Hotspot on my dogs neck, advice please!

[7mmfan]

Well I blew it. When we were camping a couple weeks ago, the dog did MEGA swimming, and I forgot to take her collar off and let that area dry. Well a few days after we got home, I noticed some scabby material on her fur so I checked it out and she has BAD collar rash/hotspot/whatever where her collar was. I've cleaned it well, and shaved the area to keep it dry, anything else I can do that doesn't involve going to the vet and spending ridiculous amounts of money on antibiotics/special ointments?

[BIGINNER]

whats a hotspot?  how does a dog get that?  i'm asking cuz my dog always has his collar on.   

[Blacktail Sniper]

Try this, probably any decent sized store with pet supplies should have it:

http://www.sulfodene.com/medfordogs.htm

[quadrafire]

Keep it clean and dry. (antibacterial soaps are ok).Clipping was the best thing you could have done. If it is just raw and not obviously infected you can just treat it with cortisone cream to reduce the redness/itching.
I'm doing the exact same thing with my dog as we speak 

[Skillet]

Yep.  My dog gets them occasionally as well.  Fact of life for some dogs.  Once they get one in one spot, that seems to be the spot they always get them in.  Cortizone cream is your friend.  Make certain your dog doesn't aggrivate it by scratching.  My dog gets one on his leg from time to time, and has to wear the "cone of shame".

[Happy Gilmore]

colorless iodine gets it dried out and will scab out fastest. Don't put any lotion/cream based product it. Just make it last longer. Cortisone cream is for rashes caused by irritants like poison ivy etc.

Hot spots are often(not always) from the area being wet and the contact points rubbing off a layer of skin. Sometimes, some dogs can have reactions to the metal on the points. If you left the collar on a long time, he was wet and doing a lot of swimming, just plain old hot spot.

Don't use bag balm, neosporin or any other sticky/gooey stuff. The single exception I might consider would be a Novalsan anti-biotic/anti-septic paste used commonly on horses. Even with that stuff, you'll end up with a matted layer of hair in the wound which will not promote fast healing.

For "wet wounds" Iodine is great. It dries up the surface fast and doesn't make a matted mess out of the flesh.

[7mmfan]

Good stuff guys thanks. This is my first experience with it, and from what I've read online it is a regular old hotspot caused by prolonged wettness and bacteria. Need to kill the bacteria and dry the area to heal. The iodine sounds about right. Thanks alot! 

[ORCA_SIX]

You can try EMT spray/gel or vetericyn.

[sven]

  I use Hydrogen peroxide, dry's it out and kills bacteria.........

[12Gauge]

Your dog needs one of those protective cones so that the wound can't be scratched.  Pet smart sells them for about $7 for small dogs and about $20 for big dogs. 

And of course they sell spray on stuff to protect the wound too. 

If the dog can get to it, it will not heal.  Dog needs to wear the cone until scab forms and falls off, normally a week to a week and half.

[Mike450r]

Witch Hazel works the best in my experience

[Rooster1981]

colorless iodine gets it dried out and will scab out fastest. Don't put any lotion/cream based product it. Just make it last longer. Cortisone cream is for rashes caused by irritants like poison ivy etc.

Hot spots are often(not always) from the area being wet and the contact points rubbing off a layer of skin. Sometimes, some dogs can have reactions to the metal on the points. If you left the collar on a long time, he was wet and doing a lot of swimming, just plain old hot spot.

Don't use bag balm, neosporin or any other sticky/gooey stuff. The single exception I might consider would be a Novalsan anti-biotic/anti-septic paste used commonly on horses. Even with that stuff, you'll end up with a matted layer of hair in the wound which will not promote fast healing.

For "wet wounds" Iodine is great. It dries up the surface fast and doesn't make a matted mess out of the flesh.

  great advise.

[Happy Gilmore]

I use Hydrogen peroxide, dry's it out and kills bacteria.........

Problem with peroxide is it also kills the living skin tissue.

Vetricin is over-rated and overpriced. Waste of money in my opinion. Buy a bottle of Novalsan Concentrate and for the same price it makes 30 gallons compared to Vetricin's 12 oz? Novalsan can be used for irrigating wounds, sterilizing concrete and deordorizing kennels. I have a old bleach spray bottle with the dilution. I spray it on my hands after handling dead stuff, when I get a cut, cleaning up puppy potty accidents etc.

I started using it when I was working at a fancy cutting horse ranch in Thorp years back.. I've found most horse people know about Novalsan and have it around in the liquid concentrate and paste. I've kept a bottle ever since.

[7mmfan]

she wasn't scratching to bad until I shaved it and now shes scratching like crazy. Guess a cone is in order. Poor girl she'll be the laughing stock of the cul de sac!

[Happy Gilmore]

she wasn't scratching to bad until I shaved it and now shes scratching like crazy. Guess a cone is in order. Poor girl she'll be the laughing stock of the cul de sac!

tape a sock to her tail and she'll forget about her neck.