# Smelly scaly rash on scotties back



## avz10 (Apr 3, 2010)

I have a 10 year old scotty, generally in good heath. She had a hysterectomy a few months ago for pyometra.
For 2 months now, she has a dry, scaly, non-itchy rash on her back, with big patches of normal skin inbetween. It does not trouble her. It has a terrible smell. She goes weekly to the parlour for a wash and brush and if necessary, the hair on her back is shaven (typical scotty cut). It sometimes look as if some pus/pimples develop under some of these scales, like a secondary infection.
I bought some Nizshampoo a while ago (ketoconazole), but a bottle will only last for 2 washes.
To me it looks like a fungal infection, but a scrape has not been done. I will take her to the vet next week.
The smell is really terrible- it is Easter in South Africa, so the vets are closed.
I was wondering if there is a mix of saline or bicarb of soda that I can spray on her back for the next few weeks.
If it is a fungal infection, I suppose she will need some Griseovulfin.

Some photos- do not illustrate it well!



































I can scrape and post a picture


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

she gets bathed weekly?

that seems excessive....it almost sounds like an excema.....

might need a cream.....i forget what it's called now....shoot, my vet prescribed it...

i used to have a scotty poo who had dry itchy skin...first, we treated it with a cream.....and we added olive oil to her diet and that seemed to work...

course, she was bathed every 6 - 8 weeks, not every week.


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## avz10 (Apr 3, 2010)

Yes, the natural dog smell got too much for my wife and the long hair was a problem not combed regularly as it is supposed to be. I'm the dog one at home, and usually looks after these things.

Some more photos of scrapes- look like bad dandruff:


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

man, that's some dead skin you've got there....or dead buggies or something...

take the scrapings and the dog to a vet and get some advice....maybe take your wife with you, too, since her distaste for natural smelling dogs might be part of the problem...

i can't tell just by looking at your photography, although it's good photography....but it seems to my naked untrained eye to be dandruff and if it is smelly, then there could be an infectious process going on...

about the only thing i can say with confidence is your baby is getting too many baths....and is losing the natural oils in her skin....also, what shampoo and conditioner are you using.....and you may want to pose this question in the dog grooming section....

there is a lot of knowledge in that group....someone might take a look at that and say exactly what it is....or at least point you in the right direction...


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## 5 s corral (Dec 31, 2007)

I agree with magicre could be many thing scarcopic mange and bactreial infection the vet needs to do a scrapping
jamie


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## avz10 (Apr 3, 2010)

Well, the scotty needs to go to the vet, but Im away until Wednesday, and thought I could get some ideas on the forum.

I mixed some water with a bit of salt and bicarb of soda last night and sprayed it in her back, for what its worth!

I will pose the question on the grooming forum 

Thanks!!


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

if by chance it is sarcoptic mange, then run, don't walk to get treatment. humans can get it and it's known by another name for us....scabies.

i don't know that it is and i'm not trying to...but i have found it cheaper to take the scrapings or fecal in to be looked at and then, if something is found, then take the dog in...it's cheaper....

as to a home remedy for that?

first, i'd stop bathing her once a week....second, i'd brush her...since she is your dog and she's a scottie, they have the fur that needs to be brushed...or it hurts them...

what you may want to do is go to a boutique dog store with your scottie and let them have a look at it.....not sure what you've got going on in south africa or if anything is open today...

not so sure that bicarb is the answer...but if it gets *****, then you are needing an antibiotic creme......

even a human one, but not in a petrolatum base....at least until you get her to a vet...

or better yet, leave it alone until you can get her to a vet on wednesday.

happy easter and please let us know.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

MagicRe said:


> if by chance it is sarcoptic mange, then run, don't walk to get treatment. humans can get it and it's known by another name for us....scabies.
> 
> i don't know that it is and i'm not trying to...but i have found it cheaper to take the scrapings or fecal in to be looked at and then, if something is found, then take the dog in...it's cheaper....
> 
> ...


It looks like a staph infection. A vet visit and some meds will get it cleared up. I would bath every other day with a coal tar/sulphur shampoo to get the scabs and dead skin off. Let her soak with it for 10 minutes. EZ Groom's Ultrasheen Medicated shampoo is my favorite. Regardless, a vet visit is in order, as you know. And bathing weekly is NOT too often. Pet shampoos are made for often bathing, its more important to be sure its completely rinsed.


