'Hot spots' can lead to a host of summer skin problems for dogs

Chances are that if you wore a fur coat all summer in Hong Kong your skin would get hot, sweaty and itchy. For dogs that leave the confines of an air-conditioned apartment, summer can bring a host of skin problems.

'Any dog that isn't looked after properly, can get skin problems, more so in the summer, particularly secondary skin infections,' says veterinarian Catherine Sen at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

With heat and humidity in the summer, says Sen, yeast and bacteria on a dog's skin can overgrow and, in some instances, cause 'hot spots' or redness and dandruff, which can be 'itchy and often very smelly'.

Dogs may also have yeast overgrowth (malassezia dermatitis), which Sen describes as a horrible, mousy smell and can be extremely itchy. 'Some dogs can get a hypersensitivity to the yeast, and there is often lots of associated dandruff and redness,' she explains. 'It's not infectious, if you are sleeping with a dog that has a yeast infection [on its skin], you wouldn't want them in bed with you.'

Too frequent bathing or using perfumed or drying products can also cause problems. 'If they [owners] shampoo too much, this can strip the dog's skin of its natural oils, which disrupts the skin's natural barrier to infection. Dry skin may result in secondary infec- tions,' says Sen, adding that dogs with matted fur, that haven't been groomed properly, are prone to get bacterial infections.

By using the correct product, Sen says shampooing can help soothe and cool the skin rather than make it 'dry and hot'. She suggests taking your own hypoallergenic or moisturising shampoo to the groomers, such as soap-free Epi Soothe Shampoo or a mild product such as Johnson's Baby Shampoo.