My dog has a hotspot. How can I treat and clean it safely at home?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | unneutered | 2 years and 9 months old | 53 lbs
How can you treat hotspot at home? What can I use to clean them? And hydrogen peroxide be applied?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on July 28th, 2019
A definite NO on the hydrogen peroxide! 1. It is best to shave the hair around the affected area if at all possible. If you don't have clippers you can use scissors to shorten the hair - just be careful you don't cut him. If you can't shave or trim the hair don't stress too much about it. 2. You can clean and treat all in one step with these medicated pads. Twice a day. ( https://www.chewy.com/pet-md-chlorhexidine-antiseptic-dog/dp/146635 ) 3. If he is really itching you can also apply this topical hydrocortisone spray after the wound is dry from the using the pads. Once a day should be enough. ( https://www.chewy.com/zymox-enzymatic-topical-spray/dp/125742 ) If no improvement after about 5-7 days then you should have your vet check him out. Sometimes oral antibiotics are needed to clear these up if they are bad enough. Hope this helps. Best wishes.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on May 16th, 2018
I am sorry to hear about Hunter. This does look like it could be a hot spot. Sometimes topical treatment alone is enough, but sometimes we may need a short course of antibiotics and steroids to clean it up. They can also be painful so I am not sure how much Hunter will allow you to do at home. In the clinic we would normally shave the area with clippers to remove the soiled hair and debris. We would then clean the area with a chlorhexidine scrub. You can find a scrub like this at your drug store under the brand name Hibiclens. For topical treatment we would usually use a Gentocin spray, such as Gentaspray. This product is usually prescription only though. You could try an over the counter hotspot spray from the pet store or the product Zymox Topical Spray which can be purchased online, but these products may not be effective depending on response you may need to make an appointment to see the vet. Best of luck to you and Hunter!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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