[Criosphynx]

Hi, i have what i hope isn't a stupid question.

I have a mixed breed dog about 25lbs, probably terrier mix, but basically, a generic dog.

Her coat is very very oily to the point where water beads off it ititially. She also LOVES to roll in dirt, so as a result i have a filthy oily dog that has doggy smell that i'm not really used too (my other three don't have an odor)

BUT at this point iam terrified to bathe her any more.

I do it every two months or so and not matter how much i dry her she gets these horrible hot spots above and around, and on her tail. Her skin is very oily too and it never seems to *dry*. We have tried several remedies, and basically the only thing that works is to shave her.

Now have this diseased looking dog that gets very odd looks wherever she goes.

Iam using an oatmeal shampoo currently.

Once shaved they heal up in about 2-4 days but i really am looking for a better solution.

[Maggpie]

Haver you had a skin scrape down on these hot spots? It sounds as if she has a staph infection going on. I would also look at the protein percentage in her food. I have found with my dog that if she has higher than 30% protein she gets hot spots. It can also cause oily skin as well. As soon as I changed her food back to lower than 30% the hot spots went away.

Also if she is rolling around in the dirt like that, you need to bath her more than every two months. Use a medicated shampoo such as this
http://www.entirelypets.com/malsham1..._utmk=31213376

Or you could even get the towelettes as well. By her tail after you dry it as good as you possibly can, put some Aveeno diaper rash cream on it and that will help keep it dry as well.

[Criosphynx]

Originally Posted by Maggpie

Haver you had a skin scrape down on these hot spots? It sounds as if she has a staph infection going on. I would also look at the protein percentage in her food. I have found with my dog that if she has higher than 30% protein she gets hot spots. It can also cause oily skin as well. As soon as I changed her food back to lower than 30% the hot spots went away.

Also if she is rolling around in the dirt like that, you need to bath her more than every two months. Use a medicated shampoo such as this
http://www.entirelypets.com/malsham1..._utmk=31213376

Or you could even get the towelettes as well. By her tail after you dry it as good as you possibly can, put some Aveeno diaper rash cream on it and that will help keep it dry as well.

Diaper rash cream eh? I'll remember that.
I'll have to look at the food percentages, i just threw the bag away. so i'll have the google it. They are on an allergy food already.

I thought staph involved puss and hair loss. The hair doesn't fall out, and there is no odor, its more like a rug burn.

Its healed up currently, would a scrape do any good now? Also is a vet just going to sugest antibiotics with this and not a simple solution (like changing shampoo)

Can i go out to a full line pet store and find medicated shampoo?

[Maggpie]

Hmmmmmm...... your vet sells it probably and possibly somewhere like Pet Supplies Plus or a more high end private store, but I do not think PetSmart/Petco sells it. Entirely Pets is the cheapest I have found.

Some staph can get really bad and get ***** but some others only get to the point of a rug burn like. Maggie has it once and my vet had her on Clavamox and then gave me Tresaderm to put on it and that cleared it right up.

Some allergy food is quite high in protein, and even though is coming from a good source (like fish) it can still be too high for some dogs.

Pinnacle makes a great lower protein food that does not have grain in it as well as Taste of the Wild Salmon. Both are under 30%

Also ........ you could try gold Listerine on a cotton ball to clean the area too if not open. My vet told me about that little secret for IDC's.

[Criosphynx]

Originally Posted by Maggpie

Hmmmmmm...... your vet sells it probably and possibly somewhere like Pet Supplies Plus or a more high end private store, but I do not think PetSmart/Petco sells it. Entirely Pets is the cheapest I have found.

Some staph can get really bad and get ***** but some others only get to the point of a rug burn like. Maggie has it once and my vet had her on Clavamox and then gave me Tresaderm to put on it and that cleared it right up.

Some allergy food is quite high in protein, and even though is coming from a good source (like fish) it can still be too high for some dogs.

