Have you ever faced the discomfort of watching your furry friend suffer from itchy skin, hot spots, or irritated skin? If so, you're not alone. Many dog parents experience these issues. The good news is you can provide natural relief for your pet using the healing power of essential oils.
Treating hot spots on dogs has always been tricky as there are multiple causes of skin irritation and itching.
The Itchy Dilemma: Hot Spots & Dry Skin
Hot spots, also known as acute moist dermatitis, are inflamed, red, and often painful areas on a dog's skin. Frequently, a hot spot on a dog will begin as a small red area on the skin that owners may mistake for an insect bite. But, unlike insect bites, a hot spot on your dog will most likely rapidly worsen, developing into a hot, red, oozing, and painful lesion. These hot spots also have a tendency to spread, meaning when one starts to go away, two or three more may pop up on other parts of your dog’s body and so begins a game of “whack-a-mole”.
Hot spots can be found anywhere on a dog’s body, but the most common sites are the head, legs, and hips. These painful, itchy, pussy sores may be very obvious or may be hidden beneath matted fur. These spots can result from (food) allergies, insect bites, or irritations. They leave our furry companions feeling uncomfortable, sore, and, quite frankly, a little down in the dumps (because they know they “look sick” with all these open sores), and they leave us, the pet parents, worried and stressed.
What Causes Hot Spots?
Hot spots worsen when a dog scratches his itch so vigorously that it creates an open wound. When a dog licks the sore spot, he irritates superficial nerve endings in the skin which stimulates more itching followed by more licking, biting, and scratching.
The resulting trauma to the dog’s skin causes inflammation and secondary bacterial infections. Unfortunately, this self-trauma only makes the area more irritated and itchier, which causes a self-perpetuating cycle of itching and scratching. Thus, any condition that causes your dog to feel itchy can result in a hot spot.
If you can’t tell whether what your dog is suffering from is hot spots or not, talk to a preferably holistic vet to help you diagnose it properly before you do anything else.
The Natural Approach to Hot Spot Relief
When dealing with a hot spot, the main aim is to stop the harm.
First you need to prevent the development of a deep skin infection. How do you get your dog to quit licking, biting, and scratching?
Some options include:
- an Elizabethan collar (also known as an E-collar or cone) that stops the dog from chewing at the hot spot (and we all know how much our dogs love and tolerate these)
- covering the hot spot with a bandage to act as a barrier (which your dog will most likely pick at)
When it comes to relieving your dog of the itching, there are several products, ointments, and sprays that vets may prescribe, such as topical or oral steroids (watch out for seizures) and antihistamines (always double check what your veterinarian prescribes because sometimes they can be clueless - my dog almost died when prescribed with wrong thing for hot spots!).
Clipping the hair away from the hot spot and the surrounding area is also crucial to a successful treatment plan. The hot spot will heal more quickly if the hair is removed so that the lesion can dry properly. Topical products will be more effective when applied to a clipped, clean skin surface. You can try an epsom salt bath soak for the dog, or just for the affected areas. This provides immediate itching relief, naturally.
There is also a natural treatment for hot spots on dogs, which help reduce itchiness, soothe the inflamed area(s), and if used consistently for a few weeks can often solve the problem, permanently: essential oils.
Essential Oils: One of The Best Natural Hot Spot Remedies for Dogs
Many essential oils if used properly and consistently can also be the best hot spot therapy without exposing your dog to harsh chemicals. Essential oils are derived from plants and offer a gentle, soothing touch for your pet's skin issues. They're organic and free from harsh chemicals, making them the ideal choice for pet parents looking to care for their furry friends with love.
Essential oils are concentrated, aromatic compounds extracted through distillation from plants that possess potent antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties, which makes them the best hot spot treatment for dogs.
Natural hot spot oil for dogs is an effective and gentle solution to relieve your pet's itchy, irritated skin. With the healing power of essential oils, you can provide comfort and relief to your furry companion.
How to Safely Use Essential Oils for Your Dog
Because essential oils are taken directly from raw plants and distilled carefully to create a highly concentrated liquid, it’s important to know which ones you can and cannot use, and that all should be diluted rather than used at full strength.
As a dog owner, you only want what’s best for your pet, and we know that finding the proper essential oil for your dog’s hot spots can sometimes be overwhelming, so we do it for you.
Dog Love's Hot Spot Spray for dogs includes a blend of pure-therapeutic-grade essential oils, carefully designed to relieve your furry friend from all the itching and the discomfort that hot spots cause.
Our formula includes essential oils of Frankincense, Lavender, Melaleuca and Lavandin. They are all issued from organic plants and flowers, that are then distilled at the correct temperatures, so they are pure essential oils. They are then diluted with natural “carriers” to be 100% dog safe.
If you are looking for the best hot spot oil for dogs, our Dog Love Hot Spot Soother is made of essential oils of Frankincense, Lavender, Melaleuca, Lavandin, and it also includes Coconut Oil and Vitamin E (a powerful antioxidant) among its ingredients.
Essential oils, when used carefully and appropriately, can be an incredible tool for healing your pet’s hotspots. Not all essential oils are created equal, so make sure you’re doing your research to find the best hot spot oil for dogs. Your oils will survive for up to 2 years or more if you store them somewhere dry, dark and cool.