My dog has a sore on his face from scratching. Is it a hot spot?

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.

Dudley's lesion looks most suspicious for a hot spot (acute moist dermatitis). You can try carefully clipping the longer hair around the lesion and cleaning it daily with a diluted antiseptic solution (such as chlorhexidine or betadine). Be sure to rinse and dry the area thoroughly! If Dudley seems to be scratching or rubbing at this lesion, keep an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent further skin irritation. If the lesion grows, or is not improving in the next week, Dudley should go to his vet. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

I am sorry to hear about Lexi. While it is impossible to provide a diagnosis from a photo, it looks like Lexi could be suffering from acute moist pyoderma, also known as a "hot spot". These are areas of superficial skin infection and can be quite painful. You can read more about them here: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2714. I would recommend a visit to your vet. They can shave the area with clippers, clean the skin and may prescribe either topical treatment such as a medicated shampoo or spray, or oral antibiotics/anti-inflammatory medication.

Hi. This appears to be a hot spot on him. This is basically an area of a moist dermatitis , or skin infection. They are usually secondary to allergies of some type. They are treated at the veterinarian by clipping the area, cleaning it with medicated cleaner, and then antibiotics and antiinflammtories. I'd call your veterinarian in the morning for an appointment

This sounds like an area of moist exudative dermatitis, commonly known as a "hot spot." They frequently show up in front of the ear, just as you're describing. Unfortunately yes, these are painful, and they are very difficult if not impossible to treat at home. Chunk needs pain relief to help with the severe inflammation in this area, and also antibiotics to clear up the infection. If you're tight on money, I'd recommend checking out carecredit.com - they offer credit specifically for veterinary visits. I'd really urge you to get this treated sooner rather than later, as it's intensely uncomfortable, and there's really not anything you can do at home to treat it.

This looks like it can be a hotspot. I would recommend taking Vader to the veterinarian so they can shave the area, clean it up and provide antibiotics. The original cause cannot always be determined but they are typically caused by allergies. Dogs just make them a lot worse by either scratching, rubbing or licking. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, Yes, the lesions could be hot spots. You need to remove the scabs and clean the skin twice daily with antiseptic solution (ideally containing chlorhexidine, for example Hibiclens). Also, you need to stop Stella from scratching and biting the lesions. A head cone is usually the best in such situations. If after a few days of treatment (4-5 days) you don't see any improvement, you will need to take Stella to your local vets to get the treatment in form of oral antibiotics and/or anti-inflammatory medications.