Hot spots in dogs

Also known as acute moist dermatitis, pyotraumatic dermatitis, moist eczema or "summer sores," hot spots are raised, red, wet and oozing wounds on the skin's surface that are often self-inflicted by a licking or chewing dog. They can appear and spread very rapidly, and some will persist for months. Often the fur around a frequently-licked area will have a pinkish tinge caused by the saliva. Sometimes the hot spot can have a foul smell. There is usually hair loss at the site, but occasionally the wound can be hidden in the fur, and the dog's relentless licking or chewing is the only tip-off.

What causes hot spots?
The immediate cause of a hot spot is a bacterial infection of the skin. The inflammation is itchy and painful for the dog, so he licks or chews at the site for relief. and further irritates the sore. Saliva is filled with bacteria and not a very good salve for wounds. As the dog becomes more frantic to relieve the irritation, he may become more aggressive with his chewing. Some dogs will bite to the point of self-mutilation. The most common sites for hot spots are those accessible by mouth - the flank, legs and paws, and the rump - but itchy dogs will get wounds anywhere they can scratch. A hot spot is painful as well as itchy. Some dogs might become protective of their sore and nip or growl to keep you away from it. These dogs might need to be sedated for treatment, and your veterinarian might prescribe a pain-killer.

The ultimate cause of a hot spotcan be more difficult to determine, but is especially important with multiple, chronic, or recurring sores. The occasional incident might be caused by a simple irritant such as a thistle or bug bite. Most hot spots occur in the summer months during hot, humid weather. Some breeds, such as Labrador and Golden retrievers, are known to be predisposed. In general dogs with thick or long hair coats are at risk. Dogs prone to ear and anal sac infections are also more susceptible to hot spots.

Grooming
Mats in the fur or trapped undercoat can prevent normal aeration and drying of the skin, and result in hot spots. Frequent brushing (especially before a bath) and a short summer hair cut are good preventatives. Excessive bathing can further irritate skin, but there are aloe or oatmeal shampoos available for dogs with sensitive skin. Dogs with very thick coats may need to be towelled or blow-dried after swimming or bathing.

Diet
Many owners find that a change in diet can be helpful for a dog with hot spots, whether or not food allergies have been diagnosed. Some commercial diets are formulated especially for dogs with sensitive skin. Often these are fish-based (for example, salmon as the main protein source). Supplements are also available, usually containing omega fatty acids.

Allergies
Although inhalant or food allergies are often blamed for hot spots, the most commonly diagnosed allergy in dogs is Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD). This hypersensitive reaction to flea bites may appear suddenly in a dog that has never reacted before. The owner may not realize the dog has fleas, but it only takes one to cause a hot spot! Fleas are easy to treat and easy to prevent with a quick trip to the vet's office.

Other allergies can be trickier to identify. Your veterinarian can run a hypersensitivity test, but more commonly the trial-and-error method is used. Food allergies are often "diagnosed" with a change in diet - many different hypoallergenic diets are available.

Dermatitis resulting from an environmental allergen is also called "atopy." The allergen might be seasonal (as with ragweed allergy in people), geographical (for example, localized to a specific park or town), or something found commonly in the home (dust or mold). Air purifiers and frequent vacuuming are a good way to keep allergens out of the house, for people and pets. Your veterinarian might recommend a dog-safe dosage of over-the-counter antihistamines (such as Benadryl). Other anti-inflammatory drugs such as corticosteroids can also be prescribed by a veterinarian.

Other Medical Causes
Besides fleas, there are a variety of external parasites that might cause itching, some of which can affect people. For example, sarcoptic mange in dogs causes scabies in humans. Persistent or recurring hot spots might indicate an internal disorder, such as hypothyroidism. Skin biopsies or blood tests might be needed to track down the underlying disease. Occasionally the irritant is well below the skin. Some dogs with osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease (DJD) will develop hot spots as they nip and lick at their painful joints.

Behavioural
Behavioural causes of hot spots are not uncommon, but can be the most difficult to eliminate. Some dogs will groom excessively when they are stressed or bored. Often a stressed dog will stop licking when the stress is gone, but a dog that licks compulsively may be very hard to discourage. In these cases it is important to subtly alter behaviour without inadvertently providing reinforcement in the form of attention. Substituting a toy or other activity can provide a distraction and a positive outlet for stressed or hyperactive dogs. A busy or tired dog will not need to find ways to amuse himself!

What is a lick granuloma?
Occasionally, a thickened area of new scar tissue can form around a hot spot. It will appear lumpy and bleed easily. This is called a lick granuloma and generally occurs when the inflammation is chronic. The infection may have spread to the deeper layers of the skin and require more aggressive treatment. Your veterinarian might even recommend surgical removal of the granuloma.

