mita

Our Gracie the tib developed skin allergy/hotspots for the first time when she came from Canberra to Qld. First time....it was awful....just like your dog...an absolute mess around base of tail. Eventually with vet help we've gotten the condition in control. These are things I learned...& what I've done. 1. The vet said the chewing of the hotspot breaks the skin...& then the bacteria which lives on the skin normally, gets inside. And then there's an infection. This is when it went into a horrible mess. So at that stage, the vet gave her a course of antibiotics. If this has not been done for your dog, ask your vet. It helped Gracie out of that 'real mess' stage. 2. From then on, we had to lessen her chances of getting hotspots (which are allergies) or to stop them getting out of control. Flea control....found Advantage spot best, rather than Frontline. Chewing...if she started chewing at herself , I had to give her antihistamines....the vet said Polaramine (up to 4 a day). Check that with your own vet. Controlling a hotspot...as soon as a spot started to appear, I had to cut the hair away from it. And I had to put the very lightest layer of Betadine on it. And not to smear it on...because that just upset the skin cells on the surface. But to dab it on ever so gently. Shampoo...I didn't over-bath her. Used Episoothe Shampoo (by Virbac) available from vet. Diet...she was given lean chicken, vegetables basmati rice (low starch), with Supercoat Lite dry food (has no preservatives & colouring). Often added a can of tuna in springwater to her dinner. Every day some Melrose Cold Pressed Flaxseed (Linseed) Oil was put on her food (from health food shops or some pharmacies....from fridge cabinet). Environment....I kept her as cool as could be in the hear. And I put fresh, clean cotton cot sheets on her bed. I continue with all this....& she's now going brilliantly this summer. Our vet is delighted with her.

Jeanne, that pic of your 2 dogs is gorgeous. Thanks for the link to read about Emu Oil.

I use hairdressers' scissors, too. (Got from a hairdresser friend). And a pair of scissors with the rounded ends on the points & a slight curve of the blades...for delicate bits where I don't want to risk digging the dog. (Got from a pet supplies store). I also use a comb....push the comb thro' the hair & cut what sticks up (like how barbers cut men's hair.) Gives a smoother cut....prevents the uneven hacked look.

Elmo, I can only share with you what we've done with our pets re clipping....in this hot Qld summer. When we had pet Shelties we clipped them right back towards their rear end (where the coats were densest), clipped away all the belly hair back to the back legs, clipped a track around their necks (collar line) & kept under their ears nice & bare. For our Tibetan Spaniels (whose coats are not so dense), we clip the belly hair right back to the skin (to the edge of back legs.) We keep paw-pad hair clipped back. And we comb thro' against the direction of their coats frequently to get loose hair out & to let air reach their skins. Friends who own a Shih-Tzu get her professionally clipped back each summer...& it's worth it, she's comfortable & looks cute. If I owned a Shih-Tzu X Maltese, like you...I'd do the same.

Josey-Jane...she looked like an angel & walked like a princess. Someone I know just said of their first small dog...'She's tunnelled right into the centre of my heart.' That's where Josey-Jane will ALWAYS be for you, Rozzie.

Huskymiko....thanks for that great run-down on all the options & preventions. It's the kind of info that should be in brochures handed around to pet owners. And I like how you've said...that even doing all those things...there's no 100% guarantee that a tick won't get on your dog. We're all still reeling at the death of the prettiest, sweetest Tibbie girl ever... in the area north of Sydney. She was on Proban etc & groomed by a doting owner every night. The fatal flaw in that case was misreading the symptoms. The Tibbie started to limp on 1 front leg...& the owner thought she'd sprained or injured it. Phoned the vet clinic & found that her special vet....who's always looked after her...was on the next day. So an appointment was made. Hours later, saliva began pooling in the Tibbie's mouth....& the owner thought she'd got stressed. At last her legs 'went' & the devastated owner realized it could be a tick. It was! On back of neck, right next to collar. Treatment came too late & she died. So please spread the news that the first symptoms may be other than 'going in the back legs'...it can be throwing up, saliva pooling in mouth, appearing to limp on one leg (back or front), making strange sounds in throat. Also use a strong magnifying glass when searching for ticks. And it's necessary to look for a crater or hole where the tick might have been but has gone...leaving the toxin in the dog.

