dogs & hot spots
By Queenmother
@Queenmother (25)
United States
August 23, 2008 6:50pm CST
my peke is prone to "hot spots". he has a very heavy coat and I have to watch him constantly. he is outside a good bit but I'm not sure that is a factor. I've had to haul him off to the vet a couple of times because I did not find the spots in time & they got infected & matted. anyone have any ideas on prevention?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@showpup (232)
• United States
1 Sep 08
Thelastwolf113 is correct in that wheat is a common cause for hot spots. So is soy and corn. We have a coonhound with an allergy to wheat. In his case, it was a hereditary issue. Have you contacted your dog's breeder to ask them if hot spots are something running in their line and if so, what is causing them. This may really help you speed up the process of eliminating whatever it is that is causing her hot spots.
Remember not to only look to the food but to the dog treats as well.
Another thing allergies to things such as wheat will cause is your dog just not looking 'right'. Their body conditioning will not be prime and their coat will be poor. They may also shed a LOT more than they would normally. Find out what the allergy is and you'll be able to enjoy a brand new dog!
To detect them earlier than the infected state, be on the lookout for scratching and licking.
I wrote an article on How to Treat Hot Spots - http://www.ehow.com/how_2289236_treat-hot-spots-dog.html
@Queenmother (25)
• United States
6 Sep 08
I have lost contact with the breeder. I am not sure that it is an allergy. This dog, Pekenese, has a very heavy coat and I noticed that he does not get hot spots in the winter. He is in good shape, good coat, etc. he has had more hot spots this summer than other summers but he is outside with the schnauzer more too. I am still trying the wheat thing or rather the lack of wheat thing.
1 person likes this
@showpup (232)
• United States
7 Sep 08
Maybe not a food allergy but in all likelihood, an allergy of some sort. That's pretty much what hot spots are. As it's happening more in the summer than the winter you could look at things like his coat. Is he having trouble getting shedding hair off of him and then getting overheated? I'd recommend a furminator for any dog but a peke would be tops on that list. They are worth their weight in gold. (a brush)
But are there other things that you may be doing differently in the summer? Administering flea control products? Giving more baths (shampoo could cause it if an allergy to an ingredient is present)? Your vet could do a skin culture and perhaps discover the cause that way next time. And maybe you could try feeding a temporary raw diet to see if the hot spots cease? I did that with mine and it cleared right up. I then started adding different types of kibble and would cut out and keep the ingredient labels for those that caused or didn't cause his reactions. He's now fed a combination of Eukanuba and raw.
@Queenmother (25)
• United States
10 Sep 08
i have thrown out all the dog shampoo. my vet said to use baby shampoo. it rinses out more completely. 10 yr grandson washes the dog so that baby shampoo is a must. he gets a haircut in the spring which helps keep him cooler - a lion cut - also cuts down on a lot of shedding. he is a heavy shedder. when the mighty dog is used up we are going back to using beneful. it looks & smells like real people food. dogs love it.
