Our customer asked:
My dog has twice developed "hot spots", and last time this was where I applied Frontline flea treatment. Is there a more natural flea treatment I can use without chemicals?
Our reply:
Some animals appear to react to the alcohol "carrier" used in spot-on medications. If the hot spot was in the same place you applied the Frontline, then you should avoid it in future.
There are a few things you could consider:
Tablets to control fleas are now available which are very effective and safe. The best ones are prescription only (Comfortis) so you could ask your vet about those. They appear to be very effective.
Natural flea treatments are available, but they are not particularly effective. If you are just treating as a precaution, they may be good enough, but flea irritation is also a common trigger for hot spot formation, so I would be wary. Biospotix flea collar or are examples.
Additionally there are things you can use to try and help your dog's skin be less itchy generally. These normally work by supplementing with certain oils which help the skin to produce a more effective barrier to things which make it itchy, and perhaps have a direct anti-itch effect too. Good examples would be Yumega Plus oil to be taken with food, or Allerderm spot-on to be applied to the skin or Denes Hot Itch Lotion
I would go for Comfortis tablets and Yumega Plus, but up to you. Environmental flea control with suitable aerosol treatments such as Indorex would also help a lot.