Pinnacle makes a great lower protein food that does not have grain in it as well as Taste of the Wild Salmon. Both are under 30%

Also ........ you could try gold Listerine on a cotton ball to clean the area too if not open. My vet told me about that little secret for IDC's.

I'll probably buy it online, I HATEgiving petco/petsmart my money. I've worked for them before and they don't deserve our cash IMO.
I'd just like to have it sooner. Im very impatient

The are being feed Natural balance Potato and duck, according the their site its only 21% protein. She was a very itchy dog before this food (no hot spots tho, oddly) now, no ichies.


I've actually tried the gold listerine before, and also astringent. They helped alot actually, but shaving her bum worked instantly it seemed.

Shes due for some vacs soon, i'll ask about her bum while im there i suppose.


Did your dog have it in a wrinkle? Mine has a wrinkle by her tail and thats where it starts because i can never seem to get it dry. Your dog is beautiful BTW.

[Maggpie]

AH-HA.........It's the DUCK! I bet ya that could be part of the culprit! Duck is a very very oily meat.

Maggie had it on her side oddly enough, it wasn't alopecia, it was just one spot when I caught it thankfully.

Since you mention it was around her tail, I figured it was moisture get stuck in a wrinkle or something. When I clean Maggie's wrinkle I do a 50/50 blend of hydrogen peroxide and water or surgical cleanser and a cotton ball. Then I dry it real well a few times through out the hour after I clean the area or even a bath I dry her wrinkles throughout the next hour. Then on her rope (nose rope) I put a qtip of the Aveeno (not Desitin because that smells really mediciney) on the deep part of her rope wrinkle and she is good to go.

Maggie says thank you btw for the compliment.

[Lovin'Dawgs]

Have you tried Bingo Bath, I mentioned on another thread, its some great stuff. You won't be waiting two months between baths because you and your dog will love it. It drys fast and is "all natural" and smells like peppermint, so I'm guessing it has some extract in it (ie food alcohol) which is an astringent. It cuts greasy grimy dirt off my girl quite well (she gets into the local canals sometimes when they are mostly empty before the dams are opened except for street run-off, yuck greasy grimy).

Edited to add: go to bingobath.com

[Graco22]

If shaving her helps, it makes me think that she is very thick coated (at least in the area you are having problems?) Dogs can get skin irritation/hot spots because of air not getting to the skin, or staying slightly damp. When you bathe her, make sure you are blow drying her asap completely dry, and combing/brushing while drying to insure all loose coat is out so the skin can breathe. If dead coat is left in, its packs together after a bath, and prevents the skin from breathing. I am not a fan of Oatmeal shampoos, never had one do a bit of good on any dog, and I have tried it on hundreds. Medicated is the way to go. There are many different kinds of medicated, and different uses for each one. I would use one with salcylic acid, coal tar and sulfur. They are great at soaking off the crusties, and moisturizing the skin, while removing excess oil also. My favorite is EZ Groom ultra sheen medicated. You can order it direct from ez-groom.com Great stuff, let it soak 5-10 minutes and rinse well. I would bath her more often too, once a month to keep up with that oil while you find out what is causing the oil (food, etc. ) I don't know about a staph, but you should have the vet take a look at it when its flared up. Staph doesn't generally come and go away like you are describing. It comes, then spreads and only goes away with medication. Good luck.

[digits mama]

My Cairns have the coat you describe your dog of having they are not oily but they are wired haired and they have a thick undercoat..They also are what they call weather resisitant..they can jump in the pond..shake off and they are virtually dry looking...the undercoat holds the water a bit longer but the outer coat dries rather quickly

I have to handstrip mine to ward off any hotspots and skin problems to arise. As Graco mentioned..if the dead hairs are left in the air cannont circulate to ward off any potential skin problems.

I brush my dogs every other day also because if i dont the tend to get scratchy. I also bath them in Microtek shampoos by Equess...It wards off the itchies and creates a healthy environment on the dog.

