I didn't know whether to post this under feeding or health, but heregoes. I changed food from Royal Canin Sensitive to Orijen (Fish) about 5 months ago. Since then Jade has had a couple of really bad episodes of wet eczema. The first one followed her being attacked and was in an area with three puncture wounds. Immediately after the attack she was put onto antibiotics, but two weeks later she started with a nasty patch of wet eczema around the area. The vet seemed to think that the outbreak was due to the puncture wounds and put her back on antibiotics. Things seemed to have been going OK until yesterday, when I noticed another sticky patch on the opposite side of her face. I cleaned the area and covered it with Manuka honey, as per her breeders recommendation, and it did look better this morning when I checked it. BUT, we have just got in from the video shop and she has been itching it and now has not only the original patch (about the size of a 2p) but a further patch right next to it, and the whole surrounding area approx 2" x 4" is inflamed, red and very hard. In fact it looks like she has a large sausage stuffed under the skin. I've spoken to the Vet in case they wanted to see her, but he has told me to clean the area well with hibiscrub then use Flamazine (which I have managed to scrounge off a friend) to kill any surface bacteria. He seems to think this should do the trick, but it looks so nasty and angry i'm not sure. If it's no better in the morning he has said to take her down and they will have a look.

I'm quite mystified what has caused this latest flare up, but do wonder if it has something to do with the change in diet . The reason I changed was that she kept going loose on the RC. When she was on the RC occasionally she did get tiny little scabs on her head, but nothing like this and it was always when she was out of coat and just coming back into coat.

Another possible theory is that she is a real bog-wallower and swims in the reservoirs most days. When I get back to the car I towel dry her then put on a towelling coat, but she is still quite damp, so again I am wondering if this could have something to do with it. I would welcome any suggestions anyone might have.

Also, without sounding awful, how much easier would it be to treat the area if it is clipped, as I am sure that's what the vet will recommend if I take her in. If it is clipped how long is it likely to take for new coat to grow. She's just come back into coat and I was looking forward to having some fun at the shows. Obviously if it's in her best interest to have the coat clipped off, then that's what I'll do, but didn't want it clipping off it it doesn't make much difference. I feel so sorry for her as it looks so raw and angry, and just wish I had taken her in yesterday, but really thought that what I did would be OK.

Sorry for such a long post and Happy New Year to you all.

My Border Terrier bitch suffered terribly from wet/moist eczema, always when she was due or after being in season.
A friend of mine a vet either recommended her being spayed, or try her on a small dosage of steriods, I tried various treatment, and washed the area with hibiscrub, then applied Biacarbonate of soda mixed with a small amount of water onto the situ, she chewed the area red raw, and also making it bleed, also pulling out all her hair, we changed her onto a raw diet also which improved the skin, we had to get her spayed due to a pyometra, and her skin has settled down well, touch wood!
But I spent nearly 4 years trying to find out what caused this, and what to do to help her!
But the hibiscrub and soda did relieve her, from pulling and biting at herself.

My lab had the same problem wet eczema caused by a puncture wound off another dog,yes it was the size of a 2p,my vet shaved the surrounding area as he said it spreads rapidly he prescribed a steroid cream,it has taken about a month to clear and her fur has nearly grown back,

Sheila.

I have twice (one seperate dogs) used Cornflour to clear up wet exema. I clean with hibiscrub then pat dry and sue the cornflour as many times in the day as it aprears to bet wet. it works

Thanks for your replies, will definitely get some cornflour in and hopefully keep her away from the jaws of anti-social dogs!!

Kenya, it's really interesting about her skin settling down after she was spayed. Jade has always been quite affected by hormones around her season, and given the fact that she has a 5 month cycle, I have considered having her spayed. Each season she has been slightly better and the last one we did manage nearly 5 1/2 months!!

