What Are Hot Spots? What Causes Them?

It's interesting how people interpret Hot Spots on their pets. Generally, when they occur with mine, it has something to do with allergies - lately, food related allergies. Yes, Daddy was naughty in June, when he couldn't make it to Costco to get the natural food my dogs eat. So, I went to the supermarket down the street, and bought what I thought was the best quality food (after reading many labels!). It wasn't exactly cheap, and I believed I had bought something that was relatively healthy for my pups. WRONG!

Within 3 days, my dogs had digestive problems, I hadn't seen in a while. And then, Sammy began to really scratch and chew his side! I hadn't seen this in a while. They had all been treated for fleas, and had been bathed recently. They also had been brushed on a regular basis...so Why?

Well, earlier that day, I had made it to Costco, and bought a big bag of their Nature's Domain, which is half the price of the regular kibble at the other stores, and it's all natural, with no gluten. I had begun to feed them this, but the damage was already done...Sammy had a hot spot.

Now, when I first adopted Sammy, his mother told me he was prone to hot spots. Oddly, this was the first time in about a year for him to get one...The culprit had to be the food, in this case. She had given me medications galore that she had used to help treat them. I hate using medications when home remedies can work just as well, and they aren't liable to do any damage to the dog's system...like the vinegar rinse I wrote about yesterday.

So, I bathed him, and finished with a vinegar rinse. This seemed to appease him for a short time. But then it was time to take him to the groomers, as his appointment drew nigh. Of course, I was embarrassed to let them know he had this issue. But, she was a pro, and she understood. So, as I left him off at Pup-A-Razzi , I was a tad nervous.

When I picked him up, she had been quite delicate around his wound, which was nasty looking, and he was back at it. Obviously, she had washed him again, but wasn't using a vinegar rinse. So, I hied him home and rinsed him off again - poor guy - he hates being bathed, and today he'd been subjected to at least 3 rinses/baths...

By the next day, though, the gnawing had stopped. I still put vinegar on the wound, and although I could tell he was a little irritated, the scratching and chewing abated.

Long story short - Sammy's problem came from the food. There are other reasons for Hot Spots, which are caused by allergies to several elements. Thus was the case with Skallywag many moons ago.

For more information on these, visit eHow, WebMD, VetInfo, and, of course, Cesar Milan.

Before using any form of medication, though, be sure to use the Vinegar rinse, and ride it out for a couple of days. Also, look at your pet's diet (this includes treats - many are just vile, and even though my dogs love them, they're like nasty junk food - how many of you want to have that as often as you give it to your pet?), flea protection, grooming, excercise regimen, and any chemicals in your yard/garden with which your pet may come into contact...

I hope this helps!

I hope that my next blog will also be informative.

Please let me know what you think, and send me feedback! I'd truly appreciate it!

Thanks!

Hot Spots - ??? What Do I Do???

Wow. Today I'm just full of things.

Hot Spots.

Well. These are a dilemma! That's for sure.

Years ago, probably about 8, we had ventured to Gabriel Park, and the Winter Dog Park, which had dirt and sand. When we came back home, Skally began chewing and licking and chewing and licking her inner thighs. I wasn't sure what it was about, but I was concerned. I watched for a short while, then took her in and gave her a bath with a natural shampoo. I rinsed her well, dried her off, and within 5 minutes, she was back at it.

I tried salves, lotions, balms, sprays, medications, everything you can imagine. This went on for several weeks, to no avail. She was the cleanest dog I'd ever owned, though. But she was miserable, and the inside of her thighs was raw, scabby, red, tender and a real problem. I had no idea what to do.

We were already on an all-natural diet, and I knew I wasn't feeding them anything that may have caused this...and it seemed to only when we visited that particular park (I'm not bad-mouthing Gabriel, but there just seemed to be a link between it and her issues). Finally, I went in to Black Dog (no link provided, as they have gone out of business), and John knew of Skally's travails. He asked me if I'd tried Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. I stared at him blankly. "No." He then told me to wash her well, rinse, then give her a finishing rinse all over her furry body with the organic apple cider vinegar, and massage it in. Leave it on for a couple of minutes, and then rinse that off. It does wonders for the hair, and leaves her smelling fresh, not pickley.

So, I figured I'd tried everything else, why not stop at the market and grab a bottle.

So, I did.

So, I washed her, again, and rinsed her off, then gave her a finishing rinse with the organic apple cider vinegar. I massaged it into her body as he had said, and rinsed her off.

Guess what.

She didn't go after her inner thighs. She didn't go after anything except the rugs to rub her damp torso. It was immediate. There was such a change! After all I'd tried, who knew it would be so simple.

