Skin Sore
Here's my question: What causes these? Is this sore my fault? I feel so badly for him-he always has something wrong, he is like the little boy is school that is always sick and has the over-protective mom!  |
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| It sounds like what you have is the sore that came up after the hot spot. The hot spot is just an area of irritation that is itchy and usually red. The chewing and scratching that the dog does irritates it and, if gone unnoticed/untrated, can lead to infection.
My old girl Lucy is particularly prone to them and is good at hiding the scratching and licking. Last year, she hid the worst one I'd seen yet on her and it was very gross and infected. I found it by smell. 
It's not your fault and there's nothing (other than identifying if it's an allergy to something and avoiding it) that you could've done to stop it. Just keep an eye on him and inspect any spot you see him licking or chewing immediately to see if anything looks irritated on the skin. Antihistamines given at the right time can help. Don't beat yourself up-- they definitely happen. |
| Just wanted to comment that sores are not always hotspots. Chummie just developed a flaky oozy yellow sore where her hair would just peel right out. She had the same thing the last time she went on prednisone and that time, it was ringworm (a fungal infection). So I took her to the Vet to have it cultured and in the meantime, I am using combination antibiotic/antifungal cleansers and ointments on it.
Don't feel bad. I feel like there is always something requiring attention. You just have to be sure to try and appreciate the weeks here and there when nothing seems to be wrong. |
| Mopsy had ring worm when she was a puppy. She also had a tendency to get hot spots her whole life. But I got better at spotting them and I kept an ointment from the vet on hand and when they would start I would put the ointment on it and prevent it from happening. Usually the licking is what causes it to get so bad. If you saw a wet spot on the fur where she was licking we would immediatedly investigate. Of course when Dad was the one in charge, licking would go unnoticed until we had a completely raw open bleeding wound. Then I would need to go to the steroid (anti-inflamatory) and antibiotic (to clear up infection) in addition to a topical ointment to get the whole mess cleaned up.
Maybe this is a one time thing. You are definitely not an overprotective mom! |
| Let me take a pic of it and post it. I never noticed it when it was red, just the oozing, nasty stage (and yes, the stinch was horrible!). It hasn't spread, and the hair actually hasn't fallen out...yet. It is shaved real close though. You'll have to tell me what you guys think.
Thanks for the help. I read the posts about hot spots, but Oliver seems to leave his alone, well, at least when he has shorts on. I'll keep an eye on him though, good thinking with the allergy idea! And thanks for setting me straight! |
| If the sore clears up with cleansing and a bit of antibiotic ointment, then likely it is a regular hot spot from bacteria. Usually it is from an area that gets moist, not enough air circulation and sometimes from the dog scratching or licking at it. Bacteria is always present on the skin, in the mouth and on the toenails. If there is a convenient opening in the skin, then the infection gets hold.
If it is fungal in origin, then the antibiotics won't do anything and you will need to switch to an antifungal to treat it. My chocolate lab Macy is the queen of hotspots at our house.  |
| My Bichon Brooklyn used to get "Hot Spots" very frequently. They smelled horrible, and I'd usually have to cut the hair on the sore to help with applying the medicine. I have switched her food to a lamb and rice formula, and she has not had nearly as many hot spots (only 1 in the last 4 months, where she used to have 1 or 2 each month). I am not sure that a food reaction was causing the hot spot, but they seemed to decrease around the time of the food change, so it's possible.
As far as I know there is no one reason for hot spots. I do know hoever than your dog having hotspots does not indicate anything about you as a mommy... the fact that you noticed it and are asking about it shows that you love your fur kids very much |
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