First, are his paws kept shaved or scissored very short? becouse if they are not, it better start to become a monthly thang with him, the hair in the paws holds moisture, they sweat thru their feet, moisture esp in hot weather will give them grief such as that type of thing when the environment is favorable for it.
next i love to recommend animax ear ointment and my vet has started perscribing this for hotspots.
animax is wonderful for keeping bacteria at bay that love to cause hotspots.
gold bond i never liked it cakes up and causes the sore to be icky cracked dry and caked and moist for to long.