# Yellow Lab Skin Problems



## Calhoon (May 25, 2012)

I have a







3yr old Yellow Lab / Golden Lab sire that is a wonderful friend , but she has has always had a problem with a spot centered on top of her tailbone and back for a few inches. I'd hoped she'd grow out of it , but it's getting worse , and it's really bothering her , and hot summertime heat is just around the corner , , , so it'll prolly get worse if not treated , , she's fixed , , , if that means anything. 

It has been suggested to me that perhaps it may be a condition called 'hot spots' that is a known malady of the retriever line of sporting-blood dogs. 

I'm a new guy ,eep: just walked over here from another forum , my word , it's just great to see good folk speak about sensible things , things that matter. :thumb: btw , I like smileys, too .:help:


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## sherry in Maine (Nov 22, 2007)

have you checked ingrediants in her food?

Could be food allergy?

Couple of my dogs have had hot spots, and bad ear infections constantly. I changed their food, and hot spots went away, and the ear problems, too (dogs with ear probs are poodles, part of problem is the long hanging ear flaps)
If you feed dry, check ingrediants. Lots of dogs are allergic to corn. Or wheat.

Just a suggestion, dont want to start a war about food . . .


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## Calhoon (May 25, 2012)

Thank you for the knowledgeable reply . . . 

yep , we've change her diet with the seasons , especially now that she's a young adult , but she has never thrown-up , which would , ( to me , anyway ) sorta rule out indigestion , but heck , I don't know . 

I've tried this Triaminic powder , no good . . . Colagel , no good . . . clover salve , no good ... it's a puzzle . . 

have you or anyone here ever heard of a mineral supplement called Clovite ?


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## Haven (Aug 16, 2010)

There is a gland located on top of the tail a few inches from the base. Hairloss is very common there. If it is the gland, there is nothing you can do other than perhaps coating with some emu oil to soften the skin and encourage hair growth.

If it is moisture from chewing the base of the tail or rain rot, just keep it dry and spray some vinegar there to deter yeast and bacteria. Red staining is a sign of this.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I would suggest a grain free diet. And I have found that this product works good on hot spots...Vetericyn VF Veterinary Formula Wound Infection Vetericyn (Equine - Health Care - Wound Care)
It's expensive so shop around for the best price. It lasts a long time and I use it on so many things. I have a hen that got "scalped" the skin was torn off down to the scull. I have been spraying this on it and it healing up wonderfully!. I use it on my own wounds too. And on Frankie (goat) who losses hair and gets bald spots every spring. Once Boris had a hot spot on leg and I planned on shaving and treating it after we went for a long, afternoon trail ride. Before we left I sprayed this on it. Later that evening when I went to shave, clean and treat it I couldn't find it!!! It was red and oozing earlier and it was gone! 

Another good product that I heard works great on hot spots is MTG. 
Original M-T-G Shapley's (Equine - Grooming - Horse Shampoo Conditioner - Conditioners)


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## Calhoon (May 25, 2012)

Haven said:


> There is a gland located on top of the tail a few inches from the base. Hairloss is very common there. If it is the gland, there is nothing you can do other than perhaps coating with some emu oil to soften the skin and encourage hair growth.
> 
> If it is moisture from chewing the base of the tail or rain rot, just keep it dry and spray some vinegar there to deter yeast and bacteria. Red staining is a sign of this.


 :walk: thanks Haven , for the glandular info , I'll check them out. 

I'm quite sure all the chewing is being done on the top 4" of her tailbone/back , no apparent bleeding , it's like the hair is being pulled out , which is why I thought at first it was a skin / scalp condition , a gland , you say ? hmmm... 

no red staining at all , but I'll keep a check on it . 





Minelson said:


> I would suggest a grain free diet. And I have found that this product works good on hot spots...Vetericyn VF Veterinary Formula Wound Infection Vetericyn (Equine - Health Care - Wound Care)
> It's expensive so shop around for the best price. It lasts a long time and I use it on so many things. I have a hen that got "scalped" the skin was torn off down to the scull. I have been spraying this on it and it healing up wonderfully!. I use it on my own wounds too. And on Frankie (goat) who losses hair and gets bald spots every spring. Once Boris had a hot spot on leg and I planned on shaving and treating it after we went for a long, afternoon trail ride. Before we left I sprayed this on it. Later that evening when I went to shave, clean and treat it I couldn't find it!!! It was red and oozing earlier and it was gone!
> 
> Another good product that I heard works great on hot spots is MTG.
> Original M-T-G Shapley's (Equine - Grooming - Horse Shampoo Conditioner - Conditioners)


:thumb:wow minelson , that vetracyln sounds like some great medicine , recon if a man was to drink a teaspoon 'o that every night with his Geritol it'd hep him ? :heh:

serious , thanks for the advice , I appreciate it . The little lady brought in tonight a spray from Pet Smart for that , got some sort of tree oil in it . 

more later as the Dixie chronicles continue. 

btw , nice to meet all 3 of you . :drillsgt:

how long ya have to be here before ya can have an avatar & edit the homepage ?


