My boy has been diagnosed with a hot spot tonight and has had a patch of fur shaved but now won't leave it alone.  We have been given hibiscrub and antibiotics but I have done a bit of googling to see what other remedies can be used to enhance the antibiotics and skin wash.

Has anyone tried athletes foot powder, tea bags, listerene (ouch!), colloidal silver or any other remedy for this uncomfortable skin condition.

Calendula cream. One of mine got a hot spot on her tail once, it made the tail swell so badly the vet wanted to amputate it, nothing he did helped, then the breeder said use Calendula, problem solved, also never came back again. Athletes foot powder is for fungal infections so would only help if there was yeast or similar, I guess the idea behind it is to dry it up but I'd worry it would just irritate things more.

where would I get calendula cream and what is it?  If it is a cream would it not clog up the area that I would be wanting kept dry?

You could also try a neem solution have a look at the website www.neemgenie.co.uk they do a shampoo but also a neem oil which can be diltued and then applied to the skin which helps it heal and stops itching really quickly, have used it on my dog Henry and it does work quickly.  Has a multitude of uses too.

I have always found that hibiscrub and then sterile wound powder worked well. If very inflamed then Fuciderm ointment reduced the selling and irritation very quickly.

I always avoided shaving as the coat regrowth in my breed is very noticeable and a darker colour than  the surrounding area making them look moth eaten until the next moult.

So treating as son as it is noticed kept the area small.

I have found that if your going to get hot spots it is when it is very humid, and pay extra attention to ensuring the dogs are dry if they get wet in such weather.

I think what you are saying Brainless is correct, but I find that is better long term to use a more natural product which is just as effective.

My dogs only had hotspots twice many years ago when I was feeding a cereal based food.  I used benzyl benzoate and both times they dried up overnight with no need to clip the (long) coat.  I've recommended it to others and it's worked the same for them too.

I've used daktarin (athletes foot powder) before and it dried it up in a couple of days. I think the key is to spot it early on. The first time my eldest went into kennels she developed a hot spot on her face, the kennels did seek veterinary advise and they were going down the hipiscrub and fuciderm route, which we followed when we got home, but it took about 3 weeks before it started to dry up.

THe last time we spotted it early, and luckily it was on the root of the tail (well stump), so we clipped the surrounding area, gave it a good scrub with hipiscrub and then sprayed it. Dried up by the next day.

There is good product called cortavance out now , i have used a lot of alternatives ie; hibiscrub, sudocreme etc which all work well but have tried this and its brill , only through the vet though .its a spray and you only need a little.

I used calendula cream when feeding my 2 daughters,its made from a type of marigolds,It is very soothing and has healing properties.A couple of my Mals had an occassional hotspot.Since changing their diets to BARF they haven't had one since.I stopped clipping the area and use  hibscrub and colidiial silver.TBH the best results have been from hibiscrub
diluted and fuciderm,though i do not like steroid based creams,but always cleared the area up within 2 days.As for spotting the hotspot early i am always surprised how quickly they flare up.
Calendula cream is often near the nappy cream area in chemists and supermarkets.

I always use cornflour on my girls hot spot, I wash the area in hibiscrub, dry it really well and shake on some cornflour, works every time.

Barbara

> I always use cornflour

Same principle as the sterile wound powder, I would worry about there being yeasts or bacteria in the cornflour.

I bought some calendula cream today but couldn't find the benzyl benzoate.  Boots couldn't/wouldn't sell it without a prescription even though it isn't a POM and I didn't have time to go to an independent chemist.  I have been washing it with the hibiscrub and feeding him antibiotics but might give the athletes foot poweder a go.

He is on orijen so no grains in his food and I have given him a bone tonight to distract him from licking or chewing it.  Thanks to everyone for their tips.

ditto barbara2076 I always use cornflour, works a treat.

colloidal silver, just sprayed on and left....i have found the more i mess with them the worse they get so i just spray several times a day with colloidal silver and they clear up. Mine have always had them on their head or side of their face.

They can come on in hrs, nothing one minute then a couple of hrs later a huge red angry hole somewhere....horrible things!

couldn't find the benzyl benzoate.  Boots couldn't/wouldn't sell it without a prescription even though it isn't a POM

That's a shame.  Try to get some when you do have time - I'd not be without a bottle in the cupboard as it's useful for so many things.

> That's a shame.  Try to get some when you do have time - I'd not be without a bottle in the cupboard as it's useful for so many things.

where do you buy it from?  Are there any good online stockists?

