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  1. #1
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    Dry Snout Remedies?

    Hi there~

    My 3 yo chocolate lab is having an issue with dry skin, or what I am assuming is dry skin, on his muzzle. He is fed Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain which is an above-average dog food. He is fed a small can of wet food in the morning as a "topper" because sometimes he is grouchy when it comes to eating. [only in the mornings though!] He receives a bath bimonthly, so he is not over bathed. He is what we assume to be epileptic as he has a seizure once to twice a month. He is prone to dry skin, so I use special shampoo for him and have pad butter to keep his paws from cracking too much. He is an excited 3 yo so we have a nose halter for him, which may contributing. We have been using it less since his nose started getting bumps.

    Here is the nose halter:
    -nose-jpg
    Does anyone here know of what kind of soother/moisturizer I can put on his muzzle? Also, anything to make it heal faster? He is not itching it very much; he will sometimes rub it but it is not worrying. He has had them for a month or two now. With winter coming up, I just want to make sure I can get it fixed before it gets worse. It looks open [it is actually scabbed] because his nose halter opens it [hence why we are avoiding using it].

    Here are some images of his bumps.
    -img_0027-jpg
    -img_0028-jpg

    Thank you for reading!

  2. #2
    Senior Dog
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    are you bathing so often because of a skin issue requiring it otherwise it's too frequent.

    i'd try a bit of coconut oil on that and see if he keeps it on and yup, skip the nose halter.
    are you a believer in natural stuff-colloaidal silver might help too.

  3. #3
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    No, I bathe him bimonthly because when he has a seizure he urinates and sometimes it gets on his fur.

    I hate bathing him even just bimonthly, so to help I am going to ask his vet if a fish oil supplement or something else would be useful.

    I will try the coconut oil, thank you.

  4. #4
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Welcome to the board. Me, think I'd be going to the Vet. If it's some kind of parasite or infection I'd be afraid a topical might make it worse, unless it's Vet prescribed. I'd also want to be sure if it's epilepsy he has and there are medications for epilepsy. Mild dry skin might be helped by a humidifier in your home and/or addition of EFAs to his diet.

    "Bi monthly" could mean every second month or it could mean twice a month. Most of us here don't bath unless the stinky stuff they rolled in just won't come off any other way so even every second month would be a lot. On the other hand there are some allergy dogs here that are bathed much more frequently with medicated shampoos their Vet's have suggested. Maybe he has allergies? In that case a whole new lot of things to try is opened up to you, but again, through your Vet. or perhaps a Vet specializing in Dermatology.

    ETA: I'm a slow typist. The two posts above weren't there when I started.

  5. #5
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    Dry food...regardless of type....can exacerbate seizures regardless of their actual cause. In the words of our holistic vet...who treated our yellow girl Honey for seizures....kibble "adds fuel to the fire" since it adds to internal overheating...and the overheating is what triggers the seizures. Honey's cause was exclusively internal overheating and all we had to do was change from kibble (I chose canned) and use protein sources that were considered cool/neutral (Traditional Chinese Medicine food temperature values....not how warm the food is to the touch). Honey's seizures....petit mal, no bladder/bowel implications....stopped.

    I'd ditch the head collar and, as Nancy/Snowshoe suggests, have the vet look at the sores that sound like they've been a problem for a while. Then you'll know what's appropriate to use to treat....an oral medication might be prescribed. I'd recommend a Martingale collar instead.

    Welcome to the board to you and your handsome boy.

  6. #6
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    Hello and Welcome!

    A vet check to see what is going on would be first on my list. Maybe the halter? I'm not saying a halter is bad but may have or is hindering healing.

    With seizures and urinating on himself, a washrag and clear water will help keep the area clean. Or, how about a quick shower to the area with plain water. Sundance's suggestion of a martingale is great but if you need more, a prong collar might be the answer. Just be sure to get it fitted properly and are taught how to use it properly. It is a training tool and when used correctly, works very well. Yes, there will come a day when it is not needed.

  7. #7
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    We fed Nature's domain to Jack for awhile, OMG, it dried out his coat terribly. Are you doing Salmon or Turkey? We did turkey and it was bad. You will need to add something like fish oil or coconut oil to his diet if you are seeing that and are set on that food. It also doesn't have a lot of fat in it anyway, try to feed at least 16% fat.

    I also don't believe in those halters. It worked OK on Maddy when she was young, but it was the worst on Grace. Slamming her head on the ground, rubbing her face on the pavement. The pinch collar was more effective and less detrimental to her face.

    I understand about the baths after seizures, Jack used to have them about every 6 months since he turned 2. Even if he didn't soil himself, he stunk...even just a good rinse with water and using a conditioner to make him smell better might be OK vs. using shampoo. He's not really dirty, the pee will rinse right off.

    If you dog isn't on medication for the seizures, maybe you want to look at a different protein. Amazingly, Jack's been seizure free on a primarily bison diet (Earthborn Great Plains). When I changed him back to a chicken based food, he seized within a week. Beef and pork can be OK too.

 



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