Hot Spots on Poodle Dogs

Hot spots, also known as pyotraumatic dermatitis, are painful sores on the skin that can occur anywhere on your poodle's body. No dog breed is immune from hot spots though they occur most often on dogs with long hair or dense coats. They can suddenly appear and will grow rather quickly.

  1. Signs of Hot Spots

    • Your dog will lose all the hair in the area of a hot spot. The sore usually contain pus, will display some swelling and give off a bad odor. The hot spot may start out looking much like a pimple. The spots are generally circular in nature, are very painful to your dog and can spread if untreated. The irritation from the hot spots will make your dog scratch, lick or bite the area.

    Causes

    • Hot spots are bacterial infections. Poodles and other dogs with heavy or thick coats, tend to get hot spots because moisture, dead hair and skin become trapped under the heavy coat, allowing bacteria to breed. Some dogs get hot spots because of allergies to fleas, dust, pollen, lawn chemicals or food. Other dogs have behavioral problems such as excessive licking or biting that will irritate the skin enough to allow an infection to take hold.

    Treatments

    • A veterinarian will trim the hair around the sore to expose the entire affected area and remove hair that contains additional bacteria. The doctor will clean the entire sore spot with a mild antiseptic. The area must be allowed to dry thoroughly because trapped moisture helps breed more bacteria. Veterinarians use cortisone to decrease the itching, apply antibiotic cream or powder to help kill the surface bacteria -- oral antibiotics might also be used -- and try to determine and treat the initial cause of the hot spots.

    Prevention

    • Prevent hot spots on poodles and other long, dense-haired dogs by regular brushing and grooming to prevent matted hair. Completely dry the coat after any activity that wets the hair, such as swimming or bathing. If you suspect your dog may have allergies, work with a veterinarian to determine the source and eliminate it if possible. If eliminating the source of the allergy is not possible, the veterinarian may prescribe the use of antihistamines. If the hot spots developed because of excessive licking, scratching or biting you can help keep your dog's attention away from these types of behaviors by providing more exercise, walks, toys to play with and loving attention.