What is the treatment for hot spots?
The wound itself needs to be kept clean and undisturbed for healing to occur. Usually, the area is clipped to remove overlying fur (shaving can cause further irritation) and washed with a mild soap or antiseptic. The hot spot might need to be gently cleaned several times a day to remove crusty build-up. If inflammation is severe, systemic antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs can be prescribed by a veterinarian. Topical treatments may be used, but care should be taken to ensure the cream or ointment is not going right into the dog's mouth! In some cases these can be toxic when ingested. In other cases, inappropriate use of an ointment might seal in the existing infection and prevent healthy aeration of the wound, slowing rather than aiding the healing process.

An Elizabethan collar (the dreaded head cone!) can be used in the short term to prevent the dog from accessing the wound, and socks can help reduce scratching. Stubborn dogs can be very creative when it comes to pulling off bandaging, and a bad-tasting substance (such as Tabasco sauce or bitter apply spray) can be applied on top of the bandages to discourage the dog from picking at them.

In most cases, determining and treating the underlying cause of the hot spots - allergy, disease, behaviour - is more than half the battle. Often, small hot spots will heal on their own or with only minor intervention. Some owners find that a cold compress (such as cold tea bags) can provide relief for the dog until the sore heals naturally. Fur will grow back in a couple of weeks.

By Jen Perret - Pets.ca writer

http://www.pets.ca/articles/dog-hot-spots.htm

What is the medical name for this condition?
Also known as "pyotraumatic dermatitis", these common skin lesions are usually caused (and made worse) by biting, licking, or scratching. Broken down, "pyo-" refers to "pus", "-traumatic" refers to self-inflicted trauma of biting, licking, scratching, and so on, and "dermatitis" means inflammation of the skin.

What are the signs of a hot spot?
Redness, oozing, pain, and itchiness are hallmark signs. Hair loss is commonly present. Sometimes hair can mat over the lesion, obscuring the size and degree of the problem. These lesions can appear suddenly, and grow rapidly. It is common for an owner to notice a small area of inflamed skin in the morning (perhaps an inch or couple centimeters in diameter) and come home from work to be met with a large area the size of the palm of a hand. The dog is usually highly agitated, and will not leave the area alone. Some dogs will even growl or snap if the area is touched.

What causes a hot spot?
There is usually an inciting factor to initiate the extreme licking and scratching behavior. Look for fleas, mites, or other external parasites, an insect sting or bite, allergies (food, inhalant, contact), or injury (skin wound, scrape, etc.). Some animals have been known to "start" a hot spot out of boredom or stress-related psychological problems.

What can I do to treat a hot spot?
The first thing to do is speak with your veterinarian. Due to the rapidity of spread and possibility of deeper skin infection, it is wise to start treatment with your vet. Also, these hot spots can be very painful to the animal -- caution is advised, use a muzzle if need be for your protection.

1. Shave the area. The first treatment for hot spots is to dry them out and get air to the area. Hair loss is a feature of hot spots, but hair can also mat over the inflamed area, covering up a potentially much more severe and large problem.
2. Cleanse the area with cool water and a gentle skin cleanser.
3. Cool compress the area 2-4 times a day with a cool wet washcloth.
4. Medications - Depending on the severity and size of the hot spot, your veterinarian may prescribe oral antibiotics, topical drying sprays or medications, and/or special shampoos.
5. Prevention of licking, biting, scratching -i.e. Elizabethan collar
6. Additional home remedies that can be used until you can see your vet:
   • tea bag compresses (black or green tea) to help dry the area out. Tea can be used as a wash or as a compress.
   • Domeboro's (Burow's) solution (aluminum acetate) - available over-the-counter at pharmacies to help dry the skin out. Can be used as a compress or as a spray.
   • Hydrocortisone creams - Some people advocate using a thin film of an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream. I would recommend talking to your vet first -- in general, creams and ointments only serve to "gunk up" the area and prevent proper drying if used incorrectly. Also, if the pet licks it, you want to make sure that it isn't toxic.
   
   http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/dogdiseasesh/a/hotspots.htm
   

GERSEMAR:

Sá sem ekki þekkir ófrið mun aldrei skynja frið

Því meira sem við lærum, þess betur skynjum við hversu lítið við vitum

 Því lengri tíma sem maðurinn eyðir í einsemd, þess betur skilur hann aðra menn.

Hjartað er eini kompásinn sem getur vísað þér leiðina að innri frið.

Láttu þér aldrei detta í hug að dýr tæki bæti upp þekkingarleysi þitt

Leti er ekkert annað en að hvíla sig áður en maður verður þreyttur.

