Yogi's hot spots

[yogismummy]

Hi Everyone,

I am new to this forum, although I have been reading topics etc for several months.

My Chow Yogi is now 2 years old from when he was about 10 months he started getting hot spots mainly around his back legs but he gets a couple above his eyes on his head, albeit he can't get to these so its not as huge a problem.

He rips out clumps of hair to reveal what I can only describe as a wet red patch of skin, almost like a wet eczema. Hes been to the vet several times, one time was really bad as i didn't realise there was a hot spot under his coat and I had washed him and i guess the shampoo and wetness irritated it and it spread all down his back I have Fuciderm gel to apply to his hot spots in the meantime.

So i'm reading on this and I see alot of people referring to hot spots and I think this may be what Yogi gets also - do you think?

He has been getting for most of his life commercial canned food such as Pedigree and Bakers as I didn't realise they were bad. I now have him on a brand called James Wellbeloved which is a dry hypoallergenic food, he has just started on this, so i know i'll need to wait a few weeks to see how he gets on as he already has a hot spot - so this will have to clear.

I see everyone talking about this Solid Gold food and Orijen. I can't get Solid Gold in the UK anywhere but i can get Orijen and another brand called Taste of the Wild - do you think I should try him on these?

I am going to order a blood test for him so I know once and for all if it is allergies and if so what allergies he has.

Any ideas you guys may have would be much appreciated as I am out of my depths here

Much luv

Laura

[varya]

The best thing I've found for my Chow's hot spots is a product called 'Cool Spot 2000'. It's a natural product made from organic fruit extracts. If it's a hotspot it will dry it up very quickly.

[BeckiHutton]

My chow Lily has been on jwb all her life and i have only ever found 1 hot spot on herald that was only after she got hold of a big piece of my sons birthday cake. i am thinking of changing her to a brand called arden grange though, for 3 reasons. 1. it makes her do a lot of really smelly bottom burps. they sell.sooo bad. 2. one of the main ingredients in it is a very fatty, known to cause bloat to dogs who.are prone to it. 3. i have found out that they test on animals, which is one thing.i.do not agree with. not huge issues but i would rather change to arden grange who are supposed to be a lot better and it costs virtually the same.

[68mandie]

Hi i am from the uk and having the same problem with Kc my chow chow, she has a hot spot i am struggling to find any information about/uk advise on best foods etc, just looked for the cool spot 2000 that sound good but no uk distributors, anyone with help/advice for products available in the uk would be great thanks

[Chowchowmum]

Hi, both of my chow chows have suffered with Hot Spots. I find they seem to get worse as the fur changes from puppy to adult. I give both of my chows salmon oil to help their skin and haven't had one since we started giving this. I also give the chows tuna and sardines in with their food. I feed Royal Canin.

If you see a spot forming, or you notice the scratching, I would recommend cleaning the area with cooled boiled water, and putting a comfy collar on the chow to stop them getting at the spot. If they have already broken the skin, fucuderm usually clears them up in a few days.

Hope this helps.x

[68mandie]

Hi thanks for that, were do you get the salmon oil from and what type and how much tuna do you give them, we are going to change her food aswell, she is struggling quite bad at the minute, she is 16months old so it may be the change of fur as well, my friend had chows and she was advised by a breeder to use corn flower on them and to be honest that us deffo taking the itch out of it, thanks for your help

[Chowchowmum]

Hi,

I get my Salmon oil fom Ebay- I use Grizzly Salmon oil, but Fish4dogs also do Salmon oil, which I believe is quite good.

If I am giving tuna, I usually give a tin split between my two girls and they usually get 1 or 2 tins a week.

The key to hotspots IMO opinion is to catch them early and always have a comfy or Elizabethan collar handy to put on when you see them starting to go for it- it really helps stop them from self mutilating!

Good Luck! xx

[yogismummy]

Hi

Thank you for all your comments and advice.

I will definetely try the Salmon Oil and the CoolSpot product that was mentioned.

I have him on Wafcol just now as that is hypoallergenic and was recommended to me by a breeder, he gets the Salmon and Potato flavour. The hotspots are still coming mostly around his legs and thighs but i know they won't disappear overnight and it will obviously take a few weeks for the infection to leave his system

I've noticed the sides of his face, where the wrinkles are are slightly red too ... it's driving me mad!

I'll let you know how i get on the longer he is on the wafcol and once i eventually source this Orijen food as it comes highly recommended from all our American friends on this.

Thank you once again for all your help and suggestions

Laura and Yogi

[Kim - Suki]

Hi Laura, sorry to hear about Yogi's hotspots. Don't they drive you mad? Suki just turned 2 on Thursday and she's had hotspots twice. She first got them last year when she shed her puppy coat. They were mainly around her back legs and she also had them on the top of her head like Yogi. Firstly I tried a cream (i can't remember the name of it) from Pets At Home but that was no good, because as soon as I took my eye off her she just licked it straight off so I took her to the vet who suggested a steroid injection and a course of antibiotics as these would get straight into her bloodstream and work better than applying a cream anyway. I wasn't sure at first but these worked great and did the trick without me having to change her diet. She then got them again this year just recently as she was losing her winter coat, so I took her to the vets and she had another steroid injection along with the antibiotics and again they worked. So, in Suki's case it seems to be more when she's shedding than a diet thing. Anyway, I hope Yogi's hotspots clear and don't cause him and you too much grief.

Kim & Suki x

[chowpups]

Ahh, just got back from being with my daughter for awhile and the dog sitter called me and said she thought Nikki had a hotspot starting.. Yes she did and by the time I got back home it was quit the size.. So off to the vet and she got her right side shaved and what an ordeal.. She did not like it at all. But hopefully it will clear it up .. plus the meds they put her on. This is Nikki's 2nd hotspot and she's 4yr. old but also on meds for cancer so her immune system is weak and I think the stress is causing it. She has lost alot of weight so Iam sure she's not in the best of condition to fight these nasty little hotspots. I usually keep her in during the hot spells but at the sitters house its everyone playing and running in and out .. so whether its the heat, stress, immune system, or food (cause we've changed her food since she can't chew very good anymore), Iam not sure. But i hope this is the last hotspot we have to deal with .. its so sore looking. Poor Baby in a e-collar too just getting more moisture around her face not good.....

[hjana]

Hi thanks for that, were do you get the salmon oil from and what type and how much tuna do you give them, we are going to change her food aswell, she is struggling quite bad at the minute, she is 16months old so it may be the change of fur as well, my friend had chows and she was advised by a breeder to use corn flower on them and to be honest that us deffo taking the itch out of it, thanks for your help

Very interesting and I have to admit that I never heard that corn flowers can be used. Nevertheless I will give it a try but I will first ask the uk top florist serenata if they have corn flowers I can use for this purpose.