> if it's in her best interest to have the coat clipped off

We've just had an acute episode of wet eczema on Charlie's cheek, spreading up and under his ear. Our vet said that it's not just the wet patch you can see, it's all the rest under the coat. It spreads outwards from the original site and can end up pretty extensive. He's got a large baldy patch now, but I think our vet was quite right, the extra bit he clipped off had lots of black spots showing, just waiting to go soggy no doubt. Treatment is two weeks of Synulox, and daily washing with Mediscrub, then an application of Fuciderm on top. Oh and he needed an inflateable collar as well :-( One week into the treatment and the wet patch has all scabbed over and started to flake off.

Charlie's wet eczema bout started with a small patch that I think he caused himself by scratching with his muddy feet. Within two days (Christmas Day :-o !!) it was about four inches round. He is fed on a raw diet and is normally pretty healthy.

Good luck with Jade, it can be quite a painful business when it's acute.

A friend that has owned Newfies for years swears by Quistel for wet eczema.

i agree quistel is good but with my newfs i shampooed with quistel and to relieve the itching used  wait for it haemoroid cream recommended by  the vet  , it worked  , even used it on an  dog thats is a habitual foot chewer and it seems to work wonders

Hi thanks all, even though it looked better this morning, I took her to the vet and he has given her a two week course of rilexine. He has told me to scrub the area well with Hibiscrub, dry then dust with Daktarin to keep the area dry.

He thinks the main cause is her soggy, mucky lifestyle, and it's not helped by the fact that she rolls upside down writhing on tree roots, logs, etc. She is the only dog I know that rolls upside down in the reservoir, totally submerging herself, then explodes out of the water like a monster from the deep!! If she isn't rolling she lies in the water, with just her eyes and tip of nose exposed just like a croc, then launches herself out 90 miles an hour and gives everyone a fright.

In future at the first signs of any little scabs or dark rings under the skin, I have to clean well with Hibiscrub, and if needs be he's marked on her records that I can have antibots. Fortunately we have a great relationship and he knows we won't abuse things. He's in no doubt it will reappear, but thinks it is just something that we will manage.

Anyway, iv'e given it a good clean and it looks so much better. I was just so horrified at how it looked yesterday, I have never seen anything look so angry and sore so quickly and felt terrible that I hadn't taken her when it first appeared.

I do use quistel as routine, so will definitely continue with it. The haemoroid cream is a new one to me, and I will definitely tell my friend who has a bouvier with terrible itchy feet.

Thanks again for all the suggestion.
Jenny and much happier Jade.

Any chance you're near the ocean Jenny? I know all about a golden's love of all things mucky. When mine have a cut on a paw or something I want to keep clean I take them to the beach. Salt water is such a great natural healer and they still get to come back from a walk wet so they're happy.

Hi Lori
Good idea, we are only about 30mins away from Southport beach so it's well within travelling distance. Today it looks quite a bit better, the worse patches are scabbed over, but they still look quite green so I will be giving them a good clean tonight. Do you think it would be OK to let her in the sea before its healed, then give it a good clean when I get home, or would you wait until it has healed fully?

Sorry, I have no personal experience with eczema specifically. I grew up in California and Florida so my experience with the healing properties of the ocean are based mostly on personal healing. Wounds seem to heal very quickly with regular dips in the ocean. Thankfully my goldens have never suffered any skin complaints. But, I've found that the limited times they've had bad cuts on their paws swimming in the ocean seemed to help heal them faster. I guess it sort of depends on your local water quality but ours is pretty clean up here. If she were mine I'd take her. Once again I'll mention my friend with the newfies (a breed more prone to eczema than some others), she recommends a dip in the sea when patches flair up.

Apologies if this has already been suggested. One of our Bulldogs tends to suffer from patches of it on her head, near her ears. Forget Hibiscrub or any veterinary preps until you have tried bathing it with warm salty water. This involves standing the dog in the bath or shower, and initially pouring a jugful or two over the affected area and gently rubbing away the clogged, dark exudate which matts the fur. Once clean, do this one or twice daily. It will look better pretty quickly. Do NOT dry with a towel or hair drier. Keep a roll of kitchen paper in the bathroom and just dab the wound with a couple of sheets using firm pressure to dry it. I have used this technique the past two occasions and it has worked perfectly.If it is very weepy to start with, remove the fur from the area,by gently trimming with scissors.                

