Lovely Maggie has issues. A few weeks ago we took her to the vet for her seasonal allergies. Then she had a few accidents around the house (thank God nothing was wrong, now we are on to something new. Maggie has been scratching at her jowls that they now constantly bleed. We have put a vet recommended spray on the cuts so they heal, but a day will go by and she starts to scratch again! I feel so bad for her! I called our vet and they said it is very possible that she may be having problems with her teeth. Can that be true?
Scratching at the jowls
- Thread starter MariannB
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JulieM
Boxer Insane
I suppose it could be true but it's a new one on me.
A little more history would help. You took her to the vet for her allergies, and then she had accidents in the house. Did they put her on prednisone? That would explain the accidents.
Is she scratching the flews or her chin? What are you feeding her? What type of bowl does she get her food/water in? Is she itching anywhere else?
In cases of recurrent skin problems, I always recommend visiting an holistic vet. In holistic medicine, skin problems are the sign of an internal imbalance. Your vet buried the symptoms once when he treated the allergies, and now they have returned as the itching of the flews. Treating that without looking at the rest of the picture will bury them again, and they will either turn up elsewhere (ears or feet, maybe) or they will internalize, and you'll see digestive problems, or other systems will be affected that you don't see. A holistic vet will look at the whole picture - diet, environment, history, current condition, stress, genetics, etc. - and treat accordingly, working on the imbalance and not just treating (burying) the symptoms.
In the mean time, aloe vera juice (preserved naturally) is soothing to the skin. Tea tree oil also helps immensely but must be diluted - it is highly toxic full-strength.
A little more history would help. You took her to the vet for her allergies, and then she had accidents in the house. Did they put her on prednisone? That would explain the accidents.
Is she scratching the flews or her chin? What are you feeding her? What type of bowl does she get her food/water in? Is she itching anywhere else?
In cases of recurrent skin problems, I always recommend visiting an holistic vet. In holistic medicine, skin problems are the sign of an internal imbalance. Your vet buried the symptoms once when he treated the allergies, and now they have returned as the itching of the flews. Treating that without looking at the rest of the picture will bury them again, and they will either turn up elsewhere (ears or feet, maybe) or they will internalize, and you'll see digestive problems, or other systems will be affected that you don't see. A holistic vet will look at the whole picture - diet, environment, history, current condition, stress, genetics, etc. - and treat accordingly, working on the imbalance and not just treating (burying) the symptoms.
In the mean time, aloe vera juice (preserved naturally) is soothing to the skin. Tea tree oil also helps immensely but must be diluted - it is highly toxic full-strength.
Well, to be honest, I don't know what "flews" are... but she is scratching at the part of her jowls that is right along the outside gum line. She also itches around her collar, but very rarely - sometimes I think she doesn't like the thing. The vet gave her for her hives was benadryl and something like neosporin for the cuts. We have used the same kind of water and food bowls for her for the past two years, so I don't think that is the issue. I truly doubt it is her teeth, because she chews her rawhides and other things with no problem. We have fed her the same food for years too. I honestly can't think of anything different that we have done with her.
I guess we will have to wait and see. I have a strange feeling it is her allergies and we will have to keep her on benadryl... or maybe they will use the cone thing to keep her from scratching for awhile?
I guess we will have to wait and see. I have a strange feeling it is her allergies and we will have to keep her on benadryl... or maybe they will use the cone thing to keep her from scratching for awhile?
MariannB,
I don't know if this helps, but my female, Murphy, used to get canine acne on her chin and the sides of her mouth. She scratched and scratched, until the sores on her chin and sides of her mouth bled. When she got them, she'd been eating and drinking out of the same bowls for a year or more. So, when my vet told me to switch the drinking bowl to glass or metal, I told him she'd been drinking out of the same bowl with no problems before. He told me that canine acne can show up on dogs at any time, and has nothing to do with how long they've been drinking out of the same bowl. I switched to a heavy glass bowl and haven't had any problems since. Like I said, I don't know if it helps, but I thought I'd throw it out there.
Good luck, I hope Maggie gets better soon.
Erin
I don't know if this helps, but my female, Murphy, used to get canine acne on her chin and the sides of her mouth. She scratched and scratched, until the sores on her chin and sides of her mouth bled. When she got them, she'd been eating and drinking out of the same bowls for a year or more. So, when my vet told me to switch the drinking bowl to glass or metal, I told him she'd been drinking out of the same bowl with no problems before. He told me that canine acne can show up on dogs at any time, and has nothing to do with how long they've been drinking out of the same bowl. I switched to a heavy glass bowl and haven't had any problems since. Like I said, I don't know if it helps, but I thought I'd throw it out there.
Good luck, I hope Maggie gets better soon.
Erin
Interesting idea. Maggie has one of those feeders that hold the dog food underneath the two big plastic bowls. We thought it would be better so she would not have to bend down so far to eat - and it's great storage for the food. We even got it personalized. I would hate to get rid of it, but if it helps her, I would. I will bring up the idea of changing her bowls to our vet and see what she says. I'm hoping it's something as simple as that instead of her getting a tooth pulled!
JulieM
Boxer Insane
The flews are the portions of the upper muzzle that hang down past the bottom jaw - the "Boxer mush." The jowls are excess cheek or lower muzzle. Most people say jowls when they mean flews, as Boxers don't usually have jowls.
Bowls should be stainless steel or non-porous glass. Also, you might want to start cleaning her flews after she eats - food can get trapped in the folds, and bacteria develop, which can cause acne/irritation. Gently wiping with a warm washcloth with some peroxide on it is appropriate.
I certainly don't think keeping her on benadryl is the ideal solution. Something is causing her allergies, if that's what it is, and if you can find out what the problem is and correct it she won't have the allergies.
Bowls should be stainless steel or non-porous glass. Also, you might want to start cleaning her flews after she eats - food can get trapped in the folds, and bacteria develop, which can cause acne/irritation. Gently wiping with a warm washcloth with some peroxide on it is appropriate.
I certainly don't think keeping her on benadryl is the ideal solution. Something is causing her allergies, if that's what it is, and if you can find out what the problem is and correct it she won't have the allergies.
I agree with Julie, My Kobo's flews seem to be bigger than my Kiki's flews(probably because Kiki is a bigger dog with a larger head and face thus making the flews seem smaller). Kobo's flews have more folds and crevasses (sp?) which trap food, dirt, and water leading to a greater likelihood for infections. She too had doggie acne. We wash her face several times a day with a warm washcloth then dry it a cotton towel. She seems to enjoy the facial and her acne cleared up very quickly.
Try the cleansing process and let us know how it works out.
Try the cleansing process and let us know how it works out.
Maggie's Getting Better
So far so good everyone. As you all suggested, I switched Maggie's plastic bowls with stainless steel and glass. Her right side is completely healed and the left is getting better. She still scratches on the left, but it's always after the cut starts to heal, so I think it is just itchy. I have been cleaning her face off everytime she eats and put a little neosporin on her cut. Although she licks like crazy for awhile after that, she doesn't seem to mind so much.
Thanks for all of your suggestions! Maggie thanks you too!
So far so good everyone. As you all suggested, I switched Maggie's plastic bowls with stainless steel and glass. Her right side is completely healed and the left is getting better. She still scratches on the left, but it's always after the cut starts to heal, so I think it is just itchy. I have been cleaning her face off everytime she eats and put a little neosporin on her cut. Although she licks like crazy for awhile after that, she doesn't seem to mind so much.
Thanks for all of your suggestions! Maggie thanks you too!
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