Hot Spots

[Diana]

I have a bichon that I rescued about 3 weeks ago.
He has a "hot spot" on his neck
The vet gave a spray to treat the hot spot
I have heard that it can be controlled by diet.
Does anyone know what the allergy is?
What kind of dog food/people food will eliminate the allergy?
Is there a dog food that would help?

[jude09]

Hello Diana,

First of all a hot spot is different from an allergy.

But to help your dog avoid any allergy complications I would suggest that you feed your dog
a gluten free diet.

Also for hotspots I have read somewhere that Listerine (the mouthwash) is a good antiseptic.

[Lee at Delayre]

Hot spots can also be caused by dirty matted coats,dog beginning to shed , clipper burn, fleas and too "hot" a diet. Too hot is a diet with too much protien. If you are feeding canned meat switch to a maintenace dry diet such at Iams mini chunks If you are adding canned food to dry especially if it is a high protien diet such as Eukanuba 3020 or any good puppy diet eliminate the canned and if the hots spots come back switch to a mainenance diet. Hot spots are very painful and will spread quickly. My Vet suggests Betadine to bathe the dog (surgical scrub) and Betadine solution (no soap) and dab it on the sores He sometimes will suggest an anti biotic it the spot is large .

[Diana]

I do not know what the dog was fed before I got him. However, I do not give him any can food. Someone told me to try to eliminate the can dog food and so I have not given him any in the 3 wks. I had him. Also, it looks like the "hot spot" is healing. Now he was groomed before I got him but I do not know if the
problem is he had a matted coat before they groomed him or the fact that he had canned food before I got him.
He is groomed right now and I will have to see the next time I take him to be groomed.
I brush him every day.