Dog Hot Spot Relief – Relieving your Dog’s Discomfort and Itchiness

Finding natural dog hot spot relief  can be a real challenge. I’ve felt so helpless watching my itchy dog bite and scratch at his hotspots until he was red, raw and bleeding.  My dog would literally tare his hair out in order to get at the itch.  By the time I managed to get Charlie to the vet for hot spot treatment he’d need an antibiotic regimen.  I hated feeling so helpless and not knowing what I could use to give him relief.

Get your Dog Hot Spot Relief by Controlling Fleas

First, I suggest you must try getting fleas under control by whatever means necessary, meaning bring on the chemicals if you must.  See if the fleas are causing the problem.  It turns out, my dog was allergic to fleas and once bitten, his whole system would break down and he’d be allergic to everything.  I would use a topical FrontLine products sparingly during the season. The Vet would suggest it should be all year round but I didn’t think that was a good idea. At the first sign if itchiness in Charlie, I knew and would treat him and it would solve the issue. I rarely, if ever treated him more than 6 weeks apart and never needed to treat him in the winter in San Diego.  

As a supplement, I created a shampoo for Charlie that would help repel insects and sooth itchy spots on his skin.  It worked very well and so I suggest trying my Doggy Neem Shampoo.  It is mild, easy to use, doesn’t need a whole lot of rinsing. Plus it is soothing ingredients that insect don’t like including Neem.  A lot of Neem for dog’s isn’t good but a little, especially if it is rinsed off, is likely to pose little harm for a dog and a lot of help.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Dog Hot 
Spot Relief

Also, you might want to try a few at home remedies like Apple Cider Vinegar, which can be helpful.

Apple cider Vinegar does a good a job at soothing itchy, irritated skin and acting as a mild antibacterial.  Best of all, it turns out that most experts believe that apple cider poses little risk for dogs in small quantities. The Earth Clinic says that Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) “helps with digestive health, allergies (watery eyes, runny nose, wet coughs), and even parasites such as fleas, ringworm, ticks, fungus, and bacteria.”

Not only can Apple Cider Vinegar give your dog hot spot relief but also to help itchy paws. If you need some immediate relief for your dog, you can try a diluted Apple Cider Vinegar solution on your dog but remember it will sting if skin is raw.  Make sure you go slow and watch your dog’s reaction. A little sting might be relieving, a lot of sting will just hurt!

Apple Cider Vinegar Dilution for Dogs’ Itchiness

• 1.5 cups water
• 1 or 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar.

Dab a little on your dog’s hot spot with a cotton ball. (I don’t use a spray because dog’s tend to hate spray bottles and view it as a punishment. )

Other Natural Treatments for Dog Hot Spot Relief and Itchiness.

 I’m always looking for remedies to help our pets deal with the itchiness and scratching due to insect bites, allergies or more mysterious causes.  The problem is, what works for human itchiness isn’t necessarily good for dogs or cats.  For example, I use tea tree and neem in almost all my products that require fighting bacteria, fungus and/or viruses. However, from the research I’ve done so far, I think it best to keep both tea tree and neem out of any dog products except those you wash off or in tiny amounts.  This goes for all essential oils. Don’t put them on a dog and be careful of even using them in a distiller around your dog. Essential Oils are very concentrated and animals can’t process that much through their liver and kidneys  without causing damage and even, possibly, death. So don’t do it.  

I tried Aloe but it didn’t do much.  I recently heard of using a warm tea bag on a hot spot. Green, Black or Chamomile.  I didn’t try this. If you have a natural treatment for itchy pets, let me know?