Licking wounds/stitches: When a dog has an injury, be that an irritation, a wound or stitches after surgery, the natural thing for him to do is to try to lick the area to clean it, reduce irritation or soothe himself. Unfortunately licking can be more harm than good as the saliva may cause bacterial infection. […]
Licking the paws …….. Why? . This is one of the most common questions I get asked and in all honesty, there is no simple straight-forward answer. First we need to establish whether the dog is licking his paws because there is a medical condition causing his discomfort or whether it is simply a behaviour he’s […]
Hot Spots & Wet Eczema are the same thing. Dermatitis is “doctor-speak”. If you break down the parts of the word you get derm which means skin and itis which means inflammation therefore if you or your dog are suffering from dermatitis, it simply means inflammation of the skin. In dogs, it can be caused […]
The most recent information suggests that there might well be a link between Harvest Mites and SCI (Seasonal Canine Illness). With that in mind, I thought we’d take a look at what they are and what to do about them. Harvest Mites (known as chiggers or berry bugs) appear, as the name suggests, around harvest […]
Demodectic Mange is caused by the Demodex Mite that ALL dogs have and lives in the hair follicles in the skin. These mites are transferred to them as puppies from their mother when suckling. Usually, because their numbers are small, they cause no problems but in some cases (possibly when associated with a hereditary or immune problem) […]
Sarcoptic Mange (Scabies) As per a request, today’s and tomorrow’s info is about mange (and can I just say that typing this for you all is making me itch like a good ‘un!!!) Sarcoptic mange (scabies) is caused by a tiny, microscopic mite, which lives permanently within the top layers of the skin. * It causes […]