some pets). Do you best to determine where the problem is stemming from, and if it progressively gets worse make sure to visit your veterinarian. 

Trim the Hair

Around the affected area, the hair will become matted and clumped become of the excessive licking and biting. Carefully trim the hair around the area to be better able to treat the wound as well as let it air out.

Find Your Treatment

It’s not always easy finding the best option for your animals, but finding the best treatment can be a little easier with the help with your vet. Usually a topical ointment is prescribed and applied onto the hot spot 2-4x a day until it’s completely healed. 

Continue Treatment

Make sure not to slack off at the last minute on treatment options! Keeping up with the prescribed treatment plan is the only way your pet will feel better and be free of hot spots. Unless otherwise told by your vet, finish out their prescription or until the wound is fully healed. If no improvement is made within a few days, contact your vet for possibly needing antibiotics.

With these common steps, you’ll be able to make sure your fur babies are well taken care of and on their way to faster and easier healing from hot spots!