My dogs love to swim, dig, and then roll in the fresh turned earth..I dont neccessary bath them everyday...about 2 times a month..but they do get a nice squirt down and rinse off and then they are blow dried..

Good luck!

[Criosphynx]

The hair is very thick, and it is of medium length. There is no dead hair however, i brush everybody at least twice a week and shes honestly doesn't shed. Maybe ten hairs a brushing if im lucky.

The coat is kind of a rough/ wirey but i'd still say is soft too, its a very odd looking dog honestly.


We got her in september and she was an oil slick then, except she was covered in dandruff too, which never came back after a bath.

Aside from the bath thing i think its awesome that she has a super shiny coat. Im going to look closer at everyone suggestions for shampoo.

Thank you everybody for the help

[digits mama]

Mine doesnt shed and I only get a few hairs off while brushing too...That is why I have to handstripp them..the hairs will "hold" even after they are dead. the follicle will then become a haven for bacteria which in turn creates the problem...

You wouldnt happen to have any pictures of her do you?

[Criosphynx]

Originally Posted by digits mama

Mine doesnt shed and I only get a few hairs off while brushing too...That is why I have to handstripp them..the hairs will "hold" even after they are dead. the follicle will then become a haven for bacteria which in turn creates the problem...

You wouldnt happen to have any pictures of her do you?

forgive my ignorance... is handstriping where you *pluck* out the hairs? That would probably work now that i think about it.

I was trying to find close up pics so everyone could see the coat im talking about, but maybe these will work. Also if anyone has any comments on breeds they see, i'd like the imput.

[digits mama]

Cute Dog!

Here is a picture of my 2 Cairns...Puddles has a longer coat than Iris.. I am noticing that Iris's coat is actually more dense. And its hard to decipher the dead hair from the undercoat. Which on puddles it is very easy..

Yes handstipping is where you pluck the hairs out..Hopefully Loves Sophie can tell from your pics if she would benefit from it. Im still a greenie

I could be wrong..but there may be a possibility she has some Cairn in her?




Good Luck!

[Graco22]

I am assuming she is the red colored short haired dog, the one you are having problems with. If so, I don't see any harsh coated terrier in her, as in needing to be hand stripped/plucked. She is a short haired, shedding coated dog, not a hand stripping coat. I don't really see any terrier at all, but with mixed breeds, some things just don't show thru. Nevertheless, you have to take each dog and coat as an individual. I would make sure you are using a correct brush for her coat. A slicker is going to be of little use on her coat. Better would be a rubber curry (like a horse curry), a grooma, a shedding blade, and a furminator/other carding tool. I guarantee she is a shedding dog, you just aren't getting any out at brushing time because she either isn't blowing much coat or (my guess) you don't have the best tool for the job. A very nice sturdy fine toothed metal comb will work well on those really thick spots too. She does have a very nice shiny coat and she sure looks like a nice friendly girl. Very cute.

Oh, and Digits, your Cairn puppy is ADORABLE! Both your dogs are just cute as can be! Love cairns, but then I am partial to terriers, having an airedale myself and specializing in terriers. They can be trying on your nerves sometimes, but that is what makes them special. lol

[Criosphynx]

Iam using a slicker brush, i also have a bristle brush that produced no results at all. If you think a curry will work, i'll give it a shot, but i never understood how those thing do much of anything, they look like they would just *rub* the dog

When i first brought her home i brushed her out using the slicker and got out alot of hair, so she definetly does shed, maybe its an easy once or twice a year thing? I haven't had her a full year yet.

How long can the hairs be on a *shorthair* dog? The hair on her body is over an inch long, and on the tail they are more like 3inches. Like i said she a wierd looking dog.


Sometimes i see beagle, som'times terrier, or even shnauzer, Her manerisms are very terrier, which is why i lean that way. The shelter had her listed as a "sheltie mix". Don't know what they were smoking.

Time for a DNA test i guess.

Another thing, all her teeth are busted out, so her bite sits *funny* so that makes it even harder to compare to breeds.