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

Welcome, Calhoon, I am relatively new here too. I too have a dog who has skin problems. She is doing much better now after switching to a grain free diet, 2 1000mg fish oil tablets. Also, I find Calendula lotion helps along with a spray bottle of apple cider vinegar with a few drops of tea tree oil.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Also...that area of hair loss is a common indicator of fleas. Make sure it 's not a flea problem  And welcome to the forum! I don't know how long you have to be here to get your avatar and stuff. Not too long, it might be when you reach a certain number of posts???? IDK. 

And you can go ahead and try to drink the Vetricyn and see what happens!  Let us know if it gives you Super Powers!
I have a friend who is trying to convince her hubby to use it on his balding head lol!!


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## BlackWillowFarm (Mar 24, 2008)

I second Sherry in Maine's idea of trying a grain free diet. If you go that route give her at least two weeks, more like a month before you decide if it's working or not. It can take that long to tell. The other thought I have is could it be fleas? It doesn't sound like it because it's been an ongoing problem but some dogs are allergic to fleas and just one bite can give them big trouble. So you would want to rule that out. Haven has a good thought about the gland on the tail. It's located about three inches below the back in the center. Most times you'd never even know about it, but some dogs have troubles with them. I've seen dogs who have acne with blackheads in that area. It's usually greasy and the hair is very thin or gone. A peroxide or chlorhexadine based shampoo could help with that if that's what it is. You could also use acne wipes sold for humans. Hope you can figure it out!


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

Haven said:


> There is a gland located on top of the tail a few inches from the base. Hairloss is very common there. If it is the gland, there is nothing you can do other than perhaps coating with some emu oil to soften the skin and encourage hair growth.
> 
> If it is moisture from chewing the base of the tail or rain rot, just keep it dry and spray some vinegar there to deter yeast and bacteria. Red staining is a sign of this.


Thank you so much, Haven. I never knew about that gland but always wondered why my dogs got hot spots there.


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## Veronica (Oct 31, 2008)

I'd suggest a grain free dog food as well. I used to recommend Taste of the Wild, but not since all the recalls. Some to look at are Horizon, Earthborn, Hi-Tek, Acana, Fromm, and Nature's Variety depending on how much you want to pay. One of our shepherds, Happy Girl, came to us with horrible allergies. We went to a grain free diet due to issues with one of the other dogs, and were shocked how quick Happy's ear infections cleared up. It's worth a try anyway.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

When dogs have an allergy to a food they don't throw up. They get skin problems or ear infections. While I think it is advisable to try the Vetricin or lavender e.o. or something, this problem will probably continue to happen until you switch to a high quality diet: grain free.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Welcome to our forum! 

I would agree with the three basic things mentioned - diet (I've been pleased with the skin and coats from trying grain free diets this year, really nice and shiney and soft), the gland at the base of the tail, but mostly, I'd start by really really looking for fleas. 

I've been a groomer for many (about 40) years and my first instinct is flea problems. Try getting a white wash cloth, dampening it, and rubbing it over the area. If it comes back reddish, that is the blood in the flea droppings and you know where to start. If it doesn't, it may or may not be fleas, but its a good and easy starting point. If she has fleas, you may see some rough skin between the back legs too. 

Good luck.


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## lexa (Mar 30, 2012)

Another groomer here. All dogs that I have seen that chew their base of tail/back have some degree of flea load plus allergies. Even when fleas are gone it takes some time for inflammation to go away and dog to stop biting the area. By that time flea season is back. 
Comfortis is great for dogs who are allergic to flea bites and swim or are bathed often because it is a pill and not a topical treatment. My show cocker is very allergic to fleas and would start pulling hair out if he got even one flea on him. with Comfortis, we had no issues. However, some dogs get upset tummy from it and trow up.


