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See a vet today if the hot spot is bigger than a coin, has been there more than a day, smells, oozes pus or coloured discharge, bleeds, has small bumps around its edge, or your dog won't let you near it. Cornell's dermatologist notes that a hot spot more than 24 hours old is likely infected, and some hot spots are a deeper follicle infection that needs oral antibiotics, not cream. Go the same day too if the dog is lethargic, feverish or off food. Do not put hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, tea tree oil or apple cider vinegar on raw skin.
The short answer: a hot spot (acute moist dermatitis, or pyotraumatic dermatitis) is a patch of skin the dog has licked, chewed or scratched raw, which then becomes wet, red and infected — and can grow from nothing to the size of a pancake in a few hours. It is a symptom of something else making the dog itch: most often fleas or allergy, or an ear infection, anal gland problem, a wet or matted coat, pain, or boredom. Treatment has two halves. The spot: clip the hair around it, clean it with a dilute chlorhexidine solution, keep it dry and uncovered, and put a cone on so the licking stops. The cause: flea control, ear and anal-gland checks, allergy management, and thorough drying after swimming. Most hot spots dry up within about a week once the licking stops and the right treatment starts.
By Marc Brannigan and Natalie Mondine, co-founders of HempMy Pet · Published October 24, 2026 · Last reviewed October 24, 2026. We have grown and bottled organic full-spectrum hemp for pets on our own Colorado farm since 2016. We are not veterinarians — everything below comes from the published veterinary sources listed at the end.
Where the Hot Spot Is Tells You What Started It
The dog chews where it hurts or itches. In a prospective study of 44 dogs with hot spots, an underlying cause was found or suspected in 31 — and the lesion site was linked to the breed and the trigger. This is the table to start from.
| Where it is | What it usually points to | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Cheek, below the ear, side of the face | An ear problem — the dog scratches the ear and catches the cheek | Look in the ear for redness, discharge or smell; head shaking |
| Neck | Ear scratching, a wet or rubbing collar, a mat under the collar | Ears; collar fit; whether the collar stays wet |
| Rump, tail base, back of the thighs | Fleas or flea allergy; anal gland discomfort | Flea comb over white paper; scooting or licking under the tail |
| Side of the thigh or hip | Itch from allergy — or joint pain the dog licks at | Stiffness, limping, reluctance to jump; licking over a joint |
| Paws, legs, belly | Environmental allergy or contact irritation | Paw licking, red belly after walks — see why dogs lick their paws |
| Anywhere, after a swim or bath | Moisture trapped against the skin under a thick coat | Undercoat still damp hours later |
Lesion sites and the underlying-cause figure from Holm et al., Veterinary Dermatology 2004; causes from VCA and Cornell's Riney Canine Health Center.
A hot spot is never the problem — it is where the dog showed you the problem. Treat the patch, then look for what made the dog start chewing there.
Surface Hot Spot or Deeper Infection? Why It Matters
This is the part no ranking page explains, and it decides whether a hot spot clears in days or keeps coming back. Veterinary dermatologists described two kinds in a 1987 study: a superficial ulcerated patch, and a deeper folliculitis — infection down in the hair follicles that looks like a hot spot but behaves like a localised skin infection. The folliculitis type responded poorly to steroid creams alone and needed antibiotics; the authors flagged it especially in Golden Retrievers and Saint Bernards. In the later 44-dog study, acute folliculitis was found in 20 of the dogs — nearly half.
| Superficial hot spot | Deeper folliculitis | |
|---|---|---|
| Looks like | Flat, wet, red, well-defined patch | Thickened, may have small bumps or pustules around the edge |
| Age | Hours to a day | Often older, or keeps coming back in the same place |
| Usual vet approach | Clip, clean, topical medication, cone | Clip, clean, plus oral antibiotics; a steroid alone tends to fail |
| At home? | First aid while you call the vet | Vet visit — home care won't clear it |
Reinke, Stannard & Ihrke, JAVMA 1987; Holm et al., Vet Dermatol 2004.
How to Treat a Hot Spot at Home: First Aid
For a small, fresh hot spot on a dog that lets you handle it — and as first aid while you wait for a vet appointment.
- Clip the hair around it with electric clippers, leaving a clear margin of skin so air can reach it. VCA says not to use scissors — it is very easy to cut skin you can't see under wet fur. If your dog won't tolerate it, stop: that is a vet job, sometimes with sedation.
- Clean it gently with a dilute chlorhexidine solution (AKC's wound-care guidance uses around 0.05%) or with saline — about a teaspoon of salt in two cups of warm water. Pat dry with a clean towel.
- Keep it dry and uncovered. PetMD and Small Door's vets both advise against bandaging — hot spots need air.
- Stop the licking. A cone (e-collar) or an inflatable collar for as long as it takes. This is the single most important step; a hot spot cannot heal while it is being licked.
- Clean it twice a day and watch the size. Mark the edge with a photo each morning.
- Call the vet if it hasn't started to dry and shrink within 24–48 hours, or anything on the red list above appears.