Apparently, it helps align the acidity of the skin, and balances the PH levels. That's my assumption, as I am no chemist or scientist!

So, if your pet is suffering, try this.

Hopefully, tomorrow, I can have more on the causes of Hot Spots - things that make sense to us, so we don't go out spending money because our vet tells us what we're doing wrong (even though sometimes they're correct...doggone it!).

Here is a pic of a dog with hotspots (I downloaded from the web - it's not as gnarly as some of the pics I saw).

Lost Dogs - What to do????

Yesterday, a mother and her daughters came to my door with a leash and a beautiful Pomeranian attached. He and Sammy liked each other. However, they were looking for his home. He had squeezed under their fence, and became their issue.

Now, in the past, I would have done the same sort of thing; taken a dog around to the neighborhood and seen where he might have come from. However, as we have so many dogs in our area, and a couple of extremely busy streets, it would only serve to exercise the dog, and myself, to do so.

There is also the element of sense, that the dog will delightedly lead you to his door...but with the traffic, that could prove deadly.

So, in the searing 92 degree heat, I told them they should stop the walking, unless they needed the workout (the dog was looking slightly dehydrated), and take him to a vet clinic, where they could read the chip, which was, most likely, implanted in him. She grinned, broadly, and said, "That's such a good idea! I hadn't thought of that!"

Now, I never really considered it either, until we had a stream of wandering pets visit the dog park, and its environs. It's one of those thoughts that absolutely THWACK!s you upside the head. All my dogs are chipped. For this reason. But I'll be doggoned if I never consider that this could be why. DUHR!!!!!!!

So, if you find a wandering dog, who seems as though he's well-fed, groomed, and well-mannered, chances are he's chipped (and this goes for the females, as well - sorry...). It would greatly benefit the shelters, as well, if they didn't keep getting calls about wandering dogs with no tags, and sometimes with no collars, if people would just take a quick drive down the block to the local vet (it doesn't have to be your particular favorite vet - just a clinic) and they have the means to scan, and help locate the owners. It's only when they aren't chipped, that the local animal shelters need to be contacted...

So, there's today's happy and helpful tip.

The year to date - Kind of....

What a year!
Well, the dogs have really packed. I mean packed. They have become very comfortable with each other, and Sammy has glued the other two into a coherent family. Both he and Rusty are never too far from me, and Skally wiles her way over to get a goodly amount of affection, as well.

In March, we went to see their grandmother, who was not doing well, and we spent five days exploring the Olympic Penninsula with her, as it would most likely be her last visits. She was admitted to a hospital in Seattle for observation and diagnosed with Lewy Body Syndrome.
So, it was off to find an appropriate spot for her in Portland, which I was able to do. She now resides at St. Anthony Village in SE Portland. Her bedroom looks out onto the gardens, and it's an open and cheery place. But, she misses Samson, she says, and always asks about the other two. she has an affinity for Skally, but refuses to admit it (I used to catch her having conversations with Skally late at night when she thought I was off to bed, and they were alone in the living room).

So, they were quite active up there that week, and then they were caught in the maelstrom of my having to go back and forth to Port Angeles on many Saturdays, early to leave and back again in the early evenings, to collect Mom's things. There was also the issue of my needing to come home later due to traffic from my driving over to see Mom after work, and arriving home very tired. Yet, we still managed to hit Hazeldale Dog Park.

There were some moments when I was really scared about Skally - she was really dragging and not eating much, for some time. It must have been a cold; the norm, now, is she's eating well, and bouncing off the walls! She's doing pretty well for coming up on her 15th birthday, September 2! She's also becoming more affectionate, but still won't lick my face (I've received a total of 9 licks to the face from her, in her entire life - the last one was around 2002).

Rusty had gained a little weight this year, when I took them in for their exams...whoops! This was due to my being stressed, and not having much energy to walk them every morning. Now, however, he's moving very well, eating less, drinking less water (he used to suck it up every chance he got, which worried me to no end), and his shape is becoming quite svelte! He's such a good boy. He loves to chase me in the park. Ergo, I must run so the three of them can try to catch me.

Samson has taken over the parks, and won't take any guff from anyone. He is adored by most of the people there, and his best friend is Pepper, a pit-bull mix, and they run off together and explore. They wait for each other if the other isn't there.

Samson and Rusty will both be a year older this next month - Samson will be 6 on August 6, and Rusty 11 on August 16.

We are all enjoying the wonderful weather, here. Good Health, good spirits, good friends, and a life of leisure. I only wish they wouldn't be curled up around me so closely, so I can get off the couch, out of a chair, or just move without nearly breaking my neck. But, knowing it's love, makes the ire soften to smiles.