Doggy hot spots

Hot spots are red, inflamed skin lesions that are caused by self-trauma when a dog scratches an itchy spot so much that they create an open wound.

When a dog licks the sore spot, they irritate the superficial nerve endings in the skin which stimulates more itching followed by more licking, biting, chewing and scratching. These spots can appear anywhere on the body and are usually wet, reddened and painful to touch. Hot spots can occur all year round however we usually see an increase in cases during the hot, humid weather, which we are experiencing now.

If you notice a hot spot on your dog we recommend veterinary treatment as soon as possible. Treatment will depend on how long the dog has been suffering from the hot spot.