There are no schools involved and I trust my vet completely. This is the first hot spot, I will watch but so far I am not concerned. The spot is healing up nicely. I think it has something to do with the two dogs play fighting and her hair is very thick. My daughters dog is on Hills too at a different vets office.
Well, just in case it helps to have another weigh in here - Newf Owner is right here. Hills sponsors the one and only text book used in vet school - all accredited vets in the U.S. are taught their one and only nutrition course by Hills, who also provides a "start up" offer upon graduation and starting a new practice. They are indoctrinated by Hills just like the pharmaceutical
s and M.D.s - Hills is as bad a food as there is out there - nothing beats it for lowest quality ingredients and whoever looks at those labels and thinks any of that is GOOD for any living being is crazy - most just don't read labels, but rather just follow the vet.
In reality, a vet knows little about nutrition unless they offer you and me more education, learning etc. I would never take nutrition advice from my vets.
The Whole Dog Journal does an excellent review of dog food each year in Feb - and they analyze all ingredients, their source and processing plants and outline why those who don't make the cut, don't. Hills has never made the cut and if you want to know more about why, I am happy to post more to explain their position.
Good foods, the top foods, are found in specialty supply stores - not a vets office or grocery store.
www.naturapet. com offers a good label analysis program also.
Hot spots are a sign of poor health in my view - in my 40 years of living with dogs, I have never had one. Mine are wet all the time, and wrestle and play all the time. Dogs should be able to do this without getting hot spots.
The skin is called the third kidney, because it is an expelling organ - most things affecting the skin are coming from the inside out - not external. Rashes, hives, acne etc. - all signs of the inside issue coming out and hot spots are more often than not the same sign. Food is a big culprit, with the immune system and bacteria.