Chevy's Hot Spots

[Jessca]

Hi DOLers, firstly like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Chevy has been getting these sores since we got her a few years ago. We have been to the local vet many times but they are stumped and do not know what to do. We are yet to take her to our regular vet as it is a 50 min drive, and she can get severely car sick. But i think we are going to have to.

i have a day by day picture diary of her sores that i will post up. There are a lot of pics so please bear that in mind, as i also have a slow internet connection.

i have days 1 - 7 of her last sore from the 4/7 to 13/7. And today’s pictures of her sore, which must have come up over night as it was not there we she went to bed.

thanks in advance for any help or information

Day 1 -

Day 2 -

Day 3 -

Edited December 22, 2008 by Jessca

[Jessca]

Day 3 cont' -

Day 4 -

Day 5 -

[dead sheep]

that poor baby could be hot spots?

has the vet taken any swabs for testing?

[Jessca]

Day 5 cont' -

Day 6 -

Day 7 -

[Jessca]

Day 7 cont' -

Today's sore, Day 1 -

thanks again for any help.

Regards, Jess

[Jessca]

that poor baby could be hot spots?

has the vet taken any swabs for testing?

Hot spots, i never even thought of that.

im googleing it now to see if it fits.

the vet did not take any swabs, all they did was give her a shot, i think it was an anti histamine. he was completely stumped.

Thanks for your help Kosti.

Forgot to add, these mainly appear on and around her neck. although she did have one on her face once, on the top of her head spreading down between her eyes. they normally dont cause her heaps of stress, although she does not like to come near us, as she knows we are going to put cream on it (neo topic) but the one that was on her face, must have been mush worse as she seemed to be quite depressed for the length of it.

She also gets them at any time of the year, it seems to have nothing to do with the weather or season.

[Guest belgian.blue]

Is she scratching with her back paws maybe?

[First Time Puppy Owner]

Looks like a hot spot to me - they believe that they form once bacteria pentrates the skin and become very itchy thus dog chews/licks at the spot until it becomes a wound like Chevy has (usually form with in hours - generally when you aren't watching them ie overnight).

Duck to the vet, but if they agree, pyohex shampoo diluted or pyohex lotion will treat the itching and dries out the wound without stinging, and once healed over hair will start to grow back.

Edited December 22, 2008 by First Time Puppy Owner

[Jessca]

Is she scratching with her back paws maybe?

Yes she is, mum caught her scratching a fair bit during the night.

Looks like a hot spot to me - they believe that they form once bacteria pentrates the skin and become very itchy thus dog chews/licks at the spot until it becomes a wound like Chevy has (usually form with in hours - generally when you aren't watching them ie overnight).

Duck to the vet, but if they agree, pyohex shampoo diluted or pyohex lotion will treat the itching and dries out the wound without stinging, and once healed over hair will start to grow back.

Thank you for that FTPO. i'll go out and get some of the Pyohex.

im calling the vet now (my good vet)

how is it that the local vet couldn't tell what this is?? yet DOLers so easily diagnosed it.

[Golden Rules]

That's a hot spot if ever I saw one.

My boy Duncan had a bad one like that almost in the same place.

There's lots of things you can do - or at least try to do to prevent them but you need to act quickly with a vet visit before it gets any worse - and they do come up quickly, and get worse quickly.

[Jessca]

That's a hot spot if ever I saw one.

My boy Duncan had a bad one like that almost in the same place.

There's lots of things you can do - or at least try to do to prevent them but you need to act quickly with a vet visit before it gets any worse - and they do come up quickly, and get worse quickly.

thank you Arty. i have called the vet and am taking her in in a couple of days.

after having soo many of them (this is probably the 10th) i feel so sorry for her, they must really hurt. i just glad that it has finally been diagnosed. four years of this is enough. time to find a preventative, if there is one.

thanks so much every one for all your help.

[dead sheep]

and time to find a better local vet too Jess. Poor Chevy I hope she clears up soon

[Golden Rules]

That's a hot spot if ever I saw one.

My boy Duncan had a bad one like that almost in the same place.

There's lots of things you can do - or at least try to do to prevent them but you need to act quickly with a vet visit before it gets any worse - and they do come up quickly, and get worse quickly.

thank you Arty. i have called the vet and am taking her in in a couple of days.

after having soo many of them (this is probably the 10th) i feel so sorry for her, they must really hurt. i just glad that it has finally been diagnosed. four years of this is enough. time to find a preventative, if there is one.

thanks so much every one for all your help.

No chance you can get her in any earlier? A few more days and it will only get worse and she will need antibiotics.

What do you feed? Dry food can often be an issue. Wheat isn't good for a dog prone to hotspots.

Catching the spot quickly and treating it quickly makes all the difference.

I haven't tried the Pyohex although I know FTPO has had good success with this and her goldie.

I use Living Nature Manuka Honey antiseptic gel. I put some on my current boys tail when I noticed a small and obviously itchy spot which I knew what it was, and the thing disappeared overnight.

There's lots of info here as well on hot spots treatments and preventatives, just do a search.

