Hot Spots: Skin Treatment for Dogs

Fleas, flies, ticks, and mites—increasing temperatures spur bug bites!

Pest populations spike in the summer due to the favorable— warm—breeding conditions. Add to that the increased outdoor activity of both pets and people who play host and taxi to ticks and fleas and you’ve got a summer pest problem.

Unfair, though it is, your pet’s skin could end up paying the price for summer bug activity. Flies tend to bite on dogs’ ears while fleas tend to bite, well, everywhere else! So, you’ll want to keep an eye on out for skin sores known as hot spots. Here are some tips relating to skin treatment for dogs during the summer, when hot weather breeds bugs and brings hot spots.

Canine hot spots appear as circular, red, inflamed, moist, and hairless lesions on the skin as a result of frequent bug bites and the resulting self-induced trauma of gnawing and scratching. Although bug bites are the typical cause for hot spots, sores around the ears could indicate an ear infection, and sores around the hip could be an infection of the anal gland. And canine hot spots can sometimes be a result of other things like food allergies.

But because they can occur, grow in size, be treated, and then disappear all in a single week, you may consider seeing a vet to determine if there is a possible infection in the event that they persist.The worst case scenario for hot spots—especially in the summertime—is pretty gory: the possibility of maggots breeding in wounds. Flies are plentiful in the summer and they’re attracted to open wounds, which makes a perfect place for laying eggs. And higher temperatures increase the likelihood that maggots will develop. Dogs that do end up suffering from this problem are in a sad state—weak, dehydrated, and often toxic. Regardless of the degree of inflammation, you'll probably want to consider skin treatment for dogs to remedy the irritations and hot spots.

So if your pets are suffering from bites, provide skin treatment by cleaning their wounds with soap and water to remove dirt and debris first. Cut away hair surrounding the wounds if necessary, and soothe them with Wondercide Skin Tonic Oil. This solution is great for localized skin irritations. For full body treatment of dry, itchy skin and to soothe irritations, burns and bites, Skin Tonic Spray is an exceptional choice. Both are a neem-based solutions (safe for pets when used as directed) that soothe irritations and speed the healing process. Neem is ideal for helping soothe sores, bites, and burns, among other common skin conditions including eczema. Its properties also help to address problems like ringworm.

But again, prevention is always better than treatment! So to prevent canine hot spots from occurring, the best thing you can do is keep dogs with thick hair shaved during the summer and treat them with a plant-powered flea spray like Flea & Tick control. Keeping pets clean, dry, shaved, and treated against pests, will decrease the likelihood that bug bites will get out of control this summer.