My American Cocker Beano has had scabs on his back for a while, and when I last asked the vet about 3 weeks ago, he said it was dry skin, and just bath him in the shampoo I was using, tea tree shampoo. Have done that a few times, but it hasnt cleared, it is not an area he can get to scratching.
I have just clipped him short on the back and he has alot of 'sores' on his back where the scabs have come off.
I bathed him agin after clipping in the tea tree shampoo, and have rubbed dilute hibiscrub on his back.
I have an appointment at 5.40 with Julian, but wonder if anyone has any idea what it could be???
I havnt changed his food or don anything different with him.
Lea :) :)

Ow Lea, poor ole' Beano!
Might be a shot in the dark (or my crumbly old memory!) But didnt you have some probs with Ebba a while back? or was that just 'itching'?? I cant remember... just wondering if it was an environmental cause?

Have you ever tried Quistel?? I think MM recommended it a few years ago and I passed it on to my mum who had probs with a whippet, its brilliant stuff! cleared up a treat.
Good luck at vets (Gentle hug for Beano) x
Keep us posted.

Yes had problems with Ebba, but it cleared in a few days, so think it was something in her ear :) No problems since.

Quistel???????
Off to look now :) :)
Lea :)

http://www.quistel.com/

:)

Have you tried laying off the tea tree for a bit?  Although it is brilliant stuff for many things it is quite fierce and does not agree with all.  Again Hibiscrub is quite fierce for new tender skin growth.  I would be inclined to try a very neutral shampoo or nothing at all for a bit and see what happens. 

I'd be careful about over bathing, especially with tea tree products as they tend to take oil out of the skin. My old samoyed gets lots of little scabs and sores etc due to his age. We use Moor gold cream from dog health.

My American Cocker Jesse suffered from the same, though it wasn't on his back, but on his chest, belly and legs. It was a skin infection that cleared up with antibiotics. However, the infection came back and when it kept reoccuring a couple more times over a year, we decided to dig deeper. He was allergy tested and came up with lots of food and environmental allergies. Adjusting the diet helped, but didn't solve the problem entirely.

Due to other symptoms (mainly also behavioural), my vet and I agreed to do a thyroid test eventhough Jesse was less than two years old and Jesse is indeed hypothyroid and being treated for it. Touch wood, since being on thyroxine for the last two months, he has not had any further infections (though is still a bit itching on and off, but skin problems take a long time to rectify after thyroid treatment started).

So I think to start off with, your dog might well need antibiotics and I would also adjust his diet to something natural if he isn't already on such a food. If the problem persists or reoccurs, then further tests may be advisable.

Also, how often do you bath your ACS? I have found than an aloe vera and oatmeal shampoo is very soothing on Jesse's skin and seems to help.

Vera

I used sudocream for mine on there sores which stopped them scratching the sore parts

Also in the end had to use anti-biotics

Tee tree and the hibiscrub was to much and also bathing them all the time dried there coats/skin out more

Well just back from the vets.
I will add I have only bathed him 3 times in 3 weeks, and the last was today to try and soothe where I had clipped him LOL
I normally only bath him when I clip him which is every 6-12 weeks :)
Right
He is the flipping druggy dog!!!!! LOLHe has an infection of the skin, and she wants to see him next week to see how things are going.
He has had a steroid injection that will last the week.
I have to bath him twice in Malaseb Shampoo (as I was running out of hibiscrub, otherwise I would have had to use that!!)
And he has Rilexine antibiotics that he has to have twice a day!!!

She wants to see him again in a week to check to see if it is clearing, as if it isnt she will try different anti biotics!!!

Along with the opti immune he is going to be so drugged up LMAO
Lea :) :)

The antibiotics should clear it, though I am not sure why he got a steroid shot as he isn't scratching/itching... (steroids surpress the itching). But I hope it all clears up.

Vera

PS. I have used Malaseb on my ACS a couple of times, but it dried his coat (he is in full coat) so badly that I had to stop it.