Apple Cider Vinegar Treatment for Hot Spots in Dogs

Skin clean and healthy with raw apple cider vinegar

I recently acquired a pug puppy. Her facial skin folds were a little red. And she even had a little blister possibly from heat. She would scratch and try and rub her face on different surfaces. I tried a few wipes specifically for dog folds or wrinkles and they did not help and may have irritated her even more..

So I remembered my organic raw apple cider vinegar. It's supposed to help balance pH and is good for the skin. Looked it up here on earth clinic. Then I made a solution of 1/2 distilled water and 1/2 raw vinegar and keep it in the fridge. 3 or 4 times a day I dipped a cotton makeup pad (about the size of a stridex pad) half way into the diluted vinegar wring it out and wipe her folds with it being careful not to get it in her eyes. Then I use the dry side to gently dry the folds. I started doing the same thing for her ears and they are clear. It works so well that I now just do it right before bed and sometimes in the day if she's been playing alot outside.

I also make up a cup/mug of cider vinegar again half and half with water, tap water for this. And dip her toes in it for a full minute or two when they start to smell like corn chips. I pour the left over solution over her back and work it into her fur and her fur is very clean and shiny. I don't rinse it off just dry with a towel. I only rinse or wash her when she is visibly dirty. Her skin is beautiful and soft. Not dry or flaky. No visible irritation at all.

Sometimes she takes a little sip of the cider water when I'm soaking her feet. I just let her. I usually give her a couple of treats to encourage her to stay still. A minute is a long time for her. I am down to only a couple paw soaks a week.

Note: She only smells like vinegar while she is wet. No smell when dry. No perfume or chemical smell either. Just clean soft shiny puppy that I love to cuddle and is allowed on the furniture.

ACV, great healing remedyA, but now what?

I have a 10 year old Bichon who has a hotspot on his front leg. I have treated it with all the the home remedies mentioned. It has healed and the hair has grown back. He has been wearing a collar during his treatments. Our problem is now, even though it has healed, whenever I take off the collar he goes right back to licking the same healed spot. He has had some problems almost like ptsd.

Does anyone have any advice on how I can wean him of having to wear the collar forever?

After reading about using ACV on dog hotspots, I decided to use it in my 2 year kitty, who developed two spots. One near belly button and one much lower on underbelly. This happened last spring and I took him to the vet, who gave him a steroid injection and antibiotics. This worked, but I don't want to subject him to steroids. I mixed up Apple Cider Vinegar a solution of vinegar and water put it into a spray bottle. I sprayed once about 9:30 this morning only. It is now 5:30 and I realized kitty has not chewed or licked all day. He is running and playing as usual. I love this site.

I used 1 cup water to 1/2 Apple Cider Vinegar. My lab immediately stopped itching didn't itch until middle of the night again. Sprayed again day 2 and no scratching. her "hot spot" is already healed. She has fleas and although this doesn't kill them it helps keep them off her. Thank you ;)

My dog, Jack, has been driving me crazy with his scratching at his hotspots. But I knew he was more aggravated with it than I was, because I can hear the poor baby whining. So I search the web found "Earth Clinic" and people home remedy cures. My dog now loves me again because I use the remedy of 1/2 c apple cider vinegar and 1 c water. I sprayed him down with this mixture and immediately he quit scratching. This is no joke. Try it you have nothing to lose. Except for one more night of sleep, lol.

I have a chihuahua who hates having anything done to him. He had a hot spot that I just barely touched with some ACV and water on a paper towel before he squirmed away. I figured I'd have to take him to the vet because I am not one to force an animal to do something they don't want to do. I just can't do it.

Anyway, the next day, the hot spot had scabbed over and the scab was already falling off with no evidence of the awfulness that had been there the day before, under the scab. I was floored. A couple of months later, he had another hot spot and I did the same thing as soon as I noticed - just touched it with some solution on a paper towel, and the next day it was gone. No scab or anything as it wasn't all gooey like the first one which I didn't notice because it was right up under his chin. The second was right on the back of the neck, so I noticed it right away.

So, now he has been shaking his head and having trouble with one of his ears. So, I mixed up some ACV and water - with more water than ACV, about 2:1 - I rolled up a piece of paper towel, dipped it in the solution so that the end of it was soaked but not dripping, snuck up behind him and just sort of poked it into his ear. It was just a paper towel, not tightly rolled so no problem, right?

He hopped around and shook his head a bit and then came over to me as if to say "do that again", so I did, and he yelped and ran off again but hasn't scratched or shaken his head in a couple of hours.

I used to have a Lhaso Apso that had terrible hot spots for months and months until we found a food that didn't bother her. I wish I'd known about the ACV then.

I haven't changed the wawa's food or done anything other than just touched the hot spots with a paper towel dipped in the ACV/water. And when I hit that first hot spot, I used ACV with just a tiny bit of water, so it was mostly ACV, and he took off like a shot! But I had just barely touched it so it worked out anyway.

I have a rat terrier with struvite stones that has caused me to search out help for her without expensive prescription diets. She also has had flea and seasonal grass allergies. Long, long internet searches has brought lots of help. (am excited about this site I just found). Anyway, on the garlic, it must be finely chopped and needs to sit about 10 min. before adding to food. After about an hour, it no longer has the power to help. This is my 3rd month without flea medicine and my dogs are doing good. I also give them a teaspoon of ACV (must have the Mother in it to be effective). I have never had a sick animal and after spending close to $1000 for surgery and vet bills I found that if you love a pet, you will find the time to help them - not give them away........