Never tried online.  I always buy it from a local chemist.  They used to keep it in stock but will get it in now when I order it.

thanks, my new mission is track some of this down.

update on the benzyl benzoate hunt.  I phoned 10 independent chemists today and none have it in stock and none can order it in.  The ones who checked their computers to try to order it said it is unavailable and one said his stockists said it has been discontinued.  I spoke to one in a more rural area and he said I was the 3rd person in the last week to ask for it but he can't get it.  the others having been looking for it for sweet itch in horses.

That is me out of chemists now - any ideas?

I have only ever used Flowers of Sulphur on hotspots (only had 2 dogs with it) very successfully.. dries up the weaping within hours and clears the hotspot very quickly and with very little hair loss

I clean with Hibiscrub, dry thoroughly and apply powder.. I know many other breeders/owners who have used it very successfully too..

http://www.morgan111morgan.com/health-and-beauty-4/flowers-of-sulphur-4.html?gclid=CPCj8ozeupYCFQeO1QodIyQ7MA

Cheekychow, i've ordered it today from my local chemist and they said it will be in tomorrow for me so will update you as now i've read your post i'm getting that sinking feeling that they won't be able to source it   Again its to use on a hotspot, i'm also having trouble getting Calendula locally but a local health store has said they'll have some in on Friday.

Good luck in getting it Paula.  I have given up hope!  I got calendula cream from boots in the alternatives range and it is in a green tube and was beside arnica and tea tree etc.  there was a 3 for 2 offer in the aisle so it was a bargain but isn't benzyle benzoate

thanks for the link Kay I will try that instead.

I've just Googled and come up with this.  It gives the brand name and manufacturer which might help them...
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100003453.html
Interesting that this very old remedy sorts out head lice, considering the huge problem it is with children these days.  I bet it's cheaper than the new stuff I see advertised on the telly!

http://www.viovet.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=119_116_480_724&products_id=2055?&gclid=CNqOw6y9yZwCFU0A4wodvVinJQ It appears that the pharmacies I spoke to were correct, it has been discontinued   One place I spoke to said it retailed for approx £4 so TBH I would really grudge paying £17 for it when it is likely to go out of date. 

I will try the product Kayc recommended and see how I get on.  It is really drying up now and doesn't seem to be bothering him as much which is great.

Here you are - buy direct!
http://www.viovet.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=119_116_480_724&products_id=2055?&gclid=CI7tgdiq0ZwCFZ0U4wodbCoSKw
They say it's discontinued but they have stock!

> Here you are - buy direct!
> http://www.viovet.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=119_116_480_724&products_id=2055?&gclid=CI7tgdiq0ZwCFZ0U4wodbCoSKw
> They say it's discontinued but they have stock!

snap!

>Good luck in getting it Paula.  I have given up hope!  I got calendula cream from boots in the alternatives range and it is in a green tube and was beside arnica and tea tree etc.  there was a 3 for 2 offer in the aisle so it was a bargain but isn't benzyle benzoate <

Boots it is then, LOL  Its the first time i had a dog get hotspots so i've been following this thread taking note

so TBH I would really grudge paying £17 for it when it is likely to go out of date. 
I'd be happy to pay £17 - less that one trip to a Vet and a treatment that will take longer to work!

I've got a very old bottle here that sorted out fox mange this summer with no problem.

As suspected after reading this thread my chemist can't get it either   She's just rung to tell me its unavailable from the suppliers for the forseeable future.  Why do they always get rid of the good stuff!!

> I'd be happy to pay £17 - less that one trip to a Vet and a treatment that will take longer to work!

Ha ha, it must be related to my uprbringing.  I cant bear to pay more than 4 times the going rate for something if I don't have to and I can buy Kay's recomended product that works for her dogs for a fraction of the price and wouldn't feel cheated.  I am not tight but don't like being ripped off

We're tarred with the same brush (Oh Yes!) but I reckon that it's still cheaper than a Vet consultation for a remedy that's not as effective, so I'm thinking long term here!!

I found benzyl benzoate today and got it in stock from hyperdrug.com http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Easivet-Benzyl-Benzoate-Application-1L/productinfo/BENZYLEASI/ It is £12.99 for 1L so still a lot more expensive than the stuff that was sold in human chemists but there is no mention of discontinuing it.

sliver spary works well on my newfs.

Blast poor Myka has just had one errupt below her cheek, due to madam Inka grabbing and scruffing with her ;(