Doggie Issues... Long!

[Amina516]

Wondering if anyone here can help me out, im at a loss for what to do.

My dog scratched an area on her back sometime last week. It was about quarter sized and she scraped the skin right off. Its not deep at all. Just a flesh wound. We put some doggie first spray aid stuff on it and cleaned it up well.

So, come Friday, we wake up and she scratched off the scab she had there and now it is a little larger than a half dollar. My husband found her scratching the area and then licking the blood off her paw. So, my husband breaks out the dog socks... (lol). throws them on her, we clean the area again and hubby actually broke out a ace bandage and wrapped her with that. So we had to leave (we were spending overnight at a friends house) however my cousin and her BF were housesitting/dogsitting. She did well, we checked it last night when we got home and and it looked good.

So of course, we wake up this morning and find that shes eaten off the booties and has scratching the hell out of her back. So hubbys at PetsMart right now looking for one of those collars and possibly some better, more tooth resistant booties.

I called the vet and unfortunately they cant get her in today and after about 2 pm i will be car less since hubby is headed off to Florida a few days and I will be home alone and carless (which wasnt a problem b/c i live within walking distance to my job)

I dont think its that important that the vet HAS to see it, but it would have been nice. As I said, its still a surface wound ...Charli just isnt letting it heal.

Suggestions?

[Whiskey]

Some of that sticky "non-stick" tape and tape the booties to his legs so it doesnt pull the hair off? Or find a body cone so that half of his body is blocked off until it heals?

[Mikkel]

The vet would be good too, it could be scabies or an allergy. Could you possibly go by bus or taxi? I'm aware that neither bus or taxi drivers are overjoyed to have large dogs aboard. Perhaps the vet can mail you something for the itching, if that's what it is.

[Amina516]

I actually do have the non stick tape (the human kind...lol..but its the same). She'll chew that off too.

We got her an E collar from PetsMart and taped a sock to her leg. Ghetto, yes..but itll hold for now.

We put the collar on and she flipped out.. But she calmed down after a bit. We've since taken it off. She will be stuck to me side like white on rice so I can watch her. When its bedtime she will get the collar back on. It worries me b/c she obviously cant eat/drink with that thing on. I work from 7p to 7a tomorrow night and she'll be alone. Ill have to see if I can get someone to stay with her. Shes like one of my kiddies and I dont want anything to happen to her.

And Mik..the vet I use is NO WHERE near a bus route...theyre out in the boonies. A taxi may be viable but I dont even know if they allow pets, much less large shedding beastlies such as my own in there.

I dont doubt she has allergies..she does that thing where she licks her paws raw.. We took her to the vet for that and they said besides medicating her (which would make her sooo tiired and lethargic) there wasnt much else to do. We did change her food since then and she's been doing well for a long time.

I think its hard on her b/c my kids have been in Florida for about 2 months and she must be bored. They get back Wednesday and hopefully theyll be a good distractant.

[Whiskey]

Animals always flip out on collars. Sully acted like he was possessed for the first day he had his on. Then he got used to it. He hated it, but he was used to it. They can eat with a cone on, though, so don't worry about that. Animals are a lot more manipulative than people give them credit for. My cat can scale the building to get into my second story apartment, but if he doesnt feel like jumping (from the balcony gate on the GROUND floor) SUDDENLY HES TRAPPED SOMEONE HELP OH GOD. If no one notices, he gets down just fine.

[trailerparkmedic]

My sister (worked at a vet's office for a few years) says that it is not uncommon for dogs to mess with their wounds when they are itchy and/or bored. It doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong with the wound, since itching is a natural thing when healing. Signs that something is wrong with the wound are the same in dogs as in humans--funny smells, weird colors, gross drainage.

She says that if bandages and socks didn't work, a vet would probably recommend an E Collar. A correctly fitting one should still allow the dog to eat & drink--is there a way you can shorten the one you have? Some dogs just won't eat or drink when wearing one, so that could be the issue (instead of can't). Just an FYI--cardboard makes a good collar in a pinch.

[Amina516]

Heres my miserable, yet pretty girl..

The collar doesnt look like I can shorten it without damaging it (see, the ribbon edge?). Im going to trial leaving it off while I can stay with her around the house and putting it on when I sleep or have to leave, since im alone for the next few days. I know it must be itchy. I personally LOVE to scrape my scabs off.....I know. Im a bad role model... Lol.

Im familiar with infected wounds , so I at least know what to look for. I just want her to leave it the heck alone and let it heal!!

Thanks for your help guys.

[csquared]

A long hair! My first guess would be a "Hot Spot".

My long hair is prone to these. We keep a prescription of gentamicin sulfate on hand and shave her down in the summer.

This article has the advice our vet gave us.
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-art...ema-70962.html

There is another type of collar you can get, but I have not seen one in a long time. It is a 3 - 4 inch collar that fits snug around the neck. This keeps the dog from turning it head. Kind of like a neck brace. The dog can't bend to lick and bite. The cone collars are great to keep the dog from scratching his ears/face. However, they tend to run into things with it (Am I bad for finding that amusing? Probably... ).

EDIT:
I just re-read TPM's post. You could probably make the collar I described out of light weight cardboard or card stock.. Make it long enough to fit between the shoulders and the base of her head. It only has to be tight enough to keep her from pulling her head back through.

Hope she get better soon.

[Parrothead]

This article has info on alternatives to the e-collar that the dogs seem to like more.

csquared, it sounds like the bite-not (third one down in the article)

[Whiskey]

The collar doesnt look like I can shorten it without damaging it Thanks for your help guys.

Unless you plan on using it on another animal, cut it anyways.

[csquared]

This article has info on alternatives to the e-collar that the dogs seem to like more.

csquared, it sounds like the bite-not (third one down in the article)

That is it!

[Amina516]

Thanks guys..for the info.

Charli is doing much better. The collar enabled her to allow the area to scab over and heal. Its a patch of pinkish skin, but it looks happy and so does she.

Although going over her with the deshedding comb thingy revealed another irritated spot on her butt, but since we found that early we can keep it moisturized and spraying aloe and hydrocortizone on it. and hopefully stop it from happening.

[BookstoreEscapee]

SUDDENLY HES TRAPPED SOMEONE HELP OH GOD. If no one notices, he gets down just fine.

Pablo was like that. I can't get up on the couch help me pleeeeese!! I can't get doooowwwn!!! Whine!!
Oh, you're not in the room. I can do it myself if I have to...little liar.
Though that was before we put the legs back on the couch. Then he really couldn't do it. When you're 8 inches tall, an extra 4 makes a difference. He still had no problem getting down when he was alone in the room, though.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

It might have hurt Pablo's back... but you knew him better than I do. Eh. It all really depended on how much he wanted to get down/up compared to how much it may or may not have hurt. My granny says that jumps from or up on couches have dislocated dachshunds' spines before. o__o /slightly offtopic
Glad your doggie's doing better, Amina.

[BookstoreEscapee]

It might have hurt Pablo's back... but you knew him better than I do. Eh. It all really depended on how much he wanted to get down/up compared to how much it may or may not have hurt. My granny says that jumps from or up on couches have dislocated dachshunds' spines before. o__o /slightly offtopic
Glad your doggie's doing better, Amina.

Nah, he was just a whiner. Teeny tiny Chihuahua not as helpless as he looked. But he would rather be held or in someone's lap than anything. (That couch wasn't really all that high. Beds, on the other hand, he wouldn't jump off of at all.) Doxies are prone to back problems, though. I know jumping on and off furniture can be bad for them.