Rétta orðið getur verið einkar áhrifaríkt en þó hefur ekkert orð verið eins áhrifaríkt og þögn á réttri stundu.

Maður á ekki að miða við hvað aðrir gera best, heldur hvað maður gerir best sjálfur.

Það tekur ekki nema örfár sekúntur að brjóta niður það traust sem tekur mörg ár að byggja upp.

Tvær manneskjur sem horfa á sama hlutinn sjá hann frá mismunandi sjónarhorni.

Ég hef lært að kveðja alla með hlýlegum orðum. Þú veist aldrei hvenær þú ert að kveðja þá í síðasta sinn.

Sá sem síðast hlær er seinn að hugsa.

Eftir góða máltíð getum við fyrirgefið öllum- meira segja ættingjunum.        

Lúxus er ekkert sem þú þarfnast, en nokkuð sem þú getur ekki verið án.

Ef maðurinn finnur ekki frið í sjálfum sér er tilgangslaust fyrir hann að leita hans annars staðar.

Velheppnaður dagur endar í notalegum svefni.

Enginn veit hvers hann er megnugur fyrr en hann hefur reynt.

Dæmdu aldrei í reiði!  Reiðin líður hjá en dómurinn stendur eftir.

Sá sem vill breyta lyndiseinkunn sinni, verður að taka á öllum sálarkröftum sínum, ef honum á að takast það.

Til þess að vera eitthvað og til þess að vera ætíð sjálfum sér samkvæmur verða menn að breyta í samræmi við orð sín.

Að styggja ekki, er hið fyrsta stig til að þóknast.

Að hrósa einhverjum fyrir það að vera góður, verður oft tilefni fyrir hann að verða það.

Heldur skulum við ofmeta en vanmeta hvort annað.

Allar skyssur eru afsakanlegri en aðferðin sem fundin er til að leyna þeim.

Auveldara er að hrósa ræðu prestsins í predikunarstólnum, en að breyta eftir henni.

List er ekki einungis fólgin í því að geta grætt peninga, heldur líka að kunna að fara með.

Sá sem ætlar að bæta heiminn, á ekki að sá nýju fræi heldur hlúa að þeirri jurt sem fyrir er.

Að vera hylltur af öllum er hættulegt.  Að vera af engum mótmælt er verra.

Reynslan er dýrmæt, verðið er yfirleitt of hátt.

Mikil vinna drepur mann nú varla, en hvers vegna að taka áhættuna.

Ófriðurinn er afkvæmi hrokans og hrokinn er barn auðlegðarinnar.

Ef maðurinn finnur ekki frið í sjálfum sér er tilgangslaust fyrir hann að leita hans annars staðar.

Allir kvarta um, að þeir hafi lélegt minni, en enginn um lítið vit.

Gestir eru ævinlega til ánægju - ef ekki þegar þeir koma þá þegar þeir fara.

Best er að vera vitur næst því að vera elskaður.  Það er slæmt að vera hataður, en verra að vera fyrirlitinn.

Menningin byrjar ekki með lestri og skrift, heldur með hamri og sög.

Eina að ferðin til þess að bera sigur af hólmi í deilum við vekjaraklukkuna er að gefast upp fyrir henni.

Sá sem aldrei lætur tilviljun ráða neinu gerir fátt illa, enda næsta fátt yfirleitt.

Sá sem getur ekki fengið neinn áhuga á því sem er smátt, fær falskan áhuga á því, sem er stórt.

Til eru menn, sem hafa mátulega mikla skynsemi til að dylja með heimsku sína.

Frelsi þýðir ábyrgð.  Það er þess vegna sem flestir eru hræddir við það.

Við höfum öll næga krafta til að taka á okkur óhamingju náungans.

Flest okkar hafa meira hugrekki en okkur sjálfum dettur í hug.

Mannskepnan hefur ríka tilhneigingu til að skoða galla annarra gegnum stækkunargler í stað þess að sota spegil til að koma auga á eigin galla.

Verstu erfiðleikar manns byrja þegar hann getur gert það sem honum sýnist.

Menntun er öflugasta vopnið sem þú getur notað til að breyta heiminum.

Fólk sem megrar sig missir aldrei lystina á því að tala um það

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Vá! Þetta er ótrúlega lítill hestur. Vona að henni heilsist vel

--------------------
Thumbelina is a dwarf miniature horse owned by Michael Goessling

of Goose Creek Farms in St. Louis. She stands less than 18 inches tall.

For the past two years this little wonder drug on four legs has been

touring hospitals like UC Davis Medical Center and working her magic

on kids.

 







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