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

Graco22 said:


> It looks like a staph infection. A vet visit and some meds will get it cleared up. I would bath every other day with a coal tar/sulphur shampoo to get the scabs and dead skin off. Let her soak with it for 10 minutes. EZ Groom's Ultrasheen Medicated shampoo is my favorite. Regardless, a vet visit is in order, as you know. And bathing weekly is NOT too often. Pet shampoos are made for often bathing, its more important to be sure its completely rinsed.


all due respect, i will agree to disagree about bathing....

but certainly when you can get the dog to the vet, please do so....a scraping of this sort could be anything...


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

MagicRe said:


> all due respect, i will agree to disagree about bathing....


She's right though, medicated dog/cat shampoos for skin conditions are supposed to be given 2 or 3 times a week until symptoms clear up.


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

Pai said:


> She's right though, medicated dog/cat shampoos for skin conditions are supposed to be given 2 or 3 times a week until symptoms clear up.


i don't know what is wrong with the dog, so i would not know what to advise....

when we got our dog, malia, she came to us with sarcoptic mange; and, yes, we had to bathe her daily and comb her poor skin two or three times a day..

but we knew what she had..

i disagree about bathing a dog weekly if their skin is healthy...and i think that overbathing can cause dry skin...since skin is the first line of defence for both humans and dogs, if the skin is too dry, then that immune defence is weakened and infections can get in, such as excema or staph infections....

washing the natural protection that skin offers....washing it away, in my opinion...which is why i respectfully disagreed....is counterproductive...but, again, this is my opinion...it's the opinion from my groomer and my experience throughout all the years i've owned dogs...especially a scotty....who is prone to dry skin...


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

I think with a quality shampoo AND conditioner, you can bathe a dog as often as you like. Cadence usually gets baths once a week, sometimes more. His fur and skin are completely fine. I load his fur up with conditioner every time, which helps. He also gets salmon oil which helps with his coat and skin as well.


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

lucidity said:


> I think with a quality shampoo AND conditioner, you can bathe a dog as often as you like. Cadence usually gets baths once a week, sometimes more. His fur and skin are completely fine. I load his fur up with conditioner every time, which helps. He also gets salmon oil which helps with his coat and skin as well.


i mean no offence to anyone, which is why i said i respectfully disagree


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

MagicRe said:


> i mean no offence to anyone, which is why i said i respectfully disagree


Many people still feel this way about regular bathing. It is an "old school" thought though, from back when shampoos and soaps contained lye and other drying and harsh ingredients. Washing your pets today weekly, daily, etc is no different than washing your own hair. Pet shampoos are made with ingredients now that keep in mind the natural oils, and do not wash them out, even with regular bathing. There are many different kinds of shampoos, and of course one shampoo is not meant for every dog, just as one human shampoo is not meant for every head. Conditioners are formulated to replace oils and such that may be lost from the coat and skin as well, and are a great addition to weekly bathing. Show dog are still, and have been for decades, washed weekly, to a few times a week, depending on their show schedules. If regular bathing was an issue, these dogs would not have shiny glossy coats, but instead dry, brittle coats and flaky skin, and that is just not the case. I see more skin issues on pets that are NOT bathed regularly than on dogs that are..and of course what you are feeding plays a much bigger part in what your dog's skin and coat health than bathing frequency.


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

Graco22 said:


> Many people still feel this way about regular bathing. It is an "old school" thought though, from back when shampoos and soaps contained lye and other drying and harsh ingredients. Washing your pets today weekly, daily, etc is no different than washing your own hair. Pet shampoos are made with ingredients now that keep in mind the natural oils, and do not wash them out, even with regular bathing. There are many different kinds of shampoos, and of course one shampoo is not meant for every dog, just as one human shampoo is not meant for every head. Conditioners are formulated to replace oils and such that may be lost from the coat and skin as well, and are a great addition to weekly bathing. Show dog are still, and have been for decades, washed weekly, to a few times a week, depending on their show schedules. If regular bathing was an issue, these dogs would not have shiny glossy coats, but instead dry, brittle coats and flaky skin, and that is just not the case. I see more skin issues on pets that are NOT bathed regularly than on dogs that are..and of course what you are feeding plays a much bigger part in what your dog's skin and coat health than bathing frequency.


i don't have show dogs, so i cannot comment with any degree of authority or knowledge. i still disagree, but bow to your experience...

i can only comment anecdotally.....and perhaps it is old school....but, since we are in 2010 and i still bathe my dogs every five to six weeks....and their coats are silky, glossy, shiny, and whatever adjective we could insert that is positive, then i shall stick to my 'old school' ways....

i do know that if i wash my hair every day, it becomes dry because of the type of hair i have...if i use soap every day when i shower, other than 'those' areas....my skin dries out.

is everyone like me? no.....and i am sure that everyone has their own story.

i had said from the start, that i will agree to disagree.....i do not feel you are educatiing me at this point...but i do feel you are trying to force your point of view down my throat and it is not necessary....

as to food...well, we have found a common ground where we agree most wholeheartedly.....


