My dog has crusty, watery skin on her head. Could it be a hot spot?

This presentation could be due to a localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). This type of skin infection is commonly called hot spot. A check up, appropriate disinfection and antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

This is called moist dermatitis or a hot spot. They start with an itch from an insect bite or an ear infection then become severe when the dog scratches it excessively. The skin then weeps, becomes painful in addition to itching and will often have a lot of sticky discharge on it and in the surrounding fur. I recommend washing this with a warm wet cloth to remove the discharge. Then you can spray a hot spot medication on it. You can purchase one at PetCo. The most important thing is to put him in a cone to prevent scratching. If you are unable to do this then bring him in for an exam so they can treat it. They can give him pain medication and something to reduce the itching. They will also check his ear for infection. These are painful and take time to fully heal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Duke.

Poor girl. She has a skin infection caused by some sort of trauma to her skin. You can try shaving around the area and then cleaning it with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water followed by a topical hot spot spray from your local pet store. If after a few days things haven’t improved, then it’s best to get Jake seen by your vet for stronger pet formulated antibiotics to get this to heal. Best wishes with Jake and his hot spot. Take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a hot spot. This is basically a bacterial infection secondary to self-trauma such as scratching. This is possibly secondary to allergies or another cause resulting in itchiness. I recommend that you have Bella evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If confirmed a hot spot on examination, then they would start her on antibiotics and something like steroids to decrease the itch. In the meantime, you can use an e-collar which you may get from your local pet store to try to prevent further scratching. Good luck and have a good night!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Rosie! From the pictures it looks like Rosie may have a hot spot (superficial skin infection). Hot spots can start off small then spread quickly and become larger and painful. Goldens commonly get them from ear infections or from being wet from swimming. I recommend that you take her to the Vet today. The Vet will clip the fur away, clean the area and prescribe antibiotics, steroids, and likely something topical. They will check for an ear infection and prescribe ear wash and ear drops if needed. I hope this helps and I hope Rosie has a speedy recovery!

This is a healing hot spot or moist dermatitis. This usually is from scratching or excess licking. You can clean it with antibacterial soap, rinse well and then apply antibacterial ointment on it. It should heal quickly if there is no further licking or scratching. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Jaxx.

This looks like a focal area of infection, commonly referred to a hot spot. I would recommend taking Sophie to the vet to have the area clipped and cleaned. Sophie will probably need to be on antibiotics to help the skin heal properly.