Almost every pet owner has returned home to discover that their beloved pooch seems rather uncomfortable in his or her skin. One of the more common skin problems in dogs is the ‘hot spot.’ What exactly is a ‘hot spot’ and how does it happen? It seems like one moment the dog’s skin is fine and the next, there is an area of hairless, oozing, itchy skin.
“Hot spots’ are medically called pyotraumatic dermatitis. Further classifications can refer to how deep into the skin the inflammation and/or infection reaches. These areas are typically one or more spots on the dog’s skin that are hairless, moist or weeping, and sometimes bloody, but turn dry and scabby when they begin to heal. These areas are very itchy and even painful, which stimulates the dog to lick and chew. This licking and chewing is a vicious cycle which produces more trauma to the skin and infection caused by bacteria. Golden retrievers are especially prone to developing hot spots on their neck and under their ear on the face. These areas are often covered with hair and need clipping with more intensive care.
There are many causes that need to be investigated by your veterinarian before treatment and prevention measures can begin. Causes may include:
- Flea allergy, flea infestation
- Mites, such as sarcoptes or demodex
- Food allergy
- ‘Environmental’ allergy (pollen, mold, etc.), atopic dermatitis
- Irritation, such as from groomer’s clipper blades
Once an underlying cause is identified, treatment and preventative measures need to be taken. Your veterinarian may recommend a pain medication and antibiotics if the hot spot is severe enough. Some veterinarians will recommend a topical treatment as well. Elizabethan collars (E-collars, or the “lamp shade collar”) are very helpful in that they prevent the dog from licking and chewing the area. If your dog has a hot spot on the shoulder area, covering it by putting a small t-shirt or infant ‘onesie’ over it may be necessary to prevent further trauma.
If your dog develops a hot spot at home and you can’t make it to the vet quickly, there are certain steps you can take to keep your dog feeling comfortable. Keep in mind that some smaller hot spots can be treated successfully at home by following these basic ‘first aid’ tips:
- If you have an E-collar handy, have your dog wear it until you see the vet
- Cover the area by putting a t-shirt or infant ‘onesie’ (usually fits toy breeds) on your dog to help prevent further licking and chewing
- Don’t use human over-the-counter topical treatments
- Many of these ointments contain zinc oxide, which can be toxic to dogs if ingested
- Since dogs will often lick off ointments when they are applied, it is important to select a non-toxic pet ointment.
It’s a good idea to have a first aid kit on hand in case of an emergency, minor cut or hot spot. A few good things to have in your kit include sterile gauze, a non-toxic pet skin ointment or stick, and petroleum jelly. Be sure to tune in next week as I discuss making your own First Aid Kit at home. Hopefully you'll never have to use it, but having the right supplies on hand will help tremendously in the event of a painful and irritating hot spot!
Does your dog suffer from hot spots? Share how you help your pet in the comments section below. We’d love to hear how you’re helping your pets live a healthier, more comfortable life.
When something seems too good to be true, watch out because it usually is. This can be said for a variety of things in life but is especially true in the world of food and nutritional supplements. It seems that almost daily we hear about food fraud and poor quality or contaminated ingredients in our food chain. Some products are more ‘pure’ than others and some are simply gimmicks. It is time to set the record straight about sea buckthorn products.
The health benefits of sea buckthorn have been known for thousands of years. The fruit, leaves and stems contain a number of healthy compounds, not limited to flavonoids, antioxidants, minerals and several omega fatty acids. Its boom in popularity as a health supplement has been followed by a similar boom in different types of products: pet supplements, cosmetics, fruit juice, powders, purees and oils. It seems that there is a lot of conflicting information on the internet about using powders vs. oils, so let’s take a look:
Sea buckthorn oil
The majority of the oil found in the sea buckthorn plant is in fact in the berries, or fruit. It can be extracted by a variety of different ways, one of the best being CO2 supercritical extraction. This is a low-temperature process that works similarly to an oversized espresso machine. The raw, pureed sea buckthorn berry and/or seed is put into the machine and the oil fraction is extracted under high pressure CO2. The benefit of any sea buckthorn oil, from either seed or pulp origin, is that this oil comes with a plethora of fat-soluble compounds. Omega-3, 6, 7 and 9, vitamin A, vitamin E, amino acids, and flavonoids are just a few of these beneficial compounds that ‘hitch a ride’ with the oil and into your product.
Sea buckthorn powder
Sea buckthorn powder is made by dehydrating either sea buckthorn puree or juice. Sometimes the powder is made from the by-product of the oil-extracting process. It can be difficult to find a sea buckthorn powder with a complete list of ingredients. Some ingredients in the powder may include added sugars such as maltodextrin. Sea buckthorn is naturally a bitter fruit and sweeteners are often added to the powder to improve palatability. While the final product can be high in Vitamin C, the oil fraction is greatly diminished in these powders, leaving the omega fatty acid nutrients almost non-existent; which is where some of the biggest health benefits truly lie.
One of your best options is sea buckthorn oil. Be sure to select a pure oil and not a ‘purified’ oil – as there is a difference. We discussed these important differences in our previous article. Sea buckthorn oil has no additives or sweeteners and packs the best nutritional punch with high, concentrated amounts of omegas 3, 6, 9 and the elusive omega 7. Another option is to try a liquid pulp form. Pureed sea buckthorn fruit not only retains the important omegas, it provides full body nutrition with 190+ bio-active compounds.
This is a key difference between sea buckthorn pulp and its oils. The latter contains the fat-soluble nutrients while the pulp contains the water-soluble nutrients. You can't remove the water-solubles and keep the nutrients it carries. CONSUMERS BE CAUTIOUS: Any claims stating that sea buckthorn oil houses this full array of 190 nutrients is false. This can only be found when the entire sea buckthorn berry is incorporated. Be wary of this misleading marketing tactic.
Most of all- be an educated consumer
When selecting a sea buckthorn product, make sure that sea buckthorn puree or oil is high on the ingredients list – listed first or possibly second is best. If there are no ingredients listed ask the company for more information before making a purchase.
My advice: If you are going to make an investment in your pet’s health, purchase what is pure and closest to nature. You will see an improvement in their health faster than if you used an inferior or heavily processed product.