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

It's not an opinion, it's a fact. Any vet that presribes a medicated shampoo for a skin condition in a cat/dog will have you do it at MINIMUM once a week. There really isn't any 'variation' in that. Ask any vet.


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

Pai said:


> It's not an opinion, it's a fact. Any vet that presribes a medicated shampoo for a skin condition in a cat/dog will have you do it at MINIMUM once a week. There really isn't any 'variation' in that. Ask any vet.


in the beginning of this post, the dog was bathed every week because the wife did not care for the 'natural' dog smell.

i believe the discussion concerned the scrapings as can be seen in the picture...

if the vet prescribes a medicated shampoo, then, of course, the dog will be bathed more often...

my malia was diagnosed with sarcoptic mange and was dipped and bathed daily....in human terms she had scabies....

i really do not understand this.

in a healthy dog, it is MY OPINION that they do not NEED to be bathed once a week, that in MY OPINION, it can cause dermatologic conditions, that in MY OPINION, it is not necessary....

and, that's all i said...i DID NOT say that under medical circumstances or show conditions......that i had any experience or knowledge about the grooming practices or the veterinary recommendations, other than my experience with malia and her sarcoptic mange....

i don't know why i'm getting such flak over this....it's my opinion and the scope of the discussion was on healthy dogs, not dogs who require medical attention and how often a dog would be bathed under the supervision of a doctor.....

certainly, without being able to examine the dog, other than looking at pictures and reading about pus, my only recommendation that makes sense is to stop bathing the dog, so as to NOT SPREAD whatever the dog has UNTIL the person sees a vet...so the vet can prescribe an action.....and can diagnose that which i cannot.

please don't confuse an opinion about healthy dogs with great fur and my anecdotal experience with a dog who is displaying a dermatological condition for which only a vet is qualified to comment on.

if the dog has a contagious skin condition or one that spreads...bathing prior to seeing a vet would not be, IN MY OPINION, something I would do....

and i am only speaking for myself..

i will refrain from commenting further on this particular thread, as i do not wish to be part of a discussion that has nothing to do with what the original poster was asking.....and therefore distracts from the original statement that the original poster was making about his scotty.


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## Bones (Sep 11, 2009)

MagicRe said:


> if by chance it is sarcoptic mange, then run, don't walk to get treatment. humans can get it and it's known by another name for us....scabies.


That's not entirely true- humans can get scabies but not from dog mange

_Can you catch scabies from a dog or cat?

Dogs and cats are infected by different types of mites than those which infect humans. Animals are not a source of spread of human scabies. Scabies on dogs is called mange. When canine or feline mites land on human skin, they fail to thrive and produce only a mild itch that goes away on its own. This is unlike human scabies which gets worse and worse unless the condition is treated._


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

Bones said:


> That's not entirely true- humans can get scabies but not from dog mange





> Can you catch scabies from a dog or cat?
> 
> Dogs and cats are infected by different types of mites than those which infect humans. Animals are not a source of spread of human scabies. Scabies on dogs is called mange. When canine or feline mites land on human skin, they fail to thrive and produce only a mild itch that goes away on its own. This is unlike human scabies which gets worse and worse unless the condition is treated.
> 
> ...



this is what i just looked up.

from my personal experience with sarcoptic mange.

please join me for dinner (i'll even cook)

and i will show you the little scars that remain because my dog of five weeks crawled out of the ditch and was diagnosed with sarcoptic mange.

the emergency vet also said that we might itch a little, but that's it. he was wrong and the next vet confirmed that, as did the three weeks of itching for us.

we had to treat ourselves with scabies medication and we treated our home the same.

this was my experience.

my apologies if my experiences and old school habits....are not in keeping with what y'all know....

i really am...

but, i know what i've had and what i've anecdotally seen.......i do not claim to be an expert...and thank you for pointing out what is new, so i can now research the newness of the information.

i have dogs right now who are in a chronic diarrhea state, so i will go back to that...

i have not had to deal with dry itchy pus eruptive skin for ten years...so i guess i'm out of date....


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## avz10 (Apr 3, 2010)

Dear all

As things go, my mother in law died, so I was away for a week. Will attend to the rash soon!

Albie


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

i am so sorry to hear about your loss....prayers are with you and yours....


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