Posts Tagged ‘problem’

Hair Loss in Dogs

Seasonal shedding occurs naturally but scratching and excessive hair loss can indicate parasites or certain diseases and should be treated before infection sets in. A few of the most common reasons for hair loss in dogs are discussed below.
Flea Allergy
Just one flea bite can cause a reaction in some dogs allergic to flea saliva. Fleas may be hard to detect, particularly on dark haired dogs, but when skin inflammation occurs around the base of the tail, fleas are a suspicion. Flea bites cause itching of the entire body and can lead to infection. The best treatment is prevention in the form of a high quality topically applied flea control. Read the rest of this entry »

Dog Hot Spot

Any area of skin that is angry pink to red, warm to hot, moist to wet, irritated to bloody, and possibly seeping pus can be called a “hot spot.” It is important to realize, however, that the term “hot spot” is a general description and not a specific diagnosis. Simply put, a hot spot is a patch of your dog’s skin that is bothering her so much that she can’t leave it alone. Because of this overwhelming discomfort, she has rubbed, scratched, and licked it into the condition you see before you.
What to Look For
Gently separate your dog’s hair around the hot spot to get a good look at it. Look for open skin and raw, bloody patches of flesh. Then slowly and carefully look over your dog’s skin for other hot spots. It’s helpful to speak softly to your dog and gently rub her with one hand while checking her skin for hot spots with the other hand. Read the rest of this entry »

Hot Spot Prevention


Hot spot preventionwhy should a new dog parent to a puppy care about it? Although most puppies don’t get hot spots (unless they get truly horrible puppy care), all puppies can be susceptible to dog hot spots as they begin to grow up. Learning hot spot prevention now can save your puppy (and you) misery later.

Otherwise known by vets as staph infections, eczema, ALD or lick granulomas, dog hot spots can cause pure misery for canines. And once a dog breaks out in dog hot spots, it can be tough to get the problem under control.
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Dog Hot Spots: Causes & Treatments

Dog Hot Spots are a literally just that, a hot, wet, painful and inflamed sore. They generally begin either by a dog scratching and biting from a flea infestation or bug bites or even allergies. They can also start from an open skin would, such as a puncture wound. The bacteria will quickly spread and forming a hot spot. The hot spot or spots will grow and become large and inflamed very quickly.
Generally you will see dogs that have thicker coats develop hot spots more frequently than a short haired dog. Often one spot seems to bring on another, so it’s important to learn and recognize the following symptoms:
• Scratching, licking, biting at a particular area of the skin
• The dog spot increases in size within a matter of hours
• The dog spot loses all hair in and around the area
• The spot can be bloody and or pussy and may have an odor
• Your dog may be foul tempered and even growl due to intense pain
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