Hot Spots On Dogs

 

Pyotraumatic dermatitis, better known in layman’s terms as “hot spots”, is a skin condition induced by self-inflicted trauma such as excessive scratching, biting, licking. Any part of a dog’s body can be affected by this skin condition. However, common or usual sites of predilection include their hip, chest, and head. Pyotraumatic and moist dermatitis are often used interchangeably in diagnosing this skin condition. Dogs would typically manifest with a reddish lesion on their skin. These hot spots are pruritic, oozing, and painful. It’s easier to notice these hot spots if there are bald spots or areas devoid of any hair. If the dog would lick and scratch the lesions non-stop, the hot spots can grow bigger and become severe in a matter of hours. A lesion that started as a few centimeters big in the morning, can rapidly grow to the size of a human palm come evening. In some dogs, matted hair can conceal the location of the lesion and owners won’t be able to recognize the severity of the skin condition because of this. Dogs suffering from pyotraumatic dermatitis would refuse to be touched in any sites where there are lesions because these can be painful for them. Their natural response would be to growl, bite, and snap at their owners if they do try to pet or touch them.

Contact a vet immediately, or rush to the nearest animal hospital Dallas, GA if your pet manifests with any of the symptoms of hot spots. Click this website The Ark Animal Hospital to learn more.