# Experts here on hot spots and conjunctivitis



## Don Turnipseed (Oct 8, 2006)

I have a few dogs that have developed weepy hot spots and hair loss on the rear back above the tail and slightly down the sides. Seems to be very pronounced in hotter weather.


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## Maureen A Osborn (Feb 12, 2010)

I have never had to deal with hot spots, but here is what some of my freinds have done:

Pluck all the hair around it, scrub the crust off with witch hazel or mild rubbing alcohol. Let it dry, then cover thoroughly with Gold Bond powder. I do this twice daily. Hot spots are a part of life here in the hot, humid South.

for hot spots I use Gentian violet, boric acid, and rubbing alcohol. when the solution is mixed properly, you apply to the hotspot, and it dries right out, and the scab falls off within days! I use it on my Rott's and it's wonderful! Boric acid used to be used for diaper rash way back when, and the gentian violet takes away yeast. It will stain, but clears everything up. All ingredients can be bought at your pharmacist, and it's cheaper than a vet visit.if you want to try the "solution" it's 16 drops of Gentian violet, ( it's very concentrated and staining, so be careful where you make this), and 2 tbsps of the boric acid, mixed in a litre of rubbing alcohol...apply 2-3 times a day, and it will heal in not time. I was also advised not to remove the hair as it makes the area very subsceptible to infection.

My American Bulldog has a hot spot on his tail. I use Horseman's Dream on it. This soothes the skin and starts the healing. It also promotes hair growth! It contains: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, water, stearic acid, glyceryl stearate, mineral oil, isopropyl vulgare (wheat) germ oil, sesamum indicum (sesame) seed oil, allantoin, ascorbic acid, tocopheryl acetate, retonyl palmitate, triethanolamine, methylparaben, propylparaben, diazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin fragrance, FD&C blue #1.

Been using a horse spray (GentaVed) that is a combination of Betamethasone and Gentamicin-has always worked for me...



http://www.petplace.com/dogs/conjunctivitis-in-dogs/page1.aspx


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## Don Turnipseed (Oct 8, 2006)

I would feel better if I knew what was causing it.


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## Alison Grubb (Nov 18, 2009)

Don Turnipseed said:


> I would feel better if I knew what was causing it.


Anything that causes the itch-scratch cycle. Bug bites or stings are pretty commonly associated with hot spots down here. Some dogs will get them on the sides of their faces if they have an ear infection and are scratching a lot.

I shave the area to keep the hot spot from spreading and clean it up, pulling off the scab. Keep it clean for a couple of days and it usually goes away. Sometimes I will use betagen or genesis type sprays if it is not going away on its own.


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## Gina Pasieka (Apr 25, 2010)

Don Turnipseed said:


> I have a few dogs that have developed weepy hot spots and hair loss on the rear back above the tail and slightly down the sides. Seems to be very pronounced in hotter weather.


The first thing I think of when I hear of scratching/irritation above the tail head is unfortunately flea allergy dermatitis. Even if you are not seeing a flea, a dog can be so allergic that they can react severely to just a single flea bite. Anything that causes scratching, however, can result in a hot spot. It is important to stop the itch scratch cycle and keep the area dry.


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## Ashley Campbell (Jun 21, 2009)

I don't know about hot spots, maybe a seasonal allergy? But conjunctivitis is a bitch - most kids get pink eye, most kids go to the doctor - my parents put animal medication (terramyacin) in mine and it cleared up in record time.


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## Timothy Stacy (Jan 29, 2009)

Don Turnipseed said:


> I would feel better if I knew what was causing it.