Run free together, Bronson & Tia...the most beatiful new angels in Doggie Heaven.

I am so, so sorry to add to any paranoia. But these paralysis ticks are lethal. I've just got the heartbreaking news that a beautiful little Tibbie girl called Anna has died from a paralysis tick. She lived just north of Sydney. Her owner is a retired lady who doted on her....groomed her top to toe every night. A couple of weeks ago I was talking with that lady about a Qld tibbie boy who's just survived a tick by a whisker. And she told me how Anna was taking Proban as directed. This poor lady is heartbroken....she says Anna was the prettiest & cheekiest Tibbie ever. And I agree.

I'm so, so sorry about Holly leaving you so soon. I understand how hard it is to deal with....when everything else about her, except her hip, was so perfect. I felt the same way when our Sheltie had to be gently put to sleep. She was older than Holly...but was managing well in health, except for a deteriorating nerve that controlled her back legs. Nothing could be done about it.. But you & your mother did everything possible for Holly. And Holly knew you both were with her every inch of the way. My sympathy to you on the loss of a lovely, lovely girl.

Oh, Mel....I'm so, so sorry about Leo. Pancreatitis is an awful condition for dogs...painful & dangerous. Dear little Leo got the best of vet care to keep him as comfortable as possible. My heartfelt sympathy to you & your family. Rest in peace, free from pain, sweet Leo.

Take good care of any puppies that come to the Rainbow Bridge, Tulip. That'll be your special job in Doggie Heaven. My sympathy to Tulip's family & friends who must as shocked as they are grieving to lose her so young...only 3 years of age. By coincidence, our Tibetan Spaniel, Angel, nearly lost her life when having her first litter at age 3 years.

I use Episoothe by Virbac (from vets) for the 2 Tibbie girls. It's kind to skin & leaves a lovely fresh smell. A vet once told me she used Episoothe on to wash her children's hair when they had chicken-pox! If there was a flea problem, I'd use Fido's Flea Shampoo or Fido's Fre-Itch Rinse.

The treatment regime Melree posted is very close to what I've come down to dealing with hot spots in my Tibetan Spaniel, Gracie. She developed this condition after moving from a cooler climate to Queensland. Truly....I tried all sorts of things until I pared it down to what seemed to work best: TOPICALLY: I shave the hair right back & gently put on a thin layer of Betadine. The vet told me not to drag the ointment across the surface as that keeps affecting the surface cells. Rather, gently, very gently dab it on. Also look for redness inside the ears. The vet said this is real 'flag' sign for the hotspots elsewhere. I put Dermotic drops on the inside ear flap & inside. The vet told me that all the oozing horror that hotspots turn into...is actually infection caused by the skin breaking (from the dog's chewing, rubbing etc)...& the bacteria which normally lives on the surface of the skin, get in. INTERNALLY: When there's oozing infection, the vet has given antibiotics. When hotspots are starting to appear...those tiny white or red lumpy things...I give Gracie Anti-histamines. Vet said she can have up to 4 a day. He told me to use Polaramine (check this with your vet, if you want to try it.) FOOD: I've found a lower-fat, plain, no colourings & preservative diet helps Gracie best. She has Supercote Lite, chicken with fat removed, vegetables, basmati rice (low starch) & canned tuna in springwater (for the Omega 3....good for skin.) As a supplement for Omega 6....essential for skin health...I put some Melrose Cold-pressed Flaxseed (Linseed Oil) in her food daily. I don't give her lamb...too fatty. BATHING & FLEA CONTROL: I don't give Gracie lots of baths. I use Episoothe Shampoo (from vet) & Episoothe Conditioner. I have to be fanatical about flea control. Have found regular Advantage is best. If a bit late & see one flea, I give her a Capstar tablet (hardly ever happens!) ENVIRONMENT: I find keeping Gracie's skin temperature cool important. Fortunately we have air-conditioning. But I've wished someone would invent a cooling vest for dogs....like the ones the athletes wore in Greece's hot Olympic summer. So finding the coolest spot in the house to snooze is important....maybe that's why the Lab headed for the pantry. I put clean cotton cot sheets over her doggie mats. ANNUAL VACCINATIONS BREAK-OUT: The vet warned me that Gracie would have a flare-up of her hot-spots straight after getting her annual vaccinations. They act on the immune system....which is connected with the cause of hot-spots. Yes, she did have a flare-up. But still better than getting Parvo. Sorry to go on so long....but Gracie went thro' the same hell as the Lab...but at her tail end...when she first got hot-spots. By getting down to all above, they're much more under control.

