My dog has a circular wound with fur loss. Could it be a hot spot?

It sounds like your fur baby has what's called a "hot spot". This is an infection on the skin that is typically initially caused by some kind of trauma or nick on the skin. If she is eating and drinking well, that means the infection is just on her skin and not systemic, which is good. You can try treating this with a topical hot spot spray to see if this gets better within a few days. Clean the area with Betadine diluted 50;50 with warm water and let it air dry first. Shaving the hair also helps b/c hair carries a lot of dirt and debris that can delay healing. IF there is no improvement within 3-4 days, then it is best to get Lola seen by your vet for oral antibiotics to help this heal well. Another common cause of "hot spots" is fleas, so make sure to keep her on monthly flea prevention. I hope this heals up well for Lola. Best wishes and take care!

Poor guy. This looks like a "hot spot" or superficial pyoderma (infected area) on the skin. This can be caused by an initial knick or scrap on the skin that later got infected and scabbed over. Flea bites are a common cause of hot spots, so its best to keep Bono on flea prevention year round it they are common in your area. Your vet should be able to prescribe some oral antibiotics to help this resolve completely. The wound spray you have may be sufficient, so its best to take it in with you to Bono's vet appt for your vet to see. If not, then the vet will likely recommend another topical to use. I hope that Bono's wound heals well. Best wishes and take care!

Hello, and thanks for your question about Maki. This could have been a hot spot, but it could also be something else, such as an abscess (deeper infection), skin mites, etc. I'm a bit unclear as to if that first picture was an earlier picture, and the second one is how the area looks now? The two photos are very different - the area looks much smaller and more moist in the first photo. However, I'm concerned about the size of that bald patch in the second picture, and the fact that the fur still looks wet - which would indicate to me that the underlying issue is not yet cured. I recommend having Maki seen by a vet, where they can better look at those lesions, and start him on oral antibiotics if that's indicated. Hope this helps!

I'm not 100% sure what this spot is from just by looking at a photo. It could be just an injury but it could also be ringworm or skin mites (mange) or the start of a hot spot. I suggest you try this hot spot spray gel, 3-4 times per day. If after about a week or so you don't noticed much improvement or he starts to get spots in other areas then he needs to see a vet. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-hot-spot-antimicrobial-gel-for-dogs

It is good that you have Harry wearing an e-collar to prevent further damage. It looks like he may have a hot spot. They can come up very quickly. To try at-home treatment, the first step is to clip the hair away from the skin so it will dry out, is easier to clean, and so you can monitor the progression. You need to use electric clippers, not scissors or a razor, to safely remove the hair. Second is to gently cleanse and disinfect the area. You can use a chlorhexidine wound scrub to gently scrub the wound, rinse thoroughly with water. It is important to keep this out of Harry's eyes as it is unsafe. Third is the treat the skin. You can use an ointment like neosporin or a medicated wipe like Dechra MalAcetic HC Wipes which is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. If you do this at-home treatment for 48 hours and the skin appears worse, Harry seems painful, or there is excessive discharge, I recommend that Harry see a vet immediately. Other possible causes for his skin issue that are not a hot spot include fleas, mange, lice, infections (bacterial or yeast), ringworm, allergies, among others. Here is a good article about hot spots, including information on when at-home treatment can be tried: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2714

it is possible but it looks more like a hot spot from constant irritation and scratching. These usually start from a wound or trauma to the skin, they begin to lick and scratch to make it worse. The best thing to do is try to clip (no scissors) the hair to clean the skin with soap and water. From there you can apply cortisone cream and Neosporin until you can get him to the vet. He may need an e collar from a pet store to prevent further licking and grooming of the area.

That looks more like a really inflamed “hot spot” to me. Put an ecollar on him so he can’t lick at it, and take him to your vet. He may need oral antibiotics and a prescription topical treatment. If you are unable to get him to a vet, use the ecollar as I mentioned, and try this product:https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-hydrocortison-cream Thanks for asking PetCoach!