Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

My dog keeps getting hot spots. What's the underlying cause?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Golden Retriever | Male | unneutered | 17 years and 9 months old

my dog keeps getting hot spots when one goes another occurs

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 25th, 2020

Poor guy. Hot spots in an older dog that are continuous is concerning for a few reasons. We worry about the pet having an underlying condition that is causing his immune system to weaken and create these areas of infection, such as Cushing's Disease (an adrenal gland problem), an immune mediated skin disorder, a vitamin deficiency, liver disease, or even cancer. If we don't investigate (i.e. bloodwork, skin testing) what the underlying problem is and treat that directly, then the hot spots will continue. Therefore, at this point I would highly recommend taking George to your vet for an overall health assessment to hopefully get to the bottom of this chronic problem and resolve the hot spots for good. I hope that George's skin condition resolves soon! Best of luck moving forward and take care.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Image profile

    Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 3rd, 2017

    Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes hot spot that keep coming back are caused by an underlying allergy such as a seasonal, environmental, or food allergy. I would recommend allergy testing be done to determine if Max has an allergy to a food or something in his environment. If it is a food, Max may need to be on a special diet. If it is something in his environment or a seasonal allergy, anti-histamines prescribed by your veterinarian can be helpful as can allergy immunotherapy. I hope this helps and best wishes to you and Max!