[poodlefan]

Does she have access to a swimming hole or creek? Dampness is the real enemy here.. that and less than fresh water. If that is the case, then rinse her off and towel dry her after a swim.

If they are occuring where her collar sits then a damp collar would also be a contributing factor. Take it off if she's been swimming and don't put it on until its dry.

If you can clip the area around the spot that will help. The sooner it is treated, the smaller it will be - don't delay treatment. Stuff her full of gingernut biscuits (that will help with the nausea) and get her seen too.

A vet that can't diagnose a hotspot (if that's what it is) is pretty frightening. They aren't exactly rare.

Edited December 22, 2008 by poodlefan

[Jessca]

That's a hot spot if ever I saw one.

My boy Duncan had a bad one like that almost in the same place.

There's lots of things you can do - or at least try to do to prevent them but you need to act quickly with a vet visit before it gets any worse - and they do come up quickly, and get worse quickly.

thank you Arty. i have called the vet and am taking her in in a couple of days.

after having soo many of them (this is probably the 10th) i feel so sorry for her, they must really hurt. i just glad that it has finally been diagnosed. four years of this is enough. time to find a preventative, if there is one.

thanks so much every one for all your help.

No chance you can get her in any earlier? A few more days and it will only get worse and she will need antibiotics.

What do you feed? Dry food can often be an issue. Wheat isn't good for a dog prone to hotspots.

Catching the spot quickly and treating it quickly makes all the difference.

I haven't tried the Pyohex although I know FTPO has had good success with this and her goldie.

I use Living Nature Manuka Honey antiseptic gel. I put some on my current boys tail when I noticed a small and obviously itchy spot which I knew what it was, and the thing disappeared overnight.

There's lots of info here as well on hot spots treatments and preventatives, just do a search.

we have no way to get her there earlier, our vet is 45 mins away, and we were there on Sat (why couldnt here have come up earlier )

she's on a 50/50 mix of Eagle Pack/Great Barko, but mainly gets chicken frames, meat, bones ect.

Ahh im ordering some Manuka for Narla, so that should help Chevy.

im doing a search now.

thanks again for your help Arty, its greatly appreciated.

[Jessca]

Does she have access to a swimming hole or creek? Dampness is the real enemy here.. that and less than fresh water. If that is the case, then rinse her off and towel dry her after a swim.

If they are occuring where her collar sits then a damp collar would also be a contributing factor. Take it off if she's been swimming and don't put it on until its dry.

If you can clip the area around the spot that will help. The sooner it is treated, the smaller it will be - don't delay treatment. Stuff her full of gingernut biscuits (that will help with the nausea) and get her seen too.

A vet that can't diagnose a hotspot (if that's what it is) is pretty frightening. They aren't exactly rare.

nope none at all, and all there water is always fresh and clean.

she doesnt even where a collar

and yes it is very scary about that vet, they are horrible, they gave Kaisers microchip in his lower back (as a 7 week old pup) and it bled for around 10 mins. our dogs hate it there, which is why we travel nearly an hour to go to a really good vet, where our dogs drag us in. and non of them have to wear muzzles.

thanks for your help Poodlefan.

ETA- with chevy being a short haired dog, and the state of the sore, how would yous suggest would be the best way to clip the hair??

Edited December 22, 2008 by Jessca

[Golden Rules]

As Poodlefan said, moisture could also be your enemy so be aware of that as well.

Do you have any Curash powder in the house? That might do for the time being.

If you do get manuka honey, make sure you get the highest 'active UMF' - the higher it is, the better it is and you'll end up using less.

You can give it orally as well as apply it to the spot.

I'm giving my boy a teaspoon twice a day at present just as an immune booster and that can help avoid hotspots as well.

[poodlefan]

The best way to clip the hair would be with animal clippers but if you don't have any, the vet might do it.

The main thing is to keep the area dry. I know some people who use the purple anti-bacterial horse wound spray on hot spots but the vet needs to see it first before you stain it. There is a clear anti-bacterial spray but I can't remember the name.. Otoderm??

You are dealing with nasty bacterial skin infection. The closest thing I can think of for a human is tropical ulcers. Untreated hot spots can become quite large.

[dogbesotted]

hmm looks like a hot spot to me too... a question what breed is Chevy? some bully breeds have a zinc deficiency .

I use curash powder on my maremmas at the first sign of a problem

Good luck

H

[Jessca]

The best way to clip the hair would be with animal clippers but if you don't have any, the vet might do it.

The main thing is to keep the area dry. I know some people who use the purple anti-bacterial horse wound spray on hot spots but the vet needs to see it first before you stain it. There is a clear anti-bacterial spray but I can't remember the name.. Otoderm??

You are dealing with nasty bacterial skin infection. The closest thing I can think of for a human is tropical ulcers. Untreated hot spots can become quite large.

thank you for your help poodlefan.

hmm looks like a hot spot to me too... a question what breed is Chevy? some bully breeds have a zinc deficiency .

I use curash powder on my maremmas at the first sign of a problem

Good luck

H

Chevy is a bullmastiff X.

i didnt know that, thank you, i'll have to look into it.