# Advice please - just noticed this on Meg



## PembrokeMadhouse (May 18, 2009)

Only just noticed this damp patch on Meg and pulled the fur apart to reveal a really sore area... wonder if any one got ideas 1) what it is, 2) is it mange/dermatetic thingy, 3) what I can do to treat it for now until vets on Monday .... (this is because it isn't bothering her too much, she is not scratching it or nibbling it - yet - but would imagine it will in this heat and it is not hot to the touch although it is sticky ... She does have very dry flaky skin normally, I just wonder if this is an exacerbation of this ... or something worse like the mange x

I know it is hard from a picture, but any advice please ... Clare x


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## Devil-Dogz (Oct 4, 2009)

You cant really see well from the picture, but I m pretty positive that is not mange! I would just wash it with warm water for now, it looks like she has been chewing herself to me!


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Does the discharge feel oily and sticky and has she got hairloss and is the skin bright red and shiny? One of mine had similar a few years back, they found that it was some sort of allergic reaction to possibly a bite. He gave her a steroid shot and I think she had some antibiotics too. If its isnt that it could be some kind of hot spot or type of wet eczema.

You havent got ants in your garden by any chance and has she been laying out there? some dogs can get a reaction to ant bites, They inject a type of acid in their bite, could be something like that. Think its salic (sp) acid.


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## PembrokeMadhouse (May 18, 2009)

No ants ... but it is sticky ... so possible infection ... will bath it with warm water and hopefully that will sooth it .. as i say its not bothering her at the moment, but may do later on ... Thanks for advice so far x


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

It looks self inflicted to me but could be a contact dermatitis. I would clip the hair back to healthy skin and wash and dry the lesion and cover with some sort of ointment. You will easily be able to see if it grows in size if you have a clipped area. If it is growing or is not drying up I would go to the vet.


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## PembrokeMadhouse (May 18, 2009)

This patch of skin doesn't seem to be getting better so I am going to get to the vets as soon as I can this week .. will phone first thing tomorrow ... Have put Meg in a buster collar for now, and she is sooooo not happy, but she was licking and nibbling it so I thought it best ...


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2011)

Could be "hot spot".

Hot spots - What is a "hot spot"?

Not all are as bad as the pictures on google. But many are small red, warm patches.

Good luck.


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## PembrokeMadhouse (May 18, 2009)

This sounds most likely, thank you Shetlandlover ... it wasn't there in the morning I am sure, and then suddenly in the evening there it was ... and it is bigger now I've clipped her hair away, it doesn't smell, but I think this heat is causing her to nibble at it, hence the collar .. ... good job meg is insured ... off to the vets I think we will go ... x


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## ladyalex (Mar 10, 2011)

it could be a bite and she's just been chewing on it which would make it more sore...my 2 have been bitten,not sure what by though...
as you now have a collar on her keep it clean and see how it gets on,it may clear up now she cant chew on it....


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

look s like a hot spot to me. make sure you cut all hair away fron the sore and if possible bathe in hibbiscrub. calomine lotion will help soothe it.

hot spots can appear! without warning.


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## PembrokeMadhouse (May 18, 2009)

hibbiscrub - what's that? I've got calomine so will try that ...


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2011)

PembrokeMadhouse said:


> This sounds most likely, thank you Shetlandlover ... it wasn't there in the morning I am sure, and then suddenly in the evening there it was ... and it is bigger now I've clipped her hair away, it doesn't smell, but I think this heat is causing her to nibble at it, hence the collar .. ... good job meg is insured ... off to the vets I think we will go ... x


No problem.  Its something many people dont know about but it is common.
A lady I met at crufts was looking at shampoo's for her shelties and said about how her dogs have hot spots quite frequently.

Hope she improves!


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## ladyalex (Mar 10, 2011)

it a antimicrobial skin cleanser...its really good...it is quite strong so you have to dilute it.....