I tried ACV for a hot spot on my dog's paw, and within a few days it was gone. All I did was put some ACV on a cotton ball with just a tiny bit of water, and rubbed the spot twice a day. By the next day, it was not oozing, and appeared to be drying up. After about another 2-3 days it was gone. It saved me a trip to the vet and the cost of prescription topical spray.

I just want to say thank you for your website! A couple of years back, I had to take my golden retriever to the vet for hot spots, which of course necessitated an injection of an antihistimine as well as medications to heal the spots. The second time I went, the vet threatened to charge me over $200 to put him out so they could shave the spot and treat it. Luckily, we ended up not having to do that. But I vowed we weren't going to go through that again! We have since discovered on your site the wonders of ACV to treat this! It works wonderfully. We make sure to keep his coat short in the warm months, and if he does develop the hot spots, we treat it with the diluted ACV. The ACV works like a charm every time to dry up the hot spots. I highly recommend it!

I tried ACV for hot spots on my 150lb lab and it works great! I have a little advice. My lab was absolutely raw with chewing and licking her back and tail area. I was terrified to use Apple Cider Vinegar on it because she was biting me just when I was cleaning it. I gave her benadryl 3 times a day for 2 days before starting the acv. It was instrumental in stopping the extreme itch all together and allowed her to heal enough so I could use Apple Cider Vinegar without the extreme burning. You can use Benedryl up to 3x a day in pill form. 1mg/for each lb of weight, exp 20lb=20mgs I didn't excede 5omgs. My lab 150lbs=50mgs. You can look up Benedryl for dog online! It stopped her itch all together with the use of a hydracortisone spray! This has been a godsend. Thank you so much.

thank you for this treatment!!! What a life saver..... My red nose pit bull suffers / suffered from terrible cronic hot spots on her but & tail... With in 3 days of using A C V it is well on it's way to being healed the hair is growing back and no more chewing or scratching she yelpped at first but now when she sees the spray bottle she wags her tail knowing it's working WOW I will pass this info on to any dog owner I can. How come vet's would never let you know about something so easy and cheap to use?? this by far is a god send for me........ REX in puerto escondido OAX. Mexico

I came to the internet searching for options to help remedy my dog of her hot spots. Every few years she will get a hot spot (she's a pug). So, I decided to try the vinegar and water method. First of all, I gave her a bath in an oatmeal shampoo for dogs to help her overall itching. I made sure she was completely dry. Then, I used a solution of half ACV and half water. I had an old spray bottle (a previous "hot spot" medicine) and put the solution in this bottle. I sprayed this on her twice yesterday and put a cone around her neck overnight. This morning............... WHAT A DIFFERENCE! She has two hot spots, both of which are dry this morning. Yesterday, they were draining and red and inflammed. Today they are no longer red and dried out. I'm a believer! Thanks!

My Schnoodle has allergies and now has developed hot spots on his entire back!

I mixed ACV & water (1/2&1/2) and put it in a spray bottle. ( I used tepid water)

Day 1 Skin red and irritated. Used anti itch first, then sprayed ACV 3 times thru out the day.

Day 2 NO REDNESS and looking promising! Whoo Hoo!! Sprayed 3 times but no anti itch today.

Day 3 OMG we have nothing but scabs left!!

I will continue the spray for another day then I will give him a gentle bath with oatmeal shampoo.

I gave him a special treat after treatment cause he let me do this and I know he was hurting.

PLEASE NOTE: IF RED & RAW YOU SHOULD DILUTE MORE CAUSE YOU ARE APPLYING ACIDIC WATER ON OPEN SKIN. THIS HURTS!

Our 6 year old boston terrier developed a few hot spots from some flea bites that got really inflamed. His hair began to fall out, and we realized there was smelly pus beneath the hair. This was our first experience with hot spots on him, so I was searching frantically for a remedy that wouldn't require a trip to the emergency vet (it was Saturday evening). I am so happy I stumbled upon this forum!

After reading feedback, I decided to use ACV on the spots. I mixed equal parts ACV and water in a spray bottle, saturated all the hotspots with the mixture and wiped away excess with gauze. Unfortunately, he will eat anything with flavor, and found the ACV delicious. I ended up having to wrap the hot spots that were withing licking reach with strips of an old tshirt to keep him from irritating them more. I applied the ACV 3x/day, and by day 2 they had completely stopped oozing and were scabbed over. By day 5, all the redness was gone, and light pink, soft skin had returned! The spots are still mostly bald, but his hair is growing back in slowly. The treatment didn't bother him at all. I'm glad we were able to use a remedy that wasn't toxic. Amazing stuff!

***If hotspots are caused by flea bites, it's important to make sure that your pet doesn't get more irritating bites. I called the vet to see if it would be okay to apply a dose of Frontline while he had hotspots near the application area. She said it was, an it would be the only way to stop the cycle. We live in an area where fleas are VERY hard to control, so I am doubtful that a less potent option would be effective.

My dog started out with a mild eye redness and discharge, so I tried the ACV on the back of her neck and paws. Within a day, she was almost back to normal, and day 2 no more problem. I did this with half and half mixture of Apple Cider Vinegar and water on the paws and between shoulder blades twice daily. It seems tho that the discharge had caused a big chunk of matter in the fur below the eye. Before I could properly wash her face, she had pawed it off and caused a dime sized hot spot. She wouldn't let me near her face, but after a few days and patience, I soaked a round cotton pad in acv/water in held it to the eye as long as I could and the next day she was healing. Its been 2 days and still healing. I did this only twice, am and pm for one day. Hot spots on the face are challenging, and I didn't want to have to use a cone. I am a huge believer in ACV... Thanks to EC..