bald patch with ugly sore

[Diana101]

Hi Everyone, could someone please tell me in detail what "hot spot" is and what it looks like , My sons girlfriend noticed a bumbp on our 1yr old rottie's back, towards the tail, so I got down to look closer, the fur just pull right out and revealed a ugly moist looking sore, is this hotspot , I cannot get her to the vet till tomorrow, so I am hopeing to ease some fears till then, could this be cancer? please reply soon

[laurlitt]

It sounds like it could be a hot spot. Hot spots usually have a bad (rotten) smell to them depending on how long they have been there. The fur usually falls off around the sore. Although I am not qualified to diagnose this properly, I think you would be safe to soak the spot with a very warm (almost hot) wash cloth for about 5 minutes, once tonight and again tomorrow before going to the vet. If it was a hot spot, I would apply panalog cream to the sore after cleaning with wash cloth. Good luck!

[Nancy Estes]

Sounds like a "hot spot" to me too. Keeping it clean and dry will help - cleaning w/ hot washcloth, etc. There are numerous things that the vet can give you to treat this. Hot spots almost always are in a place that's easy for the dog to scratch or chew at - which, of course, just aggravates it. Your vet will probably give you some sort of topical treatment that will help relieve the itching. There are many, many things that can cause hot spots - insect or tick or flea bite, allergies (food, fleas, etc.), you name it! Quite often a change of diet will help eliminate further outbreaks.

Nancy

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von Dorow Rottweilers
doggo1@apex2000.net

[AngelBunny]

Yeah, sounds like a typical hotspot. When I find hotspots on my girls, I take a sharp pair of scissors & cut away all the hair to let air get at the sore. Cutting away the hair also helps me keep an eye on the spot to make sure it's getting better.

Awhile back there was a discussion on hot spots. Mashed plantain (a common weed) mixed with a little water to form a yucky green paste that's dabbed on the spot actually got rid of a hot spot on Riga in record time.