dickelliott Posted November 6, 2015 Report Share Posted November 6, 2015 Has anyone ever come across this before?? Springer spaniel with an alergic reaction to brambles??? Whenever she comes into contact with brambles her belly and chest comes up in these horrible white pussy spots. Doesn't bother her one little bit but the wife spends an hour in the evening popping the spots. puss comes out, spots go away within a couple of hours, no problems. Great little springer, hunts like a demon but a pity about the reaction to the brambles. At the moment she works mainly picking up on partridge days but also does a couple of days a week on pheasants. Anyone have ANY ideas on how to de sensitise her to brambles.........my vet hasn't a clue, she has never come across this before and i have never seen it. Any help much appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinach Posted November 6, 2015 Report Share Posted November 6, 2015 Isn't it more likely to be skin flora, that when scratched sets up a local infection. Try washing with chlorohexadene. Is she an itchy