My dog has hot spots. Is powder safe for itching and moisture?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Based on the picture, it does appear that this could be a hot spot. I typically recommend using products that soothe and treat infection. What I would recommend would be Well & Good Hydrocortisone spray (at Petco) and Miconahex + Triz spray and apply both of these twice daily until resolved. If there is no improvement within 7 days, I would recommend taking your dog in to be seen by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps!

Unfortunately, I can't advise you to use any specific products on your dog's skin without seeing her to get an idea of what's wrong - for certain skin conditions, the ingredients in the baby powder could do more harm than good by causing more irritation. There are some over-the-counter anti-itch sprays (usually containing cortisone or some other topical steroid) that are labeled for use in dogs - you can try one of these products if you wish. Aloe and oatmeal pet shampoos can also be soothing for irritated skin. If this doesn't help the itching, I would recommend having your dog examined by a vet - itchy skin and irritation can be caused by a number of different things, including seasonal allergies, external parasites like fleas, a bacterial or fungal infection, or skin mites (mange). Your vet can do a simple test called a skin scrape to check for some of these problems, and prescribe an effective medication for treatment depending on what they find.

We provide advice only on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. For any treatment for your dog, you need to go to your local vets. Steroids are the most commonly used medications for severe skin allergies so I assume your dog gets steroids injection. This medication is provided only by the vets, so you would need to see your local veterinarian if Princess has another skin problems.

I am not sure if ingesting the powder has any side effects but it certainly is not going to help the wounds heal if he just licks it off. I think the best thing is to treat the main problem of itching and prevent him from scratching and licking. He could have allergies, bacterial skin infection, fleas, mites, etc. If he has allergies than your vet can prescribe an oral antihistamine or corticosteroid to control the itching so he doesn't get hot spots. If he has fleas they should be treated and you should use a monthly flea prevention, like NexGard, Frontline, or Advantage. If mites could be a possibility than your vet can do a skin scrape to look for mites and treat. He may also need an oral antibiotic to treat a secondary bacterial infection on his skin. You can give him a bath with a medicated shampoo and see if that helps. I like Betagen Spray for local treatment of wounds because it dries fast and has an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory in the spray. If your vet is not able to control his itching you could get a second opinion or take him to a dermatologist. Hope his problem resolves soon!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. From the pictures it appears that Dune may be dealing with a skin infection. If you are unable to get him in to be seen by the veterinarian, I would recommend the below products, which can all be found online quite easily. Do this for about 3-4 weeks and if there is no improvement, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Dune so that the most appropriate treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Douxo PS Chlorhexidine Combination and bathe twice weekly until resolved 2. Malacetic conditioning spray and apply 2-3 times per day on the affected areas until resolved 3. Welactin omega 3 fish oil capsules for dogs 4. Essential 6 Spot On by Dermoscent

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. You can use chlorhexidine based pads to clean the affected area. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Boo! If Boo has scratched himself raw he likely has a skin infection and needs oral antibiotics and steroids. The Epsom salts may burn his skin and likely will not fully help him. Be sure you are using a good flea preventative. I recommend any of the oral preventatives: Nexgard, Simparica or Bravecto. They work fast, are easy to give and allow bathing if necessary. I do not recommend the topical products like Frontline, Revolution or Advantixx. I have seen a lot of resistance. If the fleas are now gone and all that is left is Boo's skin reactions he will heal much quicker and painlessly if you take him to the Vet for medications. I have attached a link to a shampoo than may help his skin. Leave the shampoo lather on for 10 mins before rinsing. I hope this helps and I wish Boo a speedy recovery! http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=25291