What Not to Put on a Hot Spot
| Product | Why not |
|---|---|
| Hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol | Damage the healthy tissue around the wound and sting — Dr. Brian Collins of Cornell, via AKC |
| Tea tree oil | Absorbed through the skin and licked off; the Pet Poison Helpline lists weakness, incoordination, low body temperature and seizures |
| Apple cider vinegar | Untested, and stings raw skin |
| Neosporin, Vaseline, human creams | Greasy layers trap moisture and invite licking; PetMD advises against them |
| Coconut oil and other oils | Same problem — a greasy coat over a wet wound keeps it wet and the dog licks it off |
| Human hydrocortisone | Sources disagree: Cornell's dermatologist allows 1% for healthy dogs on a fresh spot; PetMD advises against. Ask your vet first, and never on a spot the dog can reach to lick. |
What the Vet Will Do, and How Long Healing Takes
Typically: clip and clean properly (sometimes under sedation), a topical medication, often an anti-inflammatory to break the itch, oral antibiotics if it is the deeper type, pain relief, and a cone. A treatment that tackles both itch and infection works — in a 104-dog trial, a topical antibiotic-plus-steroid gel worked as well as an injection plus oral antibiotics, with significant improvement by day 7. An older 40-dog study found that all groups, including the control groups, had recovered completely within seven days — a reminder that a simple hot spot that is managed early usually resolves fast, and one that isn't improving within days needs a second look.
Timeline: most hot spots dry out within about a week and the fur grows back over the following weeks. If it is not visibly smaller after three or four days of treatment, go back to the vet.
Then the vet will want to find the trigger: ears, anal glands, fleas, allergy, or pain. Treating only the patch is how dogs end up with the same hot spot every summer.
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Thick-coated breeds dominate: Golden Retrievers, Labradors, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Saint Bernards and Newfoundlands. In the 44-dog study, dogs four years and younger and males were over-represented. UK primary-care records add an odd detail: among Labradors, hot spots were recorded in 4.0% of chocolate Labs versus 1.1% of black Labs. Warm, humid weather makes them more common, though they happen year-round.
- Flea control on every pet, every month, all year.
- Dry thoroughly after swimming and baths — a blow-dryer on cool for double-coated breeds; a damp undercoat is a hot spot waiting to happen.
- Brush out mats and the shedding undercoat, especially in spring and summer.
- Check and clean ears weekly in dogs prone to cheek hot spots.
- Manage allergies with your vet — see home remedies for dog itching and Zyrtec for dogs.
- Omega-3 fatty acids as part of the diet — AKC and Small Door both recommend them for skin.
- Exercise and puzzle toys for dogs who lick out of boredom.
Where Hemp Fits — and Where It Doesn't
We make hemp products for dogs, so here is the straight answer.
Don't put any oil, ours included, on an open hot spot. It keeps the wound wet and the dog licks it off. The spot needs clipping, cleaning, drying and a cone.
Hemp is not an antibiotic or an anti-itch drug, and there is no trial showing it treats hot spots or allergic skin. The vet's medication and flea control come first.
VCA lists boredom and stress among the triggers. For a dog that licks when anxious, behaviour work plus a calming supplement is reasonable to discuss with your vet. Our tinctures' hemp seed oil base also supplies linoleic acid, a skin-barrier fatty acid — nutrition, not treatment.
If the licking is over a joint in an older dog, think pain — see arthritis in dogs. Joint comfort is where our own canine trial evidence is. If your dog takes medication, read hemp and your dog's medications first.
For coat nutrition, joint comfort and stress-licking — given by mouth, never on a hot spot
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you treat hot spots on dogs?
Clip the hair around the spot with electric clippers (not scissors), clean it gently with a dilute chlorhexidine solution or saline, keep it dry and uncovered, and stop the licking with a cone. Clean twice a day. See a vet if the spot is large, older than a day, smells, oozes, bleeds, has bumps around it, or isn't drying within 24–48 hours — the vet may add a topical medication, an anti-inflammatory and, for deeper infections, oral antibiotics. Then treat the trigger, such as fleas, ears or allergy.
Will Benadryl help dog hot spots?
Probably not much. Benadryl doesn't treat the infection, and when tested properly in dogs, oral diphenhydramine didn't reduce allergic skin reactions; AAHA notes its questionable efficacy when given orally. Cetirizine (Zyrtec) did work in the same trial, but antihistamines are still a weak tool for itch. Hot spots need clipping, cleaning, a cone and often vet medication — ask your vet before giving any antihistamine.
What is a good home remedy for hotspots on dogs?
The home steps that genuinely help are clipping the fur around the spot, cleaning with dilute chlorhexidine or a saltwater solution (about a teaspoon of salt in two cups of warm water), keeping it dry and uncovered, and a cone to stop licking. Avoid hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar, and greasy creams or oils, which damage tissue, sting, poison or keep the wound wet.
What causes random hot spots on dogs?
