My dog has a circular spot on his face that is crusty and slightly oozing. My other dog had one about a month ago. You can’t see it through their fur, but it’s matted down the hair. We have been cleaning them with peroxide. Is this safe? What causes these spots so I can help my furbabies? Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Male | unneutered | 7 months and 25 days old | 85 lbs

Hi, thanks for using Petcpach! Poor Kane! From the picture and the description is sounds like a hot spot (superficial pyoderma). I recommend shaving the fur off, which allows the air to reach it and help to dry the area out. You can clean it twice daily with a gentle soap and water and apply a triple antibiotic cream. Kane needs to not scratch the area, so use an Elizabethan collar (cone) or donut if he is scratching. If the area worsens or is not significantly improved in 2-3 days he needs to see a Vet for antibiotics and steroids. The cause isn't contagious, I think it is just bad luck that both of your dogs have had hot spots recently. They can be from allergies or increased moisture after swimming or after a bath and they didn't completely dry off well. I hope this helps and I wish Kane a speedy recovery!

It's definitely good that you stopped the hydrogen peroxide, because this can make the wound much worse. These type of lesions can have many causes. Dogs often get these hot spots (aka acral lick granulomas) for a few different reasons, so it's difficult to say what's causing it. He may be over-licking the area because it's sore, or it has an infection. These types of lesions tend to develop infections in the skin despite the cause. I think it will be fine to try and treat this at home for now (even though we don't know the cause), but would recommend a visit to the vet if: 1) It doesn't get better in 2 weeks 2) It starts to bleed or the lesion continues to get worse Here are my recommendations: Wash/spray the area with just cool, clean water (no soap or other antiseptics) for at least 5 minutes at a time. Do this at least twice a day. Bandage the wound with gauze and apply an over-the-counter antibacterial cream (i.e Neosporin) to the wound. Keeping it covered and keeping him from licking it will be the most difficult part of the treatment. You can help keep the bandage on by placing a good (really sticky) tape above and below the bandage. You can find sprays in the pet store, like bitter apple, that are meant to deter licking. This can be sprayed on the bandage (not the wound) to help keep him from chewing it off. NOTE: Be careful not to bandage too tight or it can cut-off the circulation. If you notice that the toes/foot starts to swell, then remove the bandage and leave it off until the swelling goes down. Another strategy to keep the bandage on, is taping a clean sock over the bandage. These types of lesions tend to take a long time to heal, so don't be surprised if its not completely healed until a month later. Once the skin looks normal and he stops trying to lick it, you can stop the cleaning/bandaging. I hope that helps and he gets better soon.