tyson has a rash in his groin area, and it looks red and sore, a bit like heat rash, but it doesnt seem to bother him, also he has achne all along his back, and it irritates him when i stroke him. what can i do to help him? will anti hystermine help?

This cannot possibly be diagnosed over the net. Contact your vet.

I dont think he/she was asking for a diognoses, just a bit of advice, why be so sharp? is it a case of there not in my gang so why be nice?

Jeangenie is quite right, no useful advise can be offered without a diagnosis and only a vet can offer that after examination.

PS and I'm not in anyone's gang :p

Yeah, i.ll think you'll find that a lot of the questions in this forum esp "health" needs a vets examination, but sometimes late a night a vet is not always available, maybe the guest just wanted a bit of feedback of what she could do to help him! my book on health and illness is not a doctor but sometimes useful when the doctors not around. I dont know why people should be rude, when all they want is a bit of help,
thankyou Jo

I understand what you say, jo thomas, but from the guest's post it sounds as if the dog has had this for some time - acne doesn't suddenly appear on a dog's back late at night! The best help a non-vet, without seeing the dog, can give under these circumstances, is to recommend they seek professional advice. Anything else would be failing the dog. What on earth is rude about that?

Jo it is you who is being sharp. Skin problems are the most difficult to diagnose even for a vet, and whatever the time it is not normally life threatening and therefore the best advice anyone can give is see a vet, they may add the reason why, "because it can't be diagnosed over the net". It is in fact illegal to treat other peoples dogs unless you are a vet, so the best anyone can do is to suggest that is where the dog is taken. To suggest the application of any substance may have made the condition worse, so may I ask what sort of reply you would have liked and found acceptable.

Well if you feel quite strongley about people asking questions about the health of their dog, you'll have a field day on the the health forum, but maybe if you take time to read the question, she is not asking for a diognosis is she, maybe this has happened to someone elses dog, and she wants to put her mind at rest for the night, or if it is really serious, then do something then. I personally dont think that if this person has not botherd already to take to the vets, then she/he is not going to bother going on to a website where people talk about dogs all the time, anyway theirs all differnt senerios, and i feel that the way the question was anwerserd was rude, and i know my response was rude, but i feel at least mine was called for.
thankyou Jo

Jo, if you read the guest's post carefully, you will notice the query about whether or not to use anti-histamines! That is an impossible question for a non-vet to answer either morally or legally! Advice about medication needs a professional diagnosis. There is no 'airy-fairy' way of putting it - just truthfully. Which was done.
:)

a anti-hisatamine is not going to harm the dog

I would make an apointment at vets but washing the dog in Malaseb which you get from the vets is a good shampoo for any skin problems wash dog once aweek for a month then see how he is also get him some frontline flea spray not drops but spray as this you can go all over but not on open raw skin.
washing will make him feel better. Please let us know what the vet says.

Jo, instead of nit picking with those who bothered to answer the post, if you have a better idea then why don't you answer the person asking the question, but please be sure you do not suggest the use of something that may cause harm. If you can offer advice I would like to know how you will manage it, unless of course you know the dog in question.

All you have to do is to look at corsogirls answer, it's not a diognoses, just a freindly bit of advice, a nice bath may soothe, no i dont have any advice i can offer, never said i did, but i think your advice was rude and may put people off trying to give advice, and no i dont know the dog in question, i am waiting for my dog who will be ready in 3 weeks, should i be afraid to ask a question on champdogs about his health, on the thought that someone might tell me the obvious and see the vet! just a bit of friendly advice is that to much to ask. I hope the guest gets signed in and tells us how she got on with tyson.

But that is what others have said, go to the vet, you can't get the products mentioned anywhere except from a vet, who may proscribe them after assessing the condition. Do really think you are just looking for a chance to complain, if you have advice to offer why did you not do it instead of trying to stir things up, in the end all you will do is stop people answering at all, may be that is what you have in mind. Find the fact that you seem to think that giving a straight and honest answer is rude is daft and can only be aimed at causing trouble.

I think maybe this should end now i think we should leave it on the basis of you think how you put  it was ok and i dont, and i was not complaining just stating a fact
thankyou Jo

Leave it by all means, can't think why you posted in the first place, you have offered nothing to help the person asking the question, just criticised those who have.