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## simplepeace (Oct 29, 2005)

I vote for flea allergy too. I had a dog with the same problem (even though I couldn't see a flea). I bathed her with flea shampoo and did finally find a few dead ones. I started her on advantage and never had a problem after that.


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## Calhoon (May 25, 2012)

Minelson said:


> Also...that area of hair loss is a common indicator of fleas. Make sure it 's not a flea problem  And welcome to the forum! I don't know how long you have to be here to get your avatar and stuff. Not too long, it might be when you reach a certain number of posts???? IDK.
> 
> And you can go ahead and try to drink the Vetricyn and see what happens!  Let us know if it gives you Super Powers!
> I have a friend who is trying to convince her hubby to use it on his balding head lol!!


*Thank you for the kind welcome , glad to be here , came across it by accident , looked like a real nice place with real people . a nice change. 

yep , gonna get some o that Viagraracyn , man take a teaspoon of Gritol , add 3 drops of that , take a sip of white , , why it'd make him a genuine Stud . lol . . . tell your friend that if her husband starts the 'scalp rub' treatment , the applicator itself it very important ;-)*



gapeach said:


> Welcome, Calhoon, I am relatively new here too. I too have a dog who has skin problems. She is doing much better now after switching to a grain free diet, 2 1000mg fish oil tablets. Also, I find Calendula lotion helps along with a spray bottle of apple cider vinegar with a few drops of tea tree oil.


*Thanks peach , I've been giving her fish oil gels , didn't think it was helping , so I stopped. *





Veronica said:


> I'd suggest a grain free dog food as well. I used to recommend Taste of the Wild, but not since all the recalls. Some to look at are Horizon, Earthborn, Hi-Tek, Acana, Fromm, and Nature's Variety depending on how much you want to pay. One of our shepherds, Happy Girl, came to us with horrible allergies. We went to a grain free diet due to issues with one of the other dogs, and were shocked how quick Happy's ear infections cleared up. It's worth a try anyway.


*Thanks Veronica , I bought groceries today , and looked at the dry dog feed . it's all cereal based . . . :shrug: so , what do you feed your dogs , raw hamburger meat ?*




GrannyCarol said:


> Welcome to our forum!
> 
> I would agree with the three basic things mentioned - diet (I've been pleased with the skin and coats from trying grain free diets this year, really nice and shiney and soft), the gland at the base of the tail, but mostly, I'd start by really really looking for fleas.
> 
> ...


*Thanks GrannyCarol for the kind welcome. 

I'm checking on that now , but we've had Frontline flea & tick on her for 2 months now , but she will occasionally bring in a flea from out in the yard . she may be alergic *...:shrug:


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## lexa (Mar 30, 2012)

Frontline, does not have "repelent" properties. Active ingredien "fipronil" is a slow acting agent. It takes up to 18 hours for flea to die when it ingests Frontline. Mean while it continues to bite the dog and inject its saliva which causes allergie. Success of Frontline treatment also depends on dogs skin type, condition of the coat, proper application and how often it is bathed or goes swimming. Frontline relies on dog's natural oils to be distributed. If you dog has dry skin, it will not be distributed as well, if your dog has thick undercoat, it will not be distributed as well, if your dog does swimming or gets bathed it will wash off. It is supposed to be waterprouf but it is not. In perfect circumstances frontline does its job and controls the population of the fleas, your dog is still being bitten and so, if it is allergic to fleas it is not a good option. Again, I have never seen dogs on Frontline without fleas on them.
Also, I am not sure what the winter is like in WNC where you are, but in South Carolina we do not get frosts hard enough that would kill fleas in winter. Couple of warmer days and fleas are back in the middle of the winter. Here you have to keep your dog on flea prevention year round. I have never seen dogs on Frontline 
Comfortis on other hand kills fleas within 30 minutes of it coming in contact with your dog. So their biting time is limited to one bite, if even that. I would have not been able to keep my show cocker in coat if I did not use it and many of my clients who have dogs allergic to fleas have switched it and are happy.


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## Veronica (Oct 31, 2008)

Calhoon said:


> *Thanks Veronica , I bought groceries today , and looked at the dry dog feed . it's all cereal based . . . :shrug: so , what do you feed your dogs , raw hamburger meat ?*


Unfortunately, most "good" foods can't be found at the grocery store. There's a few exceptions, sometimes, but as a general rule you have to look at pet food stores or online. You might want to look up dog foods at Dog Food Advisor and look for the article he has on best grain free dog foods - they're all rated 4-5 stars. I usually doublecheck prices at Amazon and petflow.com. However, our local pet food store is sometimes less and I can ask him lots of questions.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

A couple of things.... I saw tea tree oil mentioned... It's great for the skin, highly toxic if the dog swallows any of it. 