They are rarely random. In a study of 44 dogs, a trigger was found or suspected in 31. The usual ones are fleas or flea allergy, environmental or food allergy, ear infections (cheek and neck spots), anal gland problems (rump spots), a wet or matted coat, pain over a joint, and boredom or stress licking. Where the hot spot is usually points to which.
Do hot spots on dogs go away on their own?
Small superficial ones sometimes do once the licking stops, but most need help, because the licking keeps them going and they can spread within hours. Some hot spots are a deeper follicle infection that won't clear without oral antibiotics. If a hot spot isn't drying and shrinking within a day or two of first aid, see the vet.
How long does a hot spot take to heal?
Most dry out within about a week once the licking stops and appropriate treatment starts, with fur growing back over the following weeks. In one 104-dog trial, significant improvement was seen by day 7. If a hot spot isn't visibly smaller after three or four days, go back to the vet.
Are hot spots contagious to other dogs or people?
Hot spots themselves aren't considered contagious — they are the dog's own skin bacteria infecting skin the dog has damaged. But some causes can spread: fleas, and some mites. If more than one pet is itchy, treat every animal in the house for fleas and tell your vet.
Can I put coconut oil or hemp oil on a hot spot?
No. Any oil keeps a wet wound wet, traps bacteria, and invites the dog to lick it off. A hot spot needs to be clipped, cleaned and kept dry. Fatty acids for skin and coat should be given by mouth, as part of the diet, not applied to an open wound.
The Short Version
A hot spot is a raw, wet, infected patch the dog licked or scratched into being — fast-growing, painful, and always a sign of something else. Clip, clean with dilute chlorhexidine, keep it dry and open, and stop the licking with a cone. Vet today if it is large, older than a day, smells, oozes or has bumps around it. Then find the trigger — fleas, ears, anal glands, allergy, pain, a wet coat — or it will be back.
Hemp Oil for Dogs → Dog Itching Remedies
Dog Itching Remedies · Zyrtec for Dogs · Benadryl for Dogs · Dog Licking Paws · Home Remedies for Ear Infections
Marc co-founded HempMy Pet in 2016 with his business partner Natalie Mondine, the company's COO. HempMy Pet breeds its own hemp genetics, grows them on its certified-organic Colorado farm, and formulates every batch in-house under human-grade standards — seed to sale, nothing sourced overseas. Every batch is third-party tested and the certificates of analysis are published. More about us.
HempMy Pet ran its own 90-day study of 37 dogs with chronic joint discomfort. Of the 32 that completed it, 30 (93%) showed a benefit, and 94% of owners reported their dog's quality of life had improved. It was overseen by Dr. Robin Downing, DVM, MS of the Downing Center for Animal Pain Management, with Lori Kogan, Ph.D. and Peter W. Hellyer, DVM of Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, and published in the Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. Read the methodology.
Why Dr. Downing: in 2005 she became only the third veterinarian in the world credentialed as a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management. She founded the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, is a Diplomate of the ACVSMR, a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner and a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, and was the AVMA's 2020 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year. Read the published paper (PDF).
This article is general information for dog owners, not veterinary advice. It is reviewed and updated as new peer-reviewed evidence is published, and where the evidence is thin or negative we say so.
How We Sourced This Article
Every claim above traces to one of these.
- Holm BR, et al. A prospective study of the clinical findings, treatment and histopathology of 44 cases of pyotraumatic dermatitis. Vet Dermatol. 2004. PubMed.
- Reinke SI, Stannard AA, Ihrke PJ. Histopathologic features of pyotraumatic dermatitis. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1987. PubMed.
- Cobb MA, et al. Topical fusidic acid/betamethasone-containing gel compared to systemic therapy in the treatment of canine acute moist dermatitis. Vet J. 2005. PubMed. Schroeder H, et al. Efficacy of a topical antimicrobial-anti-inflammatory combination in the treatment of pyotraumatic dermatitis in dogs. Vet Dermatol. 1996. PubMed.
- McGreevy PD, et al. Labrador retrievers under primary veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders. Canine Genet Epidemiol. 2018. PubMed.
- VCA Animal Hospitals — Hot spots in dogs. Cornell Riney Canine Health Center — Hot spots. PetMD — Hot spots on dogs.
- American Kennel Club — Hot spots on dogs and Dog wound care. Small Door Veterinary — Hot spots in dogs.
- Pet Poison Helpline — Tea tree oil and dogs. AAHA — Oral antihistamine doses for dogs.
- Kogan L, Hellyer P, Downing R. The Use of Cannabidiol-Rich Hemp Oil Extract to Treat Canine Osteoarthritis-Related Pain: A Pilot Study. J Am Holist Vet Med Assoc. 2020;58:35–45. Our disclosure: HempMy Pet supplied the hemp extract and reimbursed clinic costs; we had no involvement in any other study cited here.
Spot something that conflicts with your veterinarian's advice? Email support@hempmypet.com and we will correct it.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is general information, not veterinary advice. If a hot spot is large, smells, oozes, or has been there more than a day, contact your veterinarian.
