This evening at the dog park, Ein and I met a very nice woman who's poor dog had a hot spot. Hot Spots are areas of moist dermatitis that occur mostly in the spring/summer, typically on golden retrievers and other thick coated, long haired dogs.

They are basically patches of raw, oozing skin that are very painful for the dog. Usually these nasty things crop up when a dog has gotten wet (bathing, swimming, or playing in the mud and rain at the park!) and does not get dried thoroughly. The skin stays moist under all that fur and becomes soft enough for bacteria to invade the deeper layers, creating a nasty smelling very sore spot that is red and raw.

How do you treat hot spots? See your vet. Usually your vet will trim the hair over the hot spot and surrounding area to allow for air flow to help dry up the skin. Then a course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications are commonly prescribed. All vets have their method of treating this, so do what your vet tells you to do. Once allowed to dry out, the hot spot usually forms a scab over the skin and will heal.

The best way to treat hot spots is with prevention. Make sure to thoroughly dry your dog after baths, swimming, or being in the rain. This means you may need to use multiple towels and a forced air dryer (maybe it's time to visit a u-wash dog wash- they provide all the towels and dryer and you get to leave the mess). If you use a hair dryer be extremely careful to not burn your dog (then you have a whole other can of worms to deal with).

If your dog is a messy drinker or plays with his/her water dish, you will need to be vigilant to keep your dog dry as well.

Again: if your pet has a hot spot, call your vet. He/she will be able to help you deal with this problem quickly and your dog will love you for it!