My dog has red, weeping sores on her face. Is it a hot spot?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Ninja! I can not see the skin well in the pictures due to all the hair. I am not seeing an open wound but more of a sore. If the area is flat, red, moist and weeping it is likely a hot spot. Hot spots are superficial skin infections that occur secondary to allergies, scratching and excessively moist fur (like after a bath or swimming). They crop up very quickly and get larger just as quick. I treat hot spots by shaving all the fur away, having owners use an E-collar or T-shirt to prevent further scratching and I prescribe a course of oral antibiotics and tapering course of steroids along with a topical spray. Most hot spots with this treatment heal with in 5 days. I would make an appointment with your Vet. I wish you the best!

Ouch, poor Chewie! This lesion looks most consistent with a hot spot (moist dermatitis). Given the location, I would also be concerned that he created the lesion from trying to scratch his ears from an ear infection. If you have clippers on hand, you can clip the hair around the skin lesion and then clean it with an antiseptic soap, such as chlorhexidine or betadine. It is worth taking a trip to the vet to have his skin and ears evaluated. Until you can take Chewie to the vet, keep an e-collar on him to prevent further skin damage. I hope that all goes well!

From the crusting and redness, it does look like Lexi has an infection in her skin. You could start by doing a compress with warm wet washcloth to soften up and clean the crust away. Then clean the area with an antiseptic like betadine solution (diluted to the color of weak tea) and apply a topical triple antibiotic ointment. Based on where exactly it is, I would put on a cone or even a little t-shirt to stop her from scratching at it. If it doesn't improve or starts to spread, I would definitely recommend taking her to a vet for an exam as they sometimes need to be prescribed oral antibiotics.

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

I recommend to have her examined by the veterinarian again. When pets do not respond to treatment as normal, it can mean the correction condition has been diagnosed. Those spots on Lexy could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they are unlikely to address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Lexy wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I am sorry to hear about Pepper! A photo of the area may help us to better address her issue. It is possible she could have a hot spot https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952981 or something else entirely. If the area is small and she isn't bothered by it you can try washing with a product called Hibiclens (available at most drug stores) and applying a topical antibiotic to the area, but if it isn't improving within a day or two, I would bring her into her vet. Sometimes we need to shave around these areas and sometimes they require stronger medications than are available over the counter.

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.