As for grain free foods, yes, you can find them in pet stores, especially high end pet stores, be warned they are very expensive. On the other hand, they are great for the dogs. You'll have to do some research and decide what you can and want to do about that. Some people do feed raw - there is a sticky at the top of the pet forum about raw feeding. 

I'm still leaning towards flea problems. You can spray your yard if she brings them in once in a while. I'd strongly recommend using something with an IGR (Insect Growth Regulator) which is a hormone that is specific to the fleas that keeps them from growing into adult fleas, that gives really good long term results, it breaks their life cycle.


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## Veronica (Oct 31, 2008)

Grain free foods are expensive, and not always worth it if your dog isn't allergic to grains. We've been using TOTW for so long I was shocked at the prices of some of the other grain free foods. Some of the things dogs may be allergic to are corn, wheat, and soy. I'm not sure what dog food your pup is currently on, but if you get sticker shock at some of the grain free kibble, you may want to try a food that eliminates the corn, wheat, and soy, but may still have higher quality grains, such as oats. If that doesn't work you can try a grain free. Also, some of the less expensive grain frees have a lot of white potatoes, which may not be any better than grains in a dog's diet. Our pet food owner is pretty knowledgeable about dog food companies, and he steered me away from a couple of foods I was thinking of switching my dogs to.


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## Neroli (Apr 19, 2012)

Definitely look into a grain-free diet. That made all the difference for my guy. Poor thing looked like he had mange when I was feeding him the wrong food (won't name any names), just read the label. 

Now that he's on a good kibble you can practically see your reflection in his fur, he is so silky and shiny. I also add a bit of ACV to the water bucket (just a splash for 3 gallons). I supplement their kibble with brewer's yeast and sprinkle some healthy oils on top. They go crazy for olive oil, and so do I, so we share. 

When things got really bad, I would put about a teaspoon of lanolin in my palms with a little bit of manuka oil and rub it into his skin, then gently brush it through his whole coat, focusing on the hot spots. It worked really well on him, but GrannyCarol is right, if you use tea tree or manuka, it can be toxic if consumed. So use it sparingly and not in areas they can easily lick. The base of the tail is difficult to reach, so I use it there, but only if the problem is truly acute. Then only for a few days. Personally I hate the smell of lanolin, but he *loved *the treatment. 

I would also use a dilute solution of ACV and water and spritz the dogs, but you'd think I was trying to kill them, they hated it so much. 

Still, once I switched food, we have had nothing but the occasional dry skin during the major shedding time. My opinion - address diet first. Made a world of difference for us. 

Good luck - nice to meet you too. I recently found this forum after spending some time on another not-so-friendly forum. Its nice to meet people who are actually friendly and neighborly after all, eh?


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## Calhoon (May 25, 2012)

GrannyCarol said:


> Welcome to our forum!
> 
> I would agree with the three basic things mentioned - diet (I've been pleased with the skin and coats from trying grain free diets this year, really nice and shiney and soft), the gland at the base of the tail, but mostly, I'd start by really really looking for fleas.
> 
> ...





Veronica said:


> I'd suggest a grain free dog food as well. I used to recommend Taste of the Wild, but not since all the recalls. Some to look at are Horizon, Earthborn, Hi-Tek, Acana, Fromm, and Nature's Variety depending on how much you want to pay. One of our shepherds, Happy Girl, came to us with horrible allergies. We went to a grain free diet due to issues with one of the other dogs, and were shocked how quick Happy's ear infections cleared up. It's worth a try anyway.





BlackWillowFarm said:


> I second Sherry in Maine's idea of trying a grain free diet. If you go that route give her at least two weeks, more like a month before you decide if it's working or not. It can take that long to tell. The other thought I have is could it be fleas? It doesn't sound like it because it's been an ongoing problem but some dogs are allergic to fleas and just one bite can give them big trouble. So you would want to rule that out. Haven has a good thought about the gland on the tail. It's located about three inches below the back in the center. Most times you'd never even know about it, but some dogs have troubles with them. I've seen dogs who have acne with blackheads in that area. It's usually greasy and the hair is very thin or gone. A peroxide or chlorhexadine based shampoo could help with that if that's what it is. You could also use acne wipes sold for humans. Hope you can figure it out!





