Toby is a 3.5 month old tabby. It’s not too bright in my apartment. He’s eating well, pooping well, chasing around after things — seems to be in very good energy.

As Adam said, it could be an infection, or there could be an injury to the eye.  Eye problems can worsen very quickly, and taking Toby to a vet will keep things from snowballing!

Squinting indicates pain or discomfort…

Would you recommend using a shock collar as a training aid?

A hot spot is not a particular skin ailment, but rather an area that has been licked/chewed to the point where it develops a bacterial infection that causes the “spot” to be oozing a honey colored, gooey discharge, often with an odor. 

I am a holistic veterinarian, so I can offer a number of possible solutions for you and also some coaching for general itching problems. 

first, since he is worse this summer, I wonder if you have recently had  your old
“analog” electric meter (it has 4 little discs that spin and a man stops
monthly to read it) changed for a “smart meter” or “digital meter” – looks like a
computer. These can cause severe health problems or worsen current ones. Opt
out of getting one.  http://www.stopsmartmeters.org  If you already have one, pay the money to replace it, and the monthly fee we are charged for protecting our children, animals and ourselves from the high EMFs. http://marylandsmartmeterawareness.org/ has info to educate you and help you. 

Also, this summer has been much wetter, and some animals are more susceptible to that. Also, when were vaccines last given? they can cause skin problems. 

Finally, has he been showing any lameness, even mild? Sometimes they will chew on a part of the body that is in pain. 

the conventional treatment for itching is anti-itch medication, topically or orally and maybe an antibiotic. 

Holistically there are some treatments for this episode, then work to maximize health by
following the keys on my website, http://www.MyHealthyAnimals.com, especially the 7 keys to health. Healthy dogs just do not
get hot spots.  

Now, clip the hair around the spot if it is discharging, then use brown lye old fashioned soap followed by the black or green tea bags. Once it is dry, use aloe from your own plant or a drinkable organic aloe vera from the store, or plantain from your yard (if no chemicals there) made into a slurry or calendula to heal. If it is very itchy, SSStingSSSTop ( from the health store) may help. 

Merely improving the diet (raw meaty bones and pureed vegetables) may help end the itchiness, or you may need to seek professional care (Bel Air, Hereford, White Marsh are probably the closest holistic veterinarians to you – http://www.ahvma.org for details, or the links page on my site). Mitomax is
a super probiotic that
can improve nutrient absorption, so helps with all problems. I have had many
animals’ itchiness clear up while using this, though sometimes they need to
stay on it. Unlike other probiotics, it is very stable and is ok at the low
stomach pH.

 Rescue Remedy is an easily available (at any health food store and many regular stores) combination flower essence to “rescue” when needed. 10 drops in a cup of water and sponge on the itchy knee, or add to any other topical treatments you choose. Put one
drop in a separate water bowl for him (and any of the others) to drink – change daily.  If the RR seems to help, you can give some orally (few drops from the bowl) as frequently as any of the family thinks of it.  

Even if the licking is because of a knee issue, the Rescue Remedy may help, as will the self healing methods listed below. Of course, if symptoms worsen – time to visit a veterinarian, preferably an integrative one if you are interested in that approach. 

For the future, learn Reiki (www.AnimalReikiAlliance.com is a local Baltimore source of classes, and any holistic store or practice nearer to you as Reiki is the same for human and animals), acupressure, TTouch, healing Touch for Animals (HTA),
massage, acupressure (several good books) and take one of my homeopathy classes – August is a 6 days class.  

There is a great store that will be a healing resource for all your animals – Baron’s country Store (N of Bel Air, so should be close enough for you). It is near Dave’s natural market, another great resource. 

Ask more questions here if I was not clear.