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

See More Answers

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Tobin, a golden doodle, continues to get hot spots. What can I do to heal the one he has and prevent new ones from emerging.
Continued hotspots are generally a sign of an underlying allergy. This allergy could be related to flea bites, a food allergy or an environmental allergy. Hypothyroidism is uncommon in a young dog but is possible as well and will result in hotspots. Until you determine the underlying cause, it will be impossible to stop the hotspots. You can rule out flea allergy by using an oral flea preventative and such as Simparica or Nexgard. Food allergy is often rolled out with a prescription hydrolyzed diet. Environmental allergy can be tested with a blood sample or a response to therapy. Thyroid conditions are detected with a blood test. I recommend to call your veterinarian to discuss which option is the best one to start with. At home providing quality food and an omega-3 fatty acid supplement for pets can help maintain skin health which can provide some protection. Royal Canin and Nutro are both good diet. Keeping him dry and drying him off quickly when he gets wet can also help. Lastly, ma
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has hot spots all over his body making him have bald patches what could be causing it??
Infections by either fungi of bacteria tend to cause the most damage, but usually there is an underlying cause that allows the fungi and bacteria to flourish. It is also possible that these are caused by an autoimmune disease, or it's a reaction to allergies or fleas. In order to narrow down the cause of this, a veterinarian would need to examine Bruce and possibly take a sample for testing. For now, it will be good to wash the area with warm water and a medicated shampoo (can get this at the pet store) once a day. Use a cloth and gently wipe away any crusts. Do not scrub, because it will irritate the skin more. I hope that helps and Bruce gets better soon.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a huge red spot on his inner left side and a small red spot on his belly. We were told to change his food and put medication on it. We did both it we away but it's back because our dog has licked in that spot again. Any ideas what it actua
Hello, and thank you for your question. A recurring hot spot may be caused by a stubborn bacterial infection, or underlying allergies, or both. Did you keep Dewey on the new diet for a minimum of 8 weeks, with no other treats or table scraps, and did the spot come back after you stopped the food? If so, he may have a food allergy and need to stay on a hypoallergenic diet for life. It is also possible he may need something stronger than a topical antibiotic. I would take Dewey back the vet within the next 2-3 days and discuss if he should be on an oral antibiotic for a longer time period, if they suspect a stubborn bacterial infection. They may also want to conduct other tests such as a skin scraping or fungal culture, to rule out other causes of itchy red skin (e.g. mites, ringworm). In the meantime, I would put an e-collar (cone) on Dewey to ensure he does not further damage the skin. I hope this helps, and that your pup is feeling better soon!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has been on antibiotics twice now in the past month for hot spots. They clear up after the meds are finished and they come right back again.
Hi there and thanks for posting on Boop by Petco! Sometimes hot spot that keep coming back are caused by an underlying allergy such as a seasonal, environmental, or food allergy. I would recommend allergy testing be done to determine if Max has an allergy to a food or something in his environment. If it is a food, Max may need to be on a special diet. If it is something in his environment or a seasonal allergy, anti-histamines prescribed by your veterinarian can be helpful as can allergy immunotherapy. I hope this helps and best wishes to you and Max!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My husky has been getting something that our vet thought was hot spot. He gets a spot on this back neck belly and tail that is red. His hair in that area will fall out and it will be very itchy. The spot feels hot and he sometimes licks it. When it
Poor Kato! I'm sorry to hear that he's having this problem. Focal spots of redness, hair loss, itching, and scabs are often called "hot spots" - these are usually caused by a bacterial skin infection, and are often related to an underlying allergy problem. In my experience, oral medications (usually a steroid and antibiotic) are usually needed to get these to clear up - so if your veterinarian hasn't given you anything like this, I would suggest calling or taking Kato back in for a recheck to talk about starting some additional meds. In a dog this age, it's also possible that he may have an underlying hormonal problem like hypothyroidism or Cushing's disease that is contributing to his skin issues, so you may also want to talk to your veterinarian about possibly testing for these problems.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have a golden retriever mix, he eats whole earth, 2x per day, with 1/2 can of beneful, he had sores on his paws, has been given antibiotics multiple times already and it doesn't stop, he also has red hot spots all over. We have a special shampoo f
Skin problems like this can definitely be frustrating! Sores and hot spots can be caused by a number of different things. The most common possibilities would be allergies (food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment like grass or pollen), fleas, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). At this point, since it sounds like the problem is recurring and not clearing up on the current treatment plan, I would recommend doing some further testing such as a skin scrape, a bacterial and/or fungal culture of the skin, allergy testing, a hypoallergenic food trial, or a trial course of an allergy medication such as Apoquel or Atopica. If you feel that your vet isn't doing a good job of discussing testing and treatment options with you, you can always request referral to a specialist or get a second opinion from another vet in your area.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
german shepard dog with sore feet, sores between toes, also hot spots on skin and crusty nose with yellow dis charge. Antibiotics clear everything but return when course is finished. Also tried a natural diet of vegetables and mince but made no dif
Aw poor Cujo! I'm sorry that he's having these skin issues. There is a good chance that these signs are related to food or environmental allergies (atopy) which is an issue with the immune system. It would be a good idea to discuss a prescription food trial diet with your veterinarian. Many pets will respond to a prescription food like Royal Canin Ultamino or Hydrolyzed protein diet. To know if a prescription diet is working Cujo would need to be on the diet for at least 8 weeks and fed nothing else (not even treats). Natural Balance makes a limited ingredient diet that I have seen some success with if a prescription diet is not an option for you. I would also suggest discussing a long term allergy medication with your veterinarian. Cytopoint, Apoquel, or atopica may be good options for Cujo. Medicated bathing may also be helpful. Allergies can be frustrating to deal with, but once you figure out what works for Cujo he will easier to maintain. Thanks for using Boop by Petco and
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello my dog has had a rash like condition on his mouth for about a week now . I’m not concerned because it looks like the hot spots he gets on his body and he’s acting normal but I would like to have insight on what it could be
Reoccurring skin infections could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Secondary infections from yeast or bacteria are common. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has hot spots. I am trying everything that I can find to help her! I've tried hydrocortisone spray for dogs, 3 way ointment for dogs, medicated baths, oatmeal baths, and benadryl. I've tried putting a cone on her but she ends up hurting hersel
Poor pup! It does sound like she's very uncomfortable. In my experience, unless they are very mild, hot spots virtually always require prescription antibiotics and a short-term steroid or other anti-inflammatory medication to treat effectively - topical shampoos and ointments are not enough to fix the problem. Because of this, I would really recommend taking her to the vet for an exam as soon as you can - he/she can prescribe appropriate medication to get rid of the hot spots, and can also talk to you about possible underlying allergies or other problems that may be causing them.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog won’t stop itching. He has hot spots all over his belly, and is itching so much he’s panting. I’ve switched foods, and have Benadryl the last few nights. Nothing is working, not even oatmeal baths. He’s so pitiful, I just want to find him som
Poor Jackson. From your description, I would guess that Jackson likely has a superficial infection and needs antibiotics or antifungals to get the itching under control. He may also need steroids or an anti-inflammatory and/or anti-itch medication. You've tried the right home remedies, but since that's not cutting it, I would recommend a vet ASAP. They will sample the surface of his skin to see if there is bacteria or yeast there, and then treat the infection. It's also worthwhile to talk with the vet about the underlying cause of this itching. It could be allergies (but new allergies in a 11 year old would be odd) or an endocrine disorder disrupting the normal functioning of the skin, or other issues.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored