Summer skin struggles

Every summer poor Lamar suffers from crusty, scabby skin irritations. No vet has been able to offer a satisfying diagnosis, and the last one thought it was probably a flea allergy. I am inclined to agree, although there are no fleas on Lamar that I can detect and he is not as itchy as you might expect from a flea infestation. Hard to believe that one flea bite at some point in the summer could lead to extensive crusty scabs, but maybe it can.

I originally noticed the rash on the backs of Lamar's legs, at which point I shaved them and applied tea tree oi. When I checked those areas recently, they looked much better--skin still a bit red, but no scabs. But his tail was a mess. Scabs, red skin, and lost fur. 

Though I don't relish the idea of my dog looking like a mangy squirrel, it does seem to help to air out the affected area and not have it covered over with thick undercoat. So I shaved down the icky part of his tail and this time I applied a liberal splash of chlorhexidine flush. 

This is the same stuff I put on Sandy's mangy eyebrow, with excellent results. It is also what I used--at the recommendation of the shelter's vet tech--when Pagent had a staph infection that made her belly red and itchy. The itchy parts cleared up in a day, like magic. 

If you're around lots of different animals--if you train, foster, groom, volunteer at a shelter--or just have your own pets and lots of friends who have them, its great to have a medicine chest with some basic veterinary remedies. This flush is one I'm going to keep around.