Hot Spots! Moist Eczema! Summer Sores! Skin problems in dogs.

You make an appointment with your veterinarian because your dog is chewing incessantly at some wet, raw looking skin lesion. And it seems to be noticeably bigger than it was just hours ago. This is getting to look nasty. You show it to your neighbor and they say your dog has a "Hot Spot". What the heck is that, you ask?

Also known as Summer Sores or Moist Eczema, Hot Spots can seemingly appear spontaneously anywhere on a dog's body and the area involved can rapidly spread. This moist, raw skin disorder has a variety of causes but the most consistent factor is bacteria. Anything that irritates or breaks the skin can create the environment for bacterial contamination if the skin surface has just a bit of moisture on it. That moisture can be present from a recently given bath, from swimming or being out in the rain, from rolling in wet grass or even from a slightly oozing sore that provides nutrients for bacteria. For some reason, cats rarely acquire Hot Spots; dermatological problems in our feline friends are far less common than in the dog.

Lets take a look at some photos of Moist Eczema...you can call them Hot Spots, too.

Skin Disorders in Dogs

In this photo we can see, now that the fur has been parted, the raw, weeping circular Hot Spot. These often spread under the cover of the fur so that by the time you notice them they are well established and spreading. This particular case of Moist Eczema may have been caused by a tick bite.

moist eczema in dogs

The fur is shaved over the moist eczema to facilitate application of medication as well as to allow drying. An area well beyond the margins of the lesion should be shaved. That tiny black spot at the top of the Hot Spot is an area where the skin has actually died and may be where a tick was attached. Why one tick will trigger Moist Eczema and others won't is still a mystery. If every tick bite caused this much reaction the magnitude of skin problems in dogs would be staggering!

Treating a Hot Spot

Daily cleaning of the Hot Spot, even every two hours for the first day or two, will speed up the healing. Also, any topical anti-bacterial ointment will arrest the growth of the bacteria. These skin lesions can take a week to finally dry and look like they are going to heal. Once they are no longer oozing, simply keeping the Hot Spot area clean will be all that's needed. The fur begins to grow back (sometimes a different color!) within two weeks. Rarely will a scar be a consequence of Hot Spots.

So, now you know about Hot Spots, Moist Eczema and Summer Sores. They really do seem much more prevalent in the summer months. They can cause severe itching and self-trauma because the infection goes into the deep layers of the skin. That's why Hot Spots may take two weeks to finally look like they are going to heal. On occasion if a dog has extensive and deep areas of Moist Eczema, oral antibiotics and antihistamines may need to be prescribed and large areas of skin will be shaved.

Watch for these skin sores and keep your dog well groomed especially in hot seasons. Any dog that has matted, dirty hair coat is at greater risk of developing Hot Spots. Many owners will have their long or thick-furred dog shaved closely in the summer. This really does help prevent the thick coat from covering any dampness on the surface of the skin. By the fur covering any accumulated dampness and not allowing evaporation, the wet skin surface is a perfect environment for bacterial growth and invasion of the skin surface.