Lori, Thanks for your help, I don't think our sea water is too clean really, but I am going to have a go at googling it to see if I can find out. Until then I will carry on keeping her dry. She doesn't seem to be appreciating the boring road walks much, she'd much rather be squirrel hunting, bog-wallowing and playing at being a croc!

Hi Pugnacious, Dont apologise at all, any suggestions are very much appreciated. Lori got me thinking about salt water as this is something I have used in the past. I cleaned the area last night and things looked a lot better, it took ages to soften the black scabby covering (your description is much nicer!!) and underneath although it looked raw, it was a clean raw wound. This morning I wondered what to do as it looked so much better, and the scab didn't seem as thick, but decided to follow orders and gave it another clean, again with Hibiscrub. Hubbie then took her out for a long road walk and as he came through the door she stopped and scratched. It was only a quick scratch but boy did it make it bleed, so again a clean with Hibiscrub then more Daktarin. Once again it seems to be OK, but I am a bit reluctant to keep bathing it, as it does look clean now and I am hoping the antibots kick in soons. At the moment she is sulking cos she has a sock on her foot to stop her itching. If I need to bathe it again I think I will try the salt water, what strength would you recommend?

Thanks again for your help.
Jenny

> salt water, what strength would you recommend

For minor scratches I usually use about 1/4 teaspoon of salt to 1/2 a cup of cooled boiled water. But I have to say that using the salt water solution did Charlie no good at all during his recent bout of acute wet eczema. I'm still bathing it with the Mediscrub bought from the vet on Christmas Day :-o  It looks much better underneath now, though I am not scrubbing at it really but allowing the black scabbing to fall off gradually in its own good time. And he's still on the antibiotics. He has an inflatable colllar to wear for when he is unsupervised, otherwise we just shout at him when he scratches!

Hi Goldiemad, I would use a 1 litre jug with a couple of teaspoons salt in it. Make sure it's warm so the salt dissolves properly. The black gungy edges are caused by a protein rich inflammatory exudate. This provides a great medium (food) for bacteria/fungal organisms to flourish. That's why it is best to remove the gunged up hair if possible, as the hair follicles themselves become affected and so it spreads...The dog will also have her own immunity to such conditions, which will assist with resolution of the problem. Using Hibiscrub etc is to achieve as near a sterile field as poss. However, it literally wipes everything out including 'good' bacteria too. I would use a comb very gently while running the salt water over it, to remove the soggy exudate from the fur.Don't be surprised that clumps of fur will come away with the exudate. Concentrate on achieving a raw pink area again. Dab dry with kitchen paper and leave all and any powders off. See how it is the next day, and when you see that the pinkness is reducing as before, to an overall pinky brown dry scab-leave well alone. It has to scab to heal and sounds like you  probably exacerbated the situation at just the wrong time. If the scab is dry, the end is nigh (that's pathetic! lol). I have medical knowledge but don't profess to be an expert by any means. Chlorhexidine (Active component of Hibiscrub) is superb as a cleaning agent and organisms(even Hep B and HIV) cannot happily survive in it. Why irritate a clean, healing wound with powders and over zealous cleaning? Additionally, in its raw phase, the salt will sting and that will make her scratch too-if very raw after cleaning with salt solution, pour plain warm water over it and dry-you are only attempting to clean the area to aid the natural healing process after all. If you had an op, with or without sutures in, it would be prepped with Hibiscrub or similar before surgery and then covered with a dry dressing. Can you imagine the nurse at your local GP, interrupting the healing process by tearing off the dressing every day, removing the newly formed scab (which will be sticky to begin with) and then rubbing powder in it? You'd go mad scratching it if you were a dog!! You are right to be reluctant about constantly bathing it-intuition is telling you that it needs to be clean and dry to heal...  : D. If this doesn't work, then maybe your vet can do a simple skin scraping and get a lab to identify whether the skin is infected with a specific type of organism. It may not be infected at all, but the antibiotics/Hibiscrub/anti-fungal (Daktarin) act as a safeguard in his/her eyes. The sock is a great idea, but if the wound is on the top of her foot, fresh air will cool the skin down. Personally, I would try all the above and perhaps miss her walk for 24 hrs and distract her from her scratching by play,training and reward. After all this, you can go and 'have a life' again-if you're not too exhausted... Good Luck!!       

