My dog's chest hot spots keep returning. What's the best treatment?

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

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!

Hi ! Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This does not look like a hotspot, it looks very dry, superficial and in the process of healing. Does Toby have a synthetic blanket where he lies on ? It could be contact dermatitis or an injury that was caused by play . The positive things are that it does not look infected and that it is not bothering Toby. I would say, if it is hot to touch, have it checked over if not you could give it another 2-3 days to see if it is continuing to improve on its own. I would not apply any home remedies, your vet will probably prescribe some ointment if you need to go and see it. Hope this helps !

The region shown in the picture is consistent with a hotspot. Hot spots occur when an animal scratches or choose at an until damage is done to the skin. They can often progressbvery quickly and become quite severe if not treated. If the area is continuing to enlarge or if Garret seems uncomfortable I would recommend that you have him seen by your veterinarian. Your veterinarian may clip and clean the area and prescribe medications to help it heal. In the meantime I would recommend that you try to prevent Garret from scratching at the area. You can put a t-shirt on him to protect that area.

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.

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!

Aw poor Cujo! I'm sorry that he's having these skin issues. There is a good chance that these signs are related to food or environmental allergies (atopy) which is an issue with the immune system. It would be a good idea to discuss a prescription food trial diet with your veterinarian. Many pets will respond to a prescription food like Royal Canin Ultamino or Hydrolyzed protein diet. To know if a prescription diet is working Cujo would need to be on the diet for at least 8 weeks and fed nothing else (not even treats). Natural Balance makes a limited ingredient diet that I have seen some success with if a prescription diet is not an option for you. I would also suggest discussing a long term allergy medication with your veterinarian. Cytopoint, Apoquel, or atopica may be good options for Cujo. Medicated bathing may also be helpful. Allergies can be frustrating to deal with, but once you figure out what works for Cujo he will easier to maintain. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I'm hoping for a speedy resolution for Cujo!