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).