Skin Conditions and Hot Spots in Dogs

Dogs can develop many different skin conditions. Some are mild and temporary, while others are painful, infectious or a sign of an underlying health problem.

Different conditions can look remarkably similar once a dog has been scratching, chewing or licking the area. Correct diagnosis is therefore important before treatment is started.

When to Contact Your Vet

Arrange a veterinary examination if the skin problem is painful, wet, bleeding, spreading, producing pus or an unpleasant smell, or causing persistent scratching or chewing.

Seek prompt help if your dog has:

  • A rapidly enlarging hot spot
  • Extensive hair loss or broken skin
  • Swelling, heat, pus or an unpleasant smell
  • Fever, lethargy or loss of appetite
  • Facial swelling or difficulty breathing
  • Recurring skin or ear infections
  • A skin problem that is not improving

Possible Causes of Skin Problems

Itching and inflammation may be associated with:

  • Fleas or flea-allergy dermatitis
  • Mites, including sarcoptic or demodectic mange
  • Environmental allergies
  • Food-related adverse reactions
  • Bacterial infection
  • Yeast overgrowth
  • Ringworm or another fungal infection
  • Insect bites or stings
  • Contact irritation
  • Grass seeds or other foreign material
  • Pain in a joint, back or another part of the body
  • Hormonal or immune-mediated disease
  • Compulsive or anxiety-related licking

Successful treatment often depends upon identifying and controlling the underlying trigger rather than treating the visible sore alone.

Hot Spots

A hot spot is an area of acute moist dermatitis. It usually appears as a painful, red, wet and inflamed patch of skin that the dog repeatedly licks, bites or scratches.

Hot spots can increase dramatically in size within a few hours. They are commonly seen in dogs with dense or thick coats because moisture and inflammation may remain hidden beneath the hair.

Possible triggers include:

  • Flea or insect bites
  • Allergies
  • Ear infections
  • Wet or matted coat
  • Pain that causes the dog to lick a particular area
  • Minor wounds or skin irritation

What You Can Safely Do

Prevent the dog from licking or scratching the area. An Elizabethan collar, inflatable collar or suitable recovery garment may help, depending upon the position of the lesion.

Keep the area dry and arrange veterinary advice. If your vet has previously supplied a suitable veterinary chlorhexidine skin product, use it only at the concentration and frequency stated on its label or advised by the practice.

Do not cut hair away with scissors close to inflamed skin. Hot spots can be extremely painful, and it is easy to cut the dog. A veterinary professional may need to clip the area, sometimes with sedation.

Products to Avoid on Raw or Inflamed Skin

Do not apply the following without veterinary instruction:

  • Surgical spirit or rubbing alcohol
  • Vapour rub
  • Athlete’s-foot powder
  • Ear or canker powder intended for another purpose
  • Benzyl benzoate
  • Undiluted Hibiscrub or chlorhexidine
  • Concentrated iodine
  • Essential oils
  • Homemade herbal sprays
  • Human creams, powders or antiseptics

These products may sting, irritate or damage already inflamed skin and some may be harmful if swallowed.

Canine Atopic Dermatitis

Canine atopic dermatitis is a common allergic skin condition. Affected dogs may react to environmental substances such as pollen, house-dust mites or moulds.

Itching commonly affects the paws, face, ears, armpits, groin and abdomen. Repeated licking and scratching can damage the skin and lead to secondary bacterial or yeast infections.

Atopic dermatitis often requires long-term management. Treatment may involve reducing exposure to known triggers, controlling secondary infections and using veterinary anti-itch or immune-modulating medication.

Yeast Dermatitis

Malassezia yeast normally lives on canine skin in small numbers. It can multiply excessively when the skin barrier is damaged or an underlying condition changes the skin environment.

Possible signs include:

  • Persistent itching
  • Paw licking or chewing
  • Red or inflamed skin
  • A greasy coat
  • A musty or unpleasant smell
  • Darkened or thickened skin in longstanding cases
  • Recurring ear infections

Warm and humid conditions may aggravate yeast overgrowth, but yeast dermatitis is not simply a summertime problem.

Diagnosis is usually confirmed by examining samples taken from the skin. Treatment may involve veterinary antifungal shampoos, mousses, wipes or oral medication and management of the underlying cause.

Flea-Allergy Dermatitis

Some dogs are allergic to flea saliva and may develop severe itching after only a small number of bites. Fleas or flea dirt may not always be easily found.

The lower back, tail base, hindquarters and thighs are commonly affected. Secondary bacterial or yeast infection may develop where the dog has damaged the skin.

Effective treatment requires consistent flea control for every suitable animal in the household and attention to the environment. Ask your veterinary surgeon which products are appropriate, particularly where dogs and cats live together.

Bacterial Pyoderma

Pyoderma is a bacterial skin infection. In dogs, one of the organisms most frequently involved is Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, rather than Staphylococcus aureus, which is more commonly associated with people.

Possible signs include:

  • Red bumps or pustules
  • Crusts, scaling or flaky skin
  • Circular areas of hair loss
  • Itching or tenderness
  • Moist or ulcerated lesions
  • Discharge or an unpleasant smell

Superficial infections may sometimes be managed with veterinary topical therapy. Widespread, deep, recurrent or poorly responding infections may require bacterial culture, antibiotic-sensitivity testing and systemic medication.

Antibiotics should only be used when prescribed and should be given exactly as directed. Recurrent pyoderma usually indicates that an underlying problem still needs to be identified.

Acral Lick Dermatitis

Acral lick dermatitis, sometimes called a lick granuloma, is a thickened, inflamed and often ulcerated area caused or maintained by persistent licking. It is commonly found on the lower part of a leg.

Possible underlying causes include allergies, infection, joint or bone pain, nerve pain, a foreign body, anxiety or repetitive behaviour.

Simply covering the area may not resolve the problem. The dog needs a veterinary assessment to investigate the reason for the licking and to treat infection, pain or behavioural factors where present.

Antihistamines and Other Medication

Do not give Piriton, Piriteze or any other human antihistamine without first checking the exact product and dose with your veterinary surgeon.

Brand names can contain different active ingredients, and some combination products may include decongestants or other substances that are unsafe for dogs.

Antihistamines do not reliably control itching in every dog. A veterinary surgeon may recommend another treatment, such as a prescription anti-inflammatory or anti-itch medication, after considering the underlying cause and the dog’s health.

Chlorhexidine and Povidone-Iodine

Chlorhexidine and povidone-iodine are antiseptics used in veterinary medicine, but the formulation and concentration matter.

A product intended for surgical preparation, household use or another species may be too concentrated or otherwise unsuitable for an inflamed canine skin lesion.

Do not assume that povidone-iodine is harmless if swallowed. Repeated licking should be prevented, and products should only be used according to their label or veterinary instructions.

For yeast or bacterial skin disease, a veterinary surgeon may recommend a medicated shampoo, mousse, spray or wipes containing ingredients such as chlorhexidine, miconazole or ketoconazole. Correct contact time and frequency are important.

How Your Vet May Diagnose the Problem

Depending upon the appearance and history, tests may include:

Photographing the affected area each day can help show whether it is spreading or improving, but photographs cannot replace a veterinary examination.

Further Information

VCA Animal Hospitals: Hot Spots in Dogs

Merck Veterinary Manual: Pyoderma

VCA Animal Hospitals: Yeast Dermatitis in Dogs

Collielife: Canine Pyoderma

This information is not intended to replace veterinary care. Avoid applying household products, human medication or homemade remedies to inflamed or broken skin. Rapidly spreading, painful, infected or recurring skin problems require veterinary assessment.