Just an update and to say thanks to for all the advice. I don't usually worry about things like this, but I was so shocked at how quickly it spread and couldn't believe how raw and nasty it looked. After the last bleeding episode I stopped bathing the area and it now looks so much better. I know its a bit gory, but the scab is really dry and crusty. The outer edge seems to be crumbling off and at times it seems to be quite itchy, but I have found that if I give it a very gentle brush with a soft bristle brush, the loose bits fall off and she seems to leave it alone. Just to be on the safeside she is still sporting a jazzy sock on her back foot to stop her itching it.

Glad she's doing OK. It can be quite a nasty thing. I was just amazed too at how quickly it spread in such a short time. But I'll definitely recognise it for what it is another time! Incidentally, when we were at the vets with our Dogue Charlie, he said the cheek was the prime site for Goldies to get it. You certainly live and learn.
All the best.

Hi Goldiemad, so glad to hear that she's on the mend. I am amazed by how quickly it can turn from an angry pink mess to crusty, dry healing skin. The soft brush is a fab idea, enough pressure to remove the loose scabs without causing more inflammation and also a safe way of scratching it for her. The key to it, is in catching it early before it gets really sore, and after a thorough clean, leave it and monitor it. Ointments keep it soggy,although if it is infected by an identified micro-organism, they definitely help. Powders likewise, if they are veterinary preps, but to my mind, cornflour is a starch, and again will provide 'food' for the organisms. It is interesting to read all the different treatments people have used successfully. I read a post on another site where a Rotty owner was past herself, because the Hibiscrub and Fuciderm was just not working. She was advised to use the salt water cleansing, and like you saw a dramatic improvement! Give her a big hug from me-I would love a retriever xx

hi ..TADOG...you are the bomb.thanks for sharing ""cornflour cures""......to be quite honest vets will hate me....everyone should try what ""tadog "mentioned.....CORNFLOUR HELPS BETTER THAN ANY MEDS AS NO DOG CAN BE ALLERGIC TO THIS FORM OF TREATMENT........meds and injections do cause allergic reactions so jenny the alsation stopped immediatly from scratching. licking her wounds after i used TADOGS cure.......before that none of the antibiotics etc worked as a matter of fact it worsened after she was injected and given 3 different meds etc 500 rands later.......useless.....pus came out day later but before vets treatment here in sandton gauteng wound was not red neither pusy...BUT ITCHY, HARD AND BULGING......OFFCOURSE VERY IRRITATING FOR THE DOG.....so meaning the wet eczema got worse after treatment.......DONT WAISTE MONEY ETC AS HOMEMADE CURES DOES HELP.......CANT HURT TRYING..BY THE WAY WHEN  A DOG HAS FLIES AND WOUNDS ON EAR ITS A SIGN TO TAKE ACTION NOT ALLOW SPREADING OF THE ECZEMA PUT CORNFLOUR IMMEDIATLY AND YOU WONT NEED A VET......hot weather worsens condition....being bitten by another dog also....change of diet does affect too..NOT BATHING YOUR PET REALLY MAKES THE ECZEMA DETERIORATES SO IF YOU LOVE YOUR PETS KEEP THEM CLEAN....so keep all these facts in mind AND YOUR PET IS HAPPY..VIVA HOMEOPATHY...THANKS JENNIFER........

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