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Using Comfrey for Dogs Safely
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Natural Treatments For Dogs with Hot Spots

Tips For Immediate Help And Prevention of Hots Spots on Dogs

Not uncommon, but hot spots can be quite scary to look at if you’ve never seen them before. Not long before my girl “Lulu” crossed the rainbow bridge, my old girl developed a hot spot on the left hook.

I was in shock. In 30 years with all the dogs I’ve had, not one ever had a hot spot. It was red, hairless, raw and very painful looking as you can see in the picture which is by the way, an actual picture of Lulu’s leg.

It literally appeared out of nowhere within several hours. One minute she was fine and the next minute she had this huge, horrible looking lesion on her hind leg that was spreading.

Dog hot spots (aka Moist Dermatitis or Pyotraumatic Dermatitis) are caused by a bacterial infection effecting the upper most part of the skin. The reason they’re called “hot spots” is because they usually occur during the warmer months.

Long Term Prevention Is The Cure For Dog Hot Spots

If your old dog develops a hot spot, it’s so important to take notice of not only the lesion itself, but to look for other symptoms like the ones I mention below. Dogs will typically chew and lick the lesion causing it to quickly spread.

  1. Nutritional deficiencies and digestive issues are CLOSELY RELATED to the development and the reoccurrence of them. When my Lulu developed the hot spot on her leg, she wasn’t feeling a 100% and she hadn’t been eating right. At this point, I believe cancer had taken over which of course led to a nutritional deficiency for my baby. Once again DIET IS CRITICAL – YOU MUST FEED A SUPER PREMIUM, HIGH QUALITY FOOD WITH MEAT AS THE MAIN PROTEIN. See my list of the 10 best dog food selections. Keep your dog’s immune system strong by including probiotics, digestive enzymes and an omega 3 supplement.
  2. Allergies are often an underlying cause.
  3. Chronic skin issues such as yeast infections MUST BE ADDRESSED. Dogs with allergies and yeast issues MUST BE KEPT VERY CLEAN. It’s critical to clear up any existing yeast issues within the gut as well as on the skin.
  4. Sensitivities to flea and tick bites should be addressed by keeping your dog parasite free. I ONLY recommend a natural form of flea and tick prevention.
  5. Ear Infections are closely related to yeast issues which are also related to nutritional deficiencies. You have to get the diet and yeast issues under control which ultimately clear up ongoing ear infections.
  6. Irritated Anal Glands are another symptom similar to ear problems. They are closely related to allergies, yeast and nutritional issues. Once these problems are addressed the dog’s anal gland problems typically clear up.
  7. Grooming Issues play a really large role with hot spots. Your dog should be kept clean and if he has a thick coat or long coat, get him cut and groomed especially during warmer weather. Keep him clean at all times.

Tips and Instructions For Providing Immediate Relief

  1. For long haired dogs, trim all the fur that’s touching the lesion although it’s probably not necessary for dogs with short hair.
  1. Try to keep your dog from licking or chewing at it once you start treatment.
  1. Clean the area with warm water and gently rinse the sore with hydrogen peroxide. Gently pat and dry the area.
  1. You can also use fresh aloe vera leaves if you have access to them; cut open the leaf and place the aloe vera gel on the hot spot. Do this several times daily until gone. You can use aloe vera in the bottle, just make sure it 100% all natural.
  2. A product that gets excellent reviews is from holistic veterinarian, Dr. Ackerman. Dr. Ackerman’s Instant Relief Spray.  You also might want to check out our article that includes a home made skin remedy for dogs that can also be applied to hot spots.

Conclusion

Remember, when dogs develop reoccurring hot spots; it’s almost always a symptom of another issue. If you have any recommendations of your own for treatment, please feel free to share with us!

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