Golden Hour

🩺 HEALTH · 3 MIN READ

Hot Spots: Catch Them in the First 24 Hours

A damp patch can become an angry oozing sore overnight. Speed is everything.

Hot spots (acute moist dermatitis) are the golden special: a little moisture trapped under thick coat, a little itch, a little licking — and by tomorrow there is a raw, spreading, painful sore. Swimmers and coat-blow season are peak risk.

What to do at first sign

If you find a small damp, pink, sticky patch: clip or trim the hair around it so air reaches skin, clean gently with a dog-safe antiseptic, keep it dry, and block the licking (yes, the cone). Checked early, many stall out. If it is already larger than a coin, weeping, or clearly painful, go to the vet — most true hot spots need prescription treatment, and they spread fast.

💡 Golden Hour tip
After swim days, run your hands over neck, cheeks, and under the ears — the classic spots — feeling for damp warmth under the coat. Your fingers will find a hot spot a day before your eyes do.

General guidance from golden retriever owners, not veterinary advice. If your dog is sick or hurt, call your vet.