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## PembrokeMadhouse (May 18, 2009)

where can I get that from, is it "human" or animal ... our nearest decent [email protected] is an hour away, the vets is half an hour ... is there like a shampoo I can give her in the future to prevent these?


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## ladyalex (Mar 10, 2011)

i got mine from the vets....but you should have a look on the net for it,you may find it there....it is very good for treating all sorts of things....


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## Old Shep (Oct 17, 2010)

Hibbiscrub was devised as a skin cleansing agent for staff in operating theatres. It is *VERY* strong. Many staff (myself included) found it GAVE them contact dermatitis, so another brand was always available.

I have absolutly no idea why it has suddenly become the new cure all in the dog world. If this is a skin infection, you don't want to add to it by giving him contact dermatitis on top. If it is so good at treating skin infections why is it not used in human medicine?

I wouldn't use it on my dog at all unless the vet gave me very good reasons why it should work.

If I were you, I would keep it clean (with a saline solution. 1 teaspoon in 1 pint of pre boiled water) and dry and get to see the vet at the earliest opportunity.

I hope it clears up fast


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## Ridgielover (Apr 16, 2008)

If it was one of mine, I'd go with bathing it with some salty water (as above, 1 teaspoon to a pint of water) and then give the dog an antihistamine in case it's an allergic reaction to something. If it isn't improving by the morning, I'd pop along to the vet 
HTH


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## PembrokeMadhouse (May 18, 2009)

Well it is worse this morning ... silly me, had her in bed all night with a buster collar, and it looked quite good, so for her walk this morning I took it off and of course forgot to put it back on ... So now it is red raw again and she is back with the collar on ...

Vets later today x


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## babycham2002 (Oct 18, 2009)

PembrokeMadhouse said:


> Well it is worse this morning ... silly me, had her in bed all night with a buster collar, and it looked quite good, so for her walk this morning I took it off and of course forgot to put it back on ... So now it is red raw again and she is back with the collar on ...
> 
> Vets later today x


Oh no poor girly.

Willow has had a couple of hot spots, as far as I can tell there isnt much chance of stopping them happening just catching them early.
I treat Willow's hot spots by cleaning them every other day with savlon antiseptic spray which has the same active ingredient as hibiscrub but is already dilute and in a handy spray. ( I have shaved the area)
I then use athletes foot powder (in my case the spray version). It is antifungal and clears up the hot spot in days.
I happened to be taking Willow to the vets a short while after she developed the hot spot and the vet said what I was doing was working great and the only thing she would have been able to offer was a cream (fuciderm).

I would like to add that my version is down to some very helpful advice from malmum who without I think we would have ended up with a much worse case on Willows first one which was on her back. :smile:


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## PembrokeMadhouse (May 18, 2009)

Well the patch is about the size of my palm today ... probably looks worse coz I clipped the hair back, but at least I can see the extent of it ... will pop out later and get some savlon spray and powder (thank you babycham2000) before I go and see the vet - anything to soothe it for her, must be sooooo irritating ...Just hope it doesn't get too much bigger otherwise people will start wondering what I'm doing to her !

C X


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

Old Shep said:


> Hibbiscrub was devised as a skin cleansing agent for staff in operating theatres. It is *VERY* strong. Many staff (myself included) found it GAVE them contact dermatitis, so another brand was always available.
> 
> I have absolutly no idea why it has suddenly become the new cure all in the dog world. If this is a skin infection, you don't want to add to it by giving him contact dermatitis on top. If it is so good at treating skin infections why is it not used in human medicine?
> 
> ...


i've used hibbiscrub for years so not a new cure all to us rough collies breeders!

you can buy it from any chemist


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## babycham2002 (Oct 18, 2009)

PembrokeMadhouse said:


> Well the patch is about the size of my palm today ... probably looks worse coz I clipped the hair back, but at least I can see the extent of it ... will pop out later and get some savlon spray and powder (thank you babycham2000) before I go and see the vet - anything to soothe it for her, must be sooooo irritating ...Just hope it doesn't get too much bigger otherwise people will start wondering what I'm doing to her !
> 
> C X


Your welcome, if it is a hotspot which it highly looks like one then you'll have it under control very quickly hopefully.
Where Willow's big one was I was explaining for weeks why she had a bald patch . The latest on was almost under her tummy and a lot smaller as I caught it so early.
Good luck at the vets, obv be warned that my methods may not sit well with the vet but I can only give my experience :001_smile:
I hope she gets better soon.


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

there are many theories as to why hotspots occur , anal gland related problems, diet , not drying dog properly after a bath etc, even breed line related! I used to to use a great powder called sterzac ,hospitals used it on newborns umbilical cords, you can't buy it now.

some of rc breeders used this

veterinary wound power from bettle hayward & bower ltd or seven seas antibacterial powder


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## benvet (Apr 11, 2011)

hotspot


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## PembrokeMadhouse (May 18, 2009)

Phoned vets and got appointment for 10.20 tomorrow, the earliest that was available - comes from living rural I spose ... they have told me to bathe it with saline for now and keep her collar on ... 
Unfortunately having to try new vets as the old one has had a few serious hiccups lately in the news (operating on wrong leg and such like) .... so having to change ... heard nothing but good things about the new one.

C x


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## babycham2002 (Oct 18, 2009)

PembrokeMadhouse said:


> Phoned vets and got appointment for 10.20 tomorrow, the earliest that was available - comes from living rural I spose ... they have told me to bathe it with saline for now and keep her collar on ...
> Unfortunately having to try new vets as the old one has had a few serious hiccups lately in the news (operating on wrong leg and such like) .... so having to change ... heard nothing but good things about the new one.
> 
> C x


Salt waters always a winner :001_smile: Good thing you have the head collar :001_smile:


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## Old Shep (Oct 17, 2010)

The term "hot spot" is not actually a diagnosis, it's just a lay term for an area of irritation which can have many causes. 
The treatment will depend on what the cause is (which isn't always easy to find. I'm pretty sure sometimes it'll be a matter of eliminating the more common causes to till the likely culprit is identified-if it can be).

What a pity you have to wait till tomorrow to see the vet  I'm so lucky that my vet doesn't do appointments. You just turn up and wait (sometimes a long wait, but you still get seen).

Good luck and let us know what happens.


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## GoldenShadow (Jun 15, 2009)

Every hot spot I have seen has basically been a friction burn. Area of irritation, dog rubs or nibbles, peels top layer of skin off so it oozes and becomes sticky which irritates them more and so it spreads etc.

If you think about it, that's exactly what happens if you get a carpet burn, top layer of skin is gone and it leaks plasma. Only reason ours aren't so bad is because we don't have fur to get matted and make it worse.

My dog had one near his bum, I suspect he was nibbling because of his anal glands.

People say a dog not dried off properly can. When you think about it imagine being very hairy and having damp warm patches, might make you itch = friction burn (hot spot).

I don't know about savlon spray but there is some vague info that savlon cream is toxic to dogs so I wont use it. Guess if you're buster collaring you could do but I'm a bit paranoid and don't like having stuff if its not perfectly safe 

Once a hot spot scabs over you've pretty much won the battle they're nasty blighters especially on hairy dogs as its very hard to see them.

I bought a buster collar from [email protected] with black cushioning round the edge for things like this, having a dog who is accident/injury prone can be quite tricky at weekends


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## PembrokeMadhouse (May 18, 2009)

someone recommended calomine lotion on here yesterday and it has dried up nicely although may have to soak it off for vet to look at tomorrow as at the moment it is a white crusty matted mess ... 

Thanks for all the advice ... hopefully light will be shed on her tomorrow ... 
Meg hates the shower/bath, so doesn't not have one very often ... so doubt it is because she's not dried properly ... oh well x

C x


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## babycham2002 (Oct 18, 2009)

GoldenShadow said:


> Every hot spot I have seen has basically been a friction burn. Area of irritation, dog rubs or nibbles, peels top layer of skin off so it oozes and becomes sticky which irritates them more and so it spreads etc.
> 
> If you think about it, that's exactly what happens if you get a carpet burn, top layer of skin is gone and it leaks plasma. Only reason ours aren't so bad is because we don't have fur to get matted and make it worse.
> 
> ...


I looked into this and from what I can find out the active ingredient cetrimide is savlon cream is why it shouldnt be given to dogs because of possible allergic reaction (also possible in people).
The savlon wound wash spray does not have that, but obv still the most natural thing you can use to wash any wound is salt water.

Savlon Cream
Also contains: Cetostearyl alcohol, Liquid paraffin, Methylhydroxybenzoate, Propylhydroxybenzoate, Perfume, Purified water.

Active ingredients
Cetrimide , Chlorhexidine Gluconate

Savlon Spray
Contains active ingredient Chlorhexidine Gluconate 0.45% w/v.

Polyoxyethylene Polyoxypropylene Block Co-polymer, Lauryl Dimethyl Amine Oxide, Perfume, Polysorbate 20, D-gluconolactone, Sodium hydroxide, Water



PembrokeMadhouse said:


> someone recommended calomine lotion on here yesterday and it has dried up nicely although may have to soak it off for vet to look at tomorrow as at the moment it is a white crusty matted mess ...
> 
> Thanks for all the advice ... hopefully light will be shed on her tomorrow ...
> Meg hates the shower/bath, so doesn't not have one very often ... so doubt it is because she's not dried properly ... oh well x
> ...


Glad it seems to be scabbing up, as goldenshadow says thats the best sign of it starting to heal.
Good luck at the vets in the morning, let us know how you get on


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## PembrokeMadhouse (May 18, 2009)

Grrrr so cross with the kids ... the wound was scabbing up nicely, and i had to go to work, so the kids were under strict instructions only to take hat off when going out side for a wee walk ... they forgot to put it on for 10 minutes after coming in... and its all red raw sore again. 

Will let you know what happens at vet tomorrow x

C x


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

PembrokeMadhouse said:


> Grrrr so cross with the kids ... the wound was scabbing up nicely, and i had to go to work, so the kids were under strict instructions only to take hat off when going out side for a wee walk ... they forgot to put it on for 10 minutes after coming in... and its all red raw sore again.
> 
> Will let you know what happens at vet tomorrow x
> 
> C x


I should imagine he will probably give her an anti inflammatory shot and probably a course of antibiotics to control/stop any infection to be honest.
The old anti inflamms usually work pretty quick.


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## GoldenShadow (Jun 15, 2009)

babycham2002 said:


> I looked into this and from what I can find out the active ingredient cetrimide is savlon cream is why it shouldnt be given to dogs because of possible allergic reaction (also possible in people).
> The savlon wound wash spray does not have that, but obv still the most natural thing you can use to wash any wound is salt water.
> 
> Savlon Cream
> ...


Well done for tracking that down! Think I will steer clear of the cream just because of everything happening to Rupert!

Ditto re vets tomorrow


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## PembrokeMadhouse (May 18, 2009)

Well the vet said definitely a hot spot and we're on steroids and topical cream for a few days, still has to wear the hat ... she shaved Meg even more so her right flank is completely bald - poor dog ... however the vet was amazed that Meg tolerated it all and said normally she has to sedate dogs with this kind of infection in order to clip ... 

So back to vet at the end of the week for a check up, and doctors also for me for severe bruising to lower legs from the "hat" lol ...

C X


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## babycham2002 (Oct 18, 2009)

Hope the treatment kicks in soon
(and your legs get a bit of a rest :001_smile: )


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