G'day how you all today?

It's Saturday night here and I was cleaning around Oscar's penis and dealing with a version of a small muzzled Satan. He does not like me touching in personage. But what concerns me is that his underside is very red and sore at the moment.

I can't work out whether it's the fleas or the shaving from the Groomer. I have been using cortavance spray once a day. The vet said it was either the cortavance or antibotics. I am not too keen on the antibotics as the smallest amount affects his bowel and he certainly goes off his food and I can't have that. I can use protexin after the antibotic but it takes weeks for him to get back to pre antibotic stage.

Then there are the fleas which have not abated even though it is winter here it is still very humid and they seem to love this humidity. So we are now using Capstar and Advantage topspot. Does anyone know of a simple topical treatment I can put on him after he is shaved to take away the dryness or the itchness after grooming. I would be applying it after I get him home from the groomer.

Have a great day!!

Marg

Hi Marg,
When he's red is it always after the groomers? Or does he get red and all when it's hot and humid? Of course that part could be flea bites if it's at that time frame. It's hard to really say unless it's only around the grooming time.

Being that area is quite sensitive there that any time shaving so close will cause a rash. Along with the powder or other stuff they put on your dog after they are groomed.

What I would suggest is to wash him there again even though it's right after the grooming so it's soothes him. Then you could use 3% peroxide to clear it up. You could also after it drys add some natural cream to keep him from scratching or biting there as it will be quite itchy.

Somebody told me once to try using cornstarch as that will dry up the rash. It didn't help much with Murray though he doesn't get groomed and shaved. He just has this rash that comes from the allergies. I have bought this Dr. Harveys cream and it's working great. He doesn't try licking it which is a big plus.

Now as for flea collars I use the herbal ones. Though the only place I was able to find them is from Only Natural Pet Store as they do not seem to sell them anywhere around here. I had to order them special if I wanted these stores to carry them. Forget that.

I am trying to also find these Rosemary trees I saw before. And plant them into a planter and have them just beside our front and back doors as they deterrent fleas and I believe ticks too.

Hope some of this helps you!

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I use lotion. It was recommended to me to use Vasaline intensive care, but I just use a lotion that feels a bit watery and not greasy. You could use Bag Balm, it is really good when you have really dry skin, but greasy. Not sure why he is having red skin, it could be cause of fleas or being sensitive to the blade. Could he have allergies? If so I would use Malaseb to help keep any skin infections at bay.. Eve had one on her belly once.
You can wash him in Dawn or dove dish detergent at home to kill the fleas as needed, original formula. I would use opthamic mineral oil and place one drop into the eyes.. or two but if the hair around the eyes look greasy then either you missed lol, or it was one drop too many. You place it in the eye while he is dry so you cant mistakenly trap shampoo in the eye.. It is supposed to shield the eye from shampoo irritation. Anywho you dilute it a bit and apply with a sponge on the face first, avoiding the eyes, then work back as fleas will run away from it. You dont want them soapy critters running into his eyes! Make sure he is thoroughly soaped up. After you rinse, re-shampoo with a doggy shampoo of your choice to help cut any residue you may have missed, and to accomplish what is on the bottle.. whitening, medicating, etc.

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Laura and Eve

Thankyou Denise and Laura for your advice, I do appreciate it. I started to use Capstar on the advice of the Vet 3 weeks ago and I have not seen any fleas on him - I thought about his skin condition until my brain hurts and am thinking it is more from the grooming as it appears after this - so it is very red and lumpy and of course he is very good at licking himself in a dark corners of the house - so by the time I get to him it is red sore and lumpy.

I understand Denise that the peroxide would try it out as this seems to be an ingredient for acne products- but I was so worried about his skin reaction, maybe I should have patch tested him eh!-

But I did use a watered down Pinetarsol to try and reduce some of the inflammation and then I used a reduced amount of cortisone cream I was using cortavance spray but it just was not working - when I explained this to the vet they were surprised. I think they have thought I was spraying it on myself!!.

This really is the fun part now - I have to muzzle Oscar before I do this and lay him in the submissive position on my lap whilst my sister puts the cream on. He fights me and makes terrible growling and screeching sounds like Grace Poole from Jane Eyre. It not would matter what I put on him we would carry on like this. He is so exhausted by carrying on for 1/2 an hour he then has a nap in the submissive position with his legs wide open.

Laura this Bag Balm you mentioned do you know who makes it. I am thinking that maybe I should use a diluted Malaseb - coz he has responded well to this product in the past.

Denise this Dr Harvey's cream do you know who the distributer is or who makes it coz that sound like a good product. I would prefer not to use cortizone products coz I know it thins the skin as both my Dad and Sister had/have psoriasis.

Thankyou

Marg

Hi Marg,
The bag balm website is:
http://www.bagbalm.com/
I really like this product myself, and have used it on my cracked knuckles in the winter and really does help heal it.
I love the malaseb also, it really helps clear up the skin infections(bacterial/fungal) that go hand in hand with allergies. If Oscar is of licking his area he could be opening the skin to infection by his continual attention, so using the malaseb would be a great idea! Do you use an Elizabethan collar on Oscar so that he cant lick? Try bathing him in Malaseb before and/or after the groom or have the groomer do it. Ask her to shave the belly first before the bath as he comes home irritated, then bathe him in the malaseb that you provide after she uses a *hypo allergenic* shampoo and leave on for 10 min. Since he is Mr Hyde for his belly I would not feel comfortable asking her to trim it with a small pair of shears which may not look as good or even either. If he was good for it, that would be an alternative so shaving it and possibly causing irritation.
There are other products that I have heard about that can help with "clipper burn" or irritations that they sell here in the US if you are interested. I have not had the pleasure of using them but I hear a lot of good things from other groomers, and want to try them:).
Oh and does she know he comes home irritated?

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Laura and Eve