My dog licks Betadine on hot spots. Is it safe or dangerous?

Hello, thank you for your question about Snowy. It sounds like Snowy has developed a hot spot, which is not uncommon from chewing and licking. You could gently cleanse the spot with a very dilute betadine solution until you can see your veterinarian, but I would not apply any ointments. Ointments can hold in moisture of the area and delay healing. Hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While some people may use these powders, this really should not be necessary if they are being treated appropriately with antibiotic therapy. I would recommend to actually leave them uncovered. Otherwise, these are ideally evaluated by a veterinarian who can examine her to determine the extent of these and proceed accordingly with therapy. If these are being caused by allergies for example, it is crucial to treat the allergies. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello, and thank you for your question. A recurring hot spot may be caused by a stubborn bacterial infection, or underlying allergies, or both. Did you keep Dewey on the new diet for a minimum of 8 weeks, with no other treats or table scraps, and did the spot come back after you stopped the food? If so, he may have a food allergy and need to stay on a hypoallergenic diet for life. It is also possible he may need something stronger than a topical antibiotic. I would take Dewey back the vet within the next 2-3 days and discuss if he should be on an oral antibiotic for a longer time period, if they suspect a stubborn bacterial infection. They may also want to conduct other tests such as a skin scraping or fungal culture, to rule out other causes of itchy red skin (e.g. mites, ringworm). In the meantime, I would put an e-collar (cone) on Dewey to ensure he does not further damage the skin. I hope this helps, and that your pup is feeling better soon!

Hello. If his skin is damaged, then you want to use an antibacterial shampoo until the lesions heal. Anything with Benzoyl Peroxide or Chlorhexidine will work well. You will need to probably bathe him every few days, so alternate with a shampoo that has anti-itch properties such as Pramoxine or 1% hydrocortisone. The key to using any medicated shampoo is to make sure you leave the lather on for 10 minutes before rinsing. Finally, you should use a skin barrier preparation that contains ceramides. Allerderm Spot-on by Virbac & Dermoscent Essential 6 Spot-on are 2 highly rated products. Ueing these products along with diet & appropriate medications should make Mumble much more comfortable. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

A definite NO on the hydrogen peroxide! 1. It is best to shave the hair around the affected area if at all possible. If you don't have clippers you can use scissors to shorten the hair - just be careful you don't cut him. If you can't shave or trim the hair don't stress too much about it. 2. You can clean and treat all in one step with these medicated pads. Twice a day. ( https://www.chewy.com/pet-md-chlorhexidine-antiseptic-dog/dp/146635 ) 3. If he is really itching you can also apply this topical hydrocortisone spray after the wound is dry from the using the pads. Once a day should be enough. ( https://www.chewy.com/zymox-enzymatic-topical-spray/dp/125742 ) If no improvement after about 5-7 days then you should have your vet check him out. Sometimes oral antibiotics are needed to clear these up if they are bad enough. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

This doesn't look like a typical hot spot but the area is clearly bothering Riley. Be careful with the hydrocortisone cream. He may be licking it off, and the ingredients are not safe for him to ingest. I'd have him seen by a vet for this problem.

I am so sorry that JD is having this problem. Hot spots can typically arise very quickly and can enlarge very quickly as well. The following article has more information on hot spots. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952729 Hot spots are initially treated by clipping the fur around the area and cleaning with an antibacterial solution. Depending on the severity of the infection, your veterinarian may elect for you to treat it topically (with antibacterial wipes or spray) or may send home oral antibiotics. Hot spots can be very painful, so sometimes pain medication will also be sent home. Prednisone can be helpful in decreasing the inflammation, but antibiotics will be needed to resolve the hot spot. The dose and frequency that we use for Prednisone really depends on the hot spot, so your vet would need to give you a recommendation for that. For severe hot spots, we will sometimes starting twice daily, but generally do a tapering dose over a period of 10-14 days. Prednisone cannot be stopped suddenly, so we slowly decrease the dose. One of the most important things in getting hot spots to resolve is making sure they stay dry. If JD’s hot spot is in a location that he can reach, you may need to use an e-collar to prevent licking until the area has healed. Finally, you should discuss possible causes of his hot spot with your vet, so you can try to prevent them again in the future. Fish oils can help, but are often not enough for a dog with severe problems. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.