Hot spots are very common, more so in dogs than cats. Often the first signs are you'll see you dog is losing hair in patches, or is constantly biting or scratching an area. How spots are a small area of skin that is inflamed, sore, itchy, often dry and greasy and usually, there is hair loss. It's usually one small patch on an animal and there are no symptoms elsewhere.
What causes a hot spot?
Hot spots are caused by a bacterial infection called pyoderma. There are many reason why this might happen but the most common is a simple imbalance in the skin or damage to the skin where bacteria can then manifest itself, these types of infections result in a small hotspot
Pyodermas can be more serious. It can be superficial and limit itself to the epidermis or you can get deep pyoderma which affects the dermis. These can be triggered by a flea infestation or an allergy to food, pollen or environmental issues and these should always be checked out by your vet. If your pet has the symptoms of a hot spot but over a large area you must go to your vet.
How do I cure a hot spot?
For a small localized hot spot you need to keep the skin clean, hydrated and protected while it is damaged. This doesn't mean you need to bath the entire animal. Make sure any equipment you use you clean before and after use to be sure your not spreading the bacterial infection to anywhere else.
1.soak the hotspot with warm water, you can hold a sponge or cloth on the area, gently wipe off any visible dirt if possible but never pick at it.
2. Use berries and leaves skin mask for dry sore skin (or if your pet is generally greasy use our skin mask for greasy skin) apply the paste to the hotspot and massage gently if your pet is comfortable, otherwise just let the paste sit on the skin and work its magic. Its antibacterial, antifungal properties from the plants used will work wonders and the mask will clean and purify the skin lifting grease and scabs.
3. After 5 minutes rinse off the skin mask, if your pet is sore just squeeze a sponge of warm water over the area until it's rinsed off.
4. Use Berries and leaves botanical hydration pad kit. Lavender and chamomile are great for skin. Lavender regulates oils and combats dandruff while chamomile soothes and reduces inflammation.
5. Apply berries and leaves skin recovery balm for dry or greasy skin, depending on your pets skin type. This will act as a barrier for the damaged skin and its natural plant properties will assist the healing process and encourage healthy hair growth.
6. DON'T dry the skin, if the hair is excessively wet you can pat it dry with a towel but rubbing or use of heat from a hair dryer will only aggravate the hotspot, potentially making it worse. Let it dry naturally the skin will appreciate sucking the moisture from the hair over the next hour.
7. Do this every 2-3 days until the hotspot has healed and you'll have a happy healthy pet again.
If you need any help understanding your pets skin type, Check our our skin and coat e-consultation
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