Could it be mites Don


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## Don Turnipseed (Oct 8, 2006)

Timothy Stacy said:


> Could it be mites Don


That is exactly what it usually is Tim. Where there are animals and people, you got mites. They are part of life. You can use Gold Bond if you want but I use a Gold Bond knock off which is about half the price at Walmart. Mites breed rapidly at above somthing like above 77 degrees so you see it in hot weather. Because it is mites, you have to dust the whole dog, not just the affected area. If there is an area that is weeping, I spray it with Cut-n-Heal which is a topical for horses. The weeping area will be pretty much cleared up the next day, usually totally within two days. If weeping the Cut-n-Heel will clear that spot up way faster than The powder but the whole dog still needs to be powdered. The powder has eucolyptol in it which mites can't tolerate. Mites are airborn with the slightest breeze, which is also a big cause for conjunctivits in dogs. To clear it up and keep it cleared up, you have to cut down the mites in the dog area. You can prevent the hot spots by dusting the dog about once a week and brushing him out with the powder when the weather is hot. Actually, I would say the powder was developed to stop the itching from mites on people.


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## Alice Bezemer (Aug 4, 2010)

the cause i dont even want to take a stab at...there are to many things that could cause this...treatment tho ? Camomille for the eyes..just boil a liter of water and throw a full teacup of camomille in there and let it cool down then strain it and use cloth of some sort to clean out the dogs eyes and you can also use it to put drops in the dogs eyes to help clear up the Conj. 

Hotspots: Teatree oil! rub it in once a day should clear that up pretty quick...dont know if your vet carries AceDerm in the states if he does buy yourself a spraycanister of that...over here they are about 10 Euro...acederm also does a very good job...


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## Rachel Schumacher (Oct 11, 2006)

Don Turnipseed said:


> I would feel better if I knew what was causing it.


My guess is a low immune system.


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## Don Turnipseed (Oct 8, 2006)

So, why do these nasty areas always show in the same place on the back area and upper sides towards the rear and the tail? Is it a sign of thyroid? Did the dog suddenly develope a reaction to the food it has been eating for so long? I have heard a multitude of reasons but with the conditions I gave, it is mites. They are eating the hide off your dog. Why in the same location all the time. The dog can't reach it to scratch.


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

They can reach the area above their tail to scratch with their teeth - that chewy, bitey thing they do. A little saliva for moisture plus scratched skin makes for ideal hotspot conditions.


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## Harry Keely (Aug 26, 2009)

Don we had a GSD female years ago by the name of Ghirra, really nice compact mali like behavior, just a rare GSD and every late spring and fall she would get hot spots. We brought her to the vet and we were asked if she had flees ( no ), did we change her food ( no ), was she on a supplements period ( no ). Well this went on for two years roughly and they finally determined it was pollination. She was from up north and never had issues up there, down here she had issues, she returned back up north and neverh had the issues again. So maybe its a flook like Ghirra and it being natural enviromental effects.


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## Don Turnipseed (Oct 8, 2006)

Harry Keely said:


> Don we had a GSD female years ago by the name of Ghirra, really nice compact mali like behavior, just a rare GSD and every late spring and fall she would get hot spots. We brought her to the vet and we were asked if she had flees ( no ), did we change her food ( no ), was she on a supplements period ( no ). Well this went on for two years roughly and they finally determined it was pollination. She was from up north and never had issues up there, down here she had issues, she returned back up north and neverh had the issues again. So maybe its a flook like Ghirra and it being natural enviromental effects.


Could be Harry, but, we won't know now. The first clue is it shows up in hot weather but the dog is fine otherwise through the winter. Maybe the dog you speak of came from a cooler area.
What did it cost you over two years? A couple of squirts of Cut-n-Heal and you would have known within two days. You see mites are on the outside eating the hide off. Takes a topical. If there are hot spots other times of the year, ...probably something else.


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## Harry Keely (Aug 26, 2009)

Don Turnipseed said:


> Could be Harry, but, we won't know now. The first clue is it shows up in hot weather but the dog is fine otherwise through the winter. Maybe the dog you speak of came from a cooler area.
> What did it cost you over two years? A couple of squirts of Cut-n-Heal and you would have known within two days. You see mites are on the outside eating the hide off. Takes a topical. If there are hot spots other times of the year, ...probably something else.


Yea she was cool in the winter always never no episodes. She was put on predisone and cephalexin it cleared pretty quick but the hard part was having her dope up and waiting for hair to grow back. Felt bad for her so I sent up to CT with some GSD friends. She has moved again from what I don know and has had no further issues. She was originally a import with no episodes cross seas either. She was checked for flees and mites and was negative on both. I have to believe it was the pollination because it always happened around those times and nothing else was out of the ordinary. Wish you luck though and thought I throw it out there. Just when you think you got it fgured out you always are learning new crap good & bad of dogs.


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## Ashley Campbell (Jun 21, 2009)

Harry Keely said:


> Yea she was cool in the winter always never no episodes. She was put on predisone and cephalexin it cleared pretty quick but the hard part was having her dope up and waiting for hair to grow back. Felt bad for her so I sent up to CT with some GSD friends. She has moved again from what I don know and has had no further issues. She was originally a import with no episodes cross seas either. She was checked for flees and mites and was negative on both. I have to believe it was the pollination because it always happened around those times and nothing else was out of the ordinary. Wish you luck though and thought I throw it out there. Just when you think you got it fgured out you always are learning new crap good & bad of dogs.


You're probably right. I'm from AZ, where it's nice and dry. We were stationed in NY - I suffered all summer with allergies and froze to death all winter. Then they stationed us in Colorado; while I still freeze my ass off, no summer allergies. The pollen and crap in NY made me scratch my own skin raw and drove me insane (moreso than I was before anyway). 

That's why I suggested allergies - I never thought of mites. 
Don, are they the same kind as ear mites or different? How do you know if you have mites? I know with ear mites you can tell because they leave "dirt" (shit) in the ears - but no clue on the body? Yours are outside dogs right? So I'm guessing you have another way to tell other than the "dirt" since they're already probably dusty?

BTW, Cut-n-Heal is some of the best stuff ever - works good on people too, along with Wonder Dust.


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## Harry Keely (Aug 26, 2009)

Ashley Campbell said:


> You're probably right. I'm from AZ, where it's nice and dry. We were stationed in NY - I suffered all summer with allergies and froze to death all winter. Then they stationed us in Colorado; while I still freeze my ass off, no summer allergies. The pollen and crap in NY made me scratch my own skin raw and drove me insane (moreso than I was before anyway).
> 
> That's why I suggested allergies - I never thought of mites.
> Don, are they the same kind as ear mites or different? How do you know if you have mites? I know with ear mites you can tell because they leave "dirt" (shit) in the ears - but no clue on the body? Yours are outside dogs right? So I'm guessing you have another way to tell other than the "dirt" since they're already probably dusty?
> ...


I lived in NYC & LINY growing up and never had issues but I moved to SC and it was bad,bad,bad. Pollen here is one of the worst in the country from what I have heard through hear say. Everyday we wash the cars off and by the next morning there puke green again and thick to.


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## Ashley Campbell (Jun 21, 2009)

Harry Keely said:


> I lived in NYC & LINY growing up and never had issues but I moved to SC and it was bad,bad,bad. Pollen here is one of the worst in the country from what I have heard through hear say. Everyday we wash the cars off and by the next morning there puke green again and thick to.


We were stationed at Ft. Drum (near Watertown NY) which is Upstate...maybe I was allergic to the Canadians? :lol:


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## Harry Keely (Aug 26, 2009)

Ashley Campbell said:


> We were stationed at Ft. Drum (near Watertown NY) which is Upstate...maybe I was allergic to the Canadians? :lol:


I don't know exactly where Ft. drum is but do have family in Fleischmans, Ellenville, Albany and also did alot of partying years and years ago in the SUNY schoolsO. But Upsate is a huge part of NY and the pollen and trees are much more in abundance there then NYC & LI, and the pollination is alot worst so maybe thats why I never got allergies that bad because we never ventured into the upstate to much. I been up there more now that I am married then I did growing up my whole life. Usually now we go up to shoot guns, ride quads or snow mobile.


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## Ashley Campbell (Jun 21, 2009)

Watertown and Ft Drum are an hour north of Syracuse on I-81, and about 35 minutes south of the Canadian border, just south of the Thousand Island region. Lots of allergens and lake effect snow in the winter, lol.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Don my female Bouv has the issue on her side. I keep the kennels bleached and dry. Yeast issues is something someone said before. Looks like hell and is hard to fix around here!


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