Minelson said:


> Also...that area of hair loss is a common indicator of fleas. Make sure it 's not a flea problem  And welcome to the forum! I don't know how long you have to be here to get your avatar and stuff. Not too long, it might be when you reach a certain number of posts???? IDK.
> 
> And you can go ahead and try to drink the Vetricyn and see what happens!  Let us know if it gives you Super Powers!
> I have a friend who is trying to convince her hubby to use it on his balding head lol!!





gapeach said:


> Welcome, Calhoon, I am relatively new here too. I too have a dog who has skin problems. She is doing much better now after switching to a grain free diet, 2 1000mg fish oil tablets. Also, I find Calendula lotion helps along with a spray bottle of apple cider vinegar with a few drops of tea tree oil.



:cowboy: I hope it's ok with y'all if I multi-quote , I wanted to reply to each of you , you've all been so helpful , I wanted to share this up-date with you . 

well , I've changed Dixie to 'A Taste of the Wild' , roasted bison & venison , a meat based diet .. but it didn't solve the problem of her scratching & digging in her back area all the time ... so , I took her to the Vet yesterday ( Friday ) , seems she has a quite common alergic reaction to flea saliva , OMG , , the Vet gave her a corticosteroid shot for immediate relief from the flea saliva , , and a Capstar pill for immediate flea killing , and a Comfortis med for 30 day flea killing ... and btw , I had her toe-nails trimmed . . 

all is well , she's on the mend , thank y'all for your help & advice , I sure do appreciate it . . . Dixie does too ...


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Darn fleas!! She'll be a new dog soon after all that! 

My collie puppy looks wonderful on Taste of the Wild, very happy with it. 

Now alls we need are some cute pictures of your dog...


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## defenestrate (Aug 23, 2005)

Will have to look into some of this, especially the flea treatments, for our dog. She scratches and chomps on herself constantly, and the frontline isn't doing but so much.


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

I'm a groomer too, and I've come to the conclusion that Frontline isn't all that good for fleas. A lot of folks use it because it does kill ticks, but as far as topical spot-on products, I think Advantage is a better flea treatment.

Whatever flea treatment you use, be sure to keep on top of it and don't be afraid to re-apply it sooner than 30 days if you start seeing fleas. In some areas, fleas seem to be getting resistant to common flea treatments, requiring more frequent application of topicals--like every 2-3 weeks. I often see dogs and cats with fleas on them 3 weeks after a dose. I believe that with Advantage and Frontline, the label indicates that you can use it as often as once a week, but don't take my word for it--do read the label!


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## Calhoon (May 25, 2012)

GrannyCarol said:


> Darn fleas!! She'll be a new dog soon after all that!
> 
> My collie puppy looks wonderful on Taste of the Wild, very happy with it.
> 
> Now alls we need are some cute pictures of your dog...



Granny , that new food I put her on smells so good , I may have a bowl of it myself tomorrow . . lol . . bison & venison , lol , my dog eats better than I do.

I promise , when they finally turn me loose , I'll post some albums , but I'm having a bit of trouble with downloading them anyway , so I'll try it again . 

Those Collies , beautiful puppy , ( ain't they all ? ) 






defenestrate said:


> Will have to look into some of this, especially the flea treatments, for our dog. She scratches and chomps on herself constantly, and the frontline isn't doing but so much.





Wolf Flower said:


> I'm a groomer too, and I've come to the conclusion that Frontline isn't all that good for fleas. A lot of folks use it because it does kill ticks, but as far as topical spot-on products, I think Advantage is a better flea treatment.
> 
> Whatever flea treatment you use, be sure to keep on top of it and don't be afraid to re-apply it sooner than 30 days if you start seeing fleas. In some areas, fleas seem to be getting resistant to common flea treatments, requiring more frequent application of topicals--like every 2-3 weeks. I often see dogs and cats with fleas on them 3 weeks after a dose. I believe that with Advantage and Frontline, the label indicates that you can use it as often as once a week, but don't take my word for it--do read the label!


well , I promised an up-date . 

just overnight , Dixie is a changed dog ... not a flea on her , none , she slept well last night , quite lethargic today , but still wagging her tail , bless her heart . I've kept out a fresh gal can of ice water for her , she's drank it dry twict , on her 3rd refill now , but she's not ate much so far today , slept most of the day , actually . prolly tired from yesterday , she floated down the river with the kids ... had a blast ... she's my buddy ... :dance:


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