[Maggpie]

What A Cutie-pa-tootie :d

[Graco22]

Yeah, the slicker and the bristle brush= worthless on that type of coat. A curry will work well, the horse kind. They are generally black, oval shaped with nubby rubber teeth. (NOT like a "Grooma") You use them on short haired dogs in the direction the coat grows, but with a flicking motion. Does that make sense? Hard to describe. You can use decent pressure with them too, as they are rubber and kinda massaging. You will need to use a bit of elbow grease to loosen and remove the dead coat. If you get a Grooma, with the longer pointy rubber tips, you can use it in a circular motion, back and forth motion, and with the coat, again flicking when you go with the coat. I would probably start with the curry though, and maybe a shedding blade to finish up with. If she is super thick (though she doesn't look too thick) you may need to use the grooma, as the curry's teeth may not be long enough to penetrate thru the coat. Those rubber brushes do "just rub" the dog, but that is what you need. The rubber will grab the dead hairs and wisk them out with the flicking motion.

I don't think there is a true defitinition of what constitutes a short haired dog. Generally speaking, if the coat lays flat to the body, as your girl's does, they are short haired. Medium haired to me would be a papillon type coat, i.e. having "furnishings". She is smooth coated, even though the tail hairs are a bit longer, it is not a bushy tail, and I would still call her short haired for sure. When you get a chance to pet a lab, take a good look at their coats. You would be surprised how long a lab's coat really is, but it lays flat, hence short haired dog.

Shelters are funny, but the do the best they can, with sometimes inexperienced people "naming" dogs. I can see sheltie in the ears, maybe the coloring, and the longer hair on the tail, esp. the coloring there..but I don't think thats what mix she is, but you never know. Most likely, she is a mix of many dogs. A mix of mixed dogs. With that, you just don't know unless you do a DNA test.. LOL Most important thing is that she is sweet, and you love her, thats all that matters.

[Love's_Sophie]

Originally Posted by Criosphynx

Hi, i have what i hope isn't a stupid question.

I have a mixed breed dog about 25lbs, probably terrier mix, but basically, a generic dog.

Her coat is very very oily to the point where water beads off it ititially. She also LOVES to roll in dirt, so as a result i have a filthy oily dog that has doggy smell that i'm not really used too (my other three don't have an odor)

BUT at this point iam terrified to bathe her any more.

I do it every two months or so and not matter how much i dry her she gets these horrible hot spots above and around, and on her tail. Her skin is very oily too and it never seems to *dry*. We have tried several remedies, and basically the only thing that works is to shave her.

Now have this diseased looking dog that gets very odd looks wherever she goes.

Iam using an oatmeal shampoo currently.

Once shaved they heal up in about 2-4 days but i really am looking for a better solution.

My suggestion is to find a groomer her can hand strip her; to prevent the 'rat dog' appearance...it is also better for the terrier type coat.

Regarding the oily coat, I think you need to invest in a really good Citrus Shampoo; these cut through greasy coats beautifully. Therapet has a good one, I believe it's called CitrusPlus, as does Groomer's edge...I forget the name of their's though...geesh I just looked at it yesterday too!

Bathe her every two weeks...and MAKE SURE the groomer dries her THOROUGHLY! Or if you do her at home, you may want to invest in a hand dryer for pets...make sure she is dry from the 'bottom layer out'...

[Criosphynx]

I i went out t'night and purchased a shampoo with coal tar and aloe and OMG WOW.

The skin on her body has always been black (i thought it was pigment because it never came off even with scrubing) and after the bath i couldn't beleive it, she was normal peachy dog skin under whatever that *gunk* was. I didn't even really scrub hard. Amazing. Now i wait and see if she starts itching. So far so good tho.



Thanks again everyone for the imput.

it smelled like gasoline to me btw, i was like "pffheew, thats potent".

[Maggpie]

That is just great news! I hope she doesn't scratch and that things continue to improve with her!