My 2 middle-aged Tibbie girls get a varied diet of fresh chicken, vegetables, tinned tuna and SUPERCOAT Lite and BONNIE Lite.

I can see in those lovely pics Tessa's gentle nature. She was born to be cuddled. Beautiful girl!

Thank you, Mooper....that diagram of the tick types is very useful.

BJ was very beautiful! Lovely, lovely colour & shape. I bet he had a lovely temperament to match. Shows in his face. So sad that BJ's young life came to an end....but a freak accident is nothing anyone can predict. I'm sorry your son had to see it. But you're teaching him such a great lesson....that our pets are loved & valued & respected. And BJ got heaps of that...even now he's in doggie heaven. Take care.

Oh, Susan....BJ was so young. My deepest sympathy to you & your family. I bet all those lovely kisses will reach BJ in doggie heaven.

Thank you so much, Rappie & Huskymiko. Best way to deal with our high anxiety re ticks at the moment, is to be well informed. And this info is brilliantly helpful

No, huskymiko....we didn't know about keeping the dog quiet for 3 weeks....& didn't know about the leg distribution difference between tick types. May I have your permission, too....to repeat your post to the Tibbie folk? We're anxious because one couple lost a magnificent young male Tib because of a tick last year. And now....Zou Chai....who obviously isn't out of the woods yet. Thank you.

Rappie, your good advice couldn't be more timely! Last night I had a sobbing fellow Tibbie owner on the phone....their gorgeous family Tib, Zou, was in the Uni Vet Clinic being monitored all night after nearly dying from a paralysis tick. And still not really out of the woods. He can't walk yet....but sort of swims across the floor. Between our sobs, we kept saying, 'How can we prevent this happening?' And today I found your post!!! May I have your permission to reproduce it on the Tibbie list? Thanks in anticipation.

Don't know if this will help....but friends who own a shorter haired dog (& a cat)...have 3 people help with the squirting on the stuff. 1 person holds the dog or cat gently but firmly from the back end (to stop that wriggling which sends the stuff all over the place!). Another leans over the front of the dog or cat & really firmly holds the hair parted & down. The last person (from the side) then can slowly let the stuff dribble onto the spot...so it absorbs a bit as it goes on. This stops that flooding & splashing when put on quickly. Sounds like overkill. But they say the stuff costs too much money & is the best flea-killer for it to not work.

Excellent advice from all....couldn't add a thing! . And I agree with Vickie about visiting your vet to tailor a plan of action that fits your dog. Best wishes. :rolleyes:

No problem, Rappie. You actually helped me see the need to clarify a couple of things. I re-read my post & realized it could be read to mean I put 1 thingyful of Advantage in each spot...thereby overdosing the poor dog ! And I appreciated your reminder that medications/treatments etc should be given strictly as directed. That's a very sensible safety issue you raised. That prompted me to clarify that I checked with the vet before I did something different with the product. So it's :rolleyes: to you from me!

Just clarifying...I checked with the vet re my 2 changes in using Advantage. And I only use the one thingyful...I just divide it into 2 spots. I'd been ready to give up using Advantage because it was not deterring fleas (& 1 tibbie has a flea allergy). The amount that was going onto the hair of our very hairy little dogs seemed to be easily rubbed off when they did their big back-rolls afterwards.