Hotspot

[M.F.]

Hibiscrub is chlorohexidine—an antibacterial and antifungal. Salt water will work the same as will povidone iodine. You could put some of either onto cotton wool and squeeze it on if she’s too afraid of being washed. You could also “paint” on betadine (povidone iodine), which might be easier.

I’ve read that for hotspots, you should cut out all sugars in the diet so that the yeast can’t grow on her skin.

 

[FayRose]

Can you try a razor could she tolerate a few gentle passed to get rid of some of her fur?

Yes, good thinking, I'm going to try that.

 

[SwampDonkey]

Fingers crossed XXX

 

[Anne123]

I didn’t know what it was and had to google this ‘hotspot’! At first I got WiFi explanations...Then I saw what it is. Looks rather nasty! Solution they gave was indeed try to razor the hair and keep it clean as suggested by several! Hope it will pass quickly!

 

[Rosie]

Ah poor girl.
Pongo used to get hotspots quite regularly. Like you, the first time it happened we didn't notice until it had developed into something quite nasty (photo below, poor puppy!). As other people have said: use very very VERY high value treats to distract while you keep it as clean as you can with hibiscrub, and yes try to get a bit of hair clipped off. Then dry it very, very thoroughly. Keep it really dry. The pills will work eventually - ointment would be faster and better, but the pills will work.
By the way, I'd suggest using hibiscrub very much diluted, not neat. The skin on the hotspot is really sensitive and I think hibiscrub can be powerful stuff.
Once it is gone, you just need to be vigilant about not letting damp warm areas fester, especially in those bits of skin that are folded and don't get air (with Pongo it is the fur round his neck, he has a thick ruff of fur). Dry those bits well after swimming, for example.
We have also found that adding good quality salmon oil to Pongo's meals has pretty much completely got rid of all hotspot trouble (and his fur is glorious). We get a big bottle from csjk9.co.uk and it lasts for ages. I'm not saying that would work for you as well as it does for us, but it has been a bit of a miracle cure for Pongo.
Good luck....it is miserable watching them in pain and fear but it will pass and she won't remember anything about it. Just get her through the bad bit.

 

[Oberon]

I would do what Heidrun has advised - clip or snip as much fur away as you can (well beyond the worst area as the skin infection will extend further out than the damaged area) and use Malaseb shampoo. Pat it dry. Do everything possible to stop her scratching at it.

We avoid things like hibiscrub and iodine though. They kill bacteria but also very effectively kill newly re-growing cells. Ultimately they can slow down wound healing.

The ointment that we’ve used (from the vet) is antibacterial and also has a steroid in it to ease the pain and itchiness. Would be worth trying to get some from the vet if you can clip enough fur to make it possible to contact the wound with the ointment.

We have learned through having the same experience that hot spots warrant an immediate trip to the vet for clipping and ointment. They grow so fast (in an hour a dog can turn an itch into a weeping mess) that it’s not worth waiting even a day. This summer we’re watching Obi like hawks and giving him antihistamines daily and pouncing on itches with oral steroids. So far so good (touch wood!).

 

[Joy]

Poor girl. Has your vet has prescribed steroid tablets? (Prednisone / prednisilone?) My last dog had skin problems and when necessary these cleared the problem up very quickly.

 

[Oberon]

Second what Joy said. We find that the well timed use of Pred makes a huge difference. Gets on top of the itchies very fast.

 

[FayRose]

Thank you all very much. Rosie and Oberon, your advice and the info. is very helpful and much appreciated. Joy, the tablets are Apoquel, which I've not heard of before - will google in a min. - and she has to have 2 twice a day for 7 days, then 2 once a day for a further 7 days. The vet has also prescribed Canaural ear drops.
Molly has a cone which we are only putting on her at night but we watch her like hawks during the day to prevent scratching. She's collected her new 'elephant' toy and tucked herself up in her bed with it for comfort. She usually wants to play tuggy and dance about with me in the mornings. I just hope she doesn't lose her trust in me with all these things being done which are scaring her big time. She is at the best of times a sensitive little soul.

 

[Jen]

I just hope she doesn't lose her trust in me with all these things being done which are scaring her big time.

I was worried about this with Stanley and eye drops because the only way I could get them in was to sit on him and hold his head.

He wouldn’t come near me for a few days and was really suspicious of me. But once he was better and there were no more eye drops he forgot all about it and was back to being my bezzie

 

[Cath]

Sorry to hear Molly is so poorly. I hope she will soon be better

 

[MellowYellow]

Ah poor Molly, sending healing vibes to you.

 

[Boogie]

Bless her xx

 

[FayRose]

Good to hear you were forgiven Jen x

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Poor Molly, I hope all the advice and different things you are doing will help.

Brogan used to get hotspots as an adolescent, it was a real pain. Then as an adult and after we moved to Germany, he'd get grass allergies that presented as hotspots every September. Strangely, though, none of our vets ever suggested shaving. All topicals were just put on directly into the affected fur. I can imagine though that there are all sorts of causes for hotspots and to shave/not to shave probably depends a lot on the specific cause.

 

[kateincornwall]

She will soon forget it @FayRose , and wont lose trust, honestly . Reuben hated the eye drops for his recent infection , and to our shame, we stopped them too early and have had to start again . He runs and tries to hide , makes one feel awful I know , but our lovely dogs are so forgiving , Molly will still love you , good luck xx

 

[FayRose]

Thanks for your kind words kateincornwall and Emily_Babbelhund. Interesting that the vets in Germany seem to treat hotspots differently. I've got to bite the bullet and try again to get some fur off the area - I hate her being so scared, she really does shake like a jelly my poor little girl
I must be sensible though and get on and do what's best for her.
Here goes !

 

[Cath]

Good luck

 

[snowbunny]

Oh, poor Molly, that’s so miserable for you both. I hope the treatment does its magic in super quick time.

 

[Oberon]

If you use scissors you should both find it easier (fingers crossed!). A smallish pair of hairdressing scissors is great if you have them handy. They cut well and generally aren’t too pointy on the ends (which makes it less nerve wracking to use them on a doggie). With Obi’s hotspots (he has had 3) the Vet has always insisted on trimming away the fur, not just so the ointment can contact the skin but so you can see how far it really extends (further than you think) and you can therefore treat the entire affected area.

You will definitely be forgiven, Fayrose, so don’t worry about that. It’s always pretty hard doing something our dogs don’t like, though, isn’t it.

In case you were wondering her fur should grow back totally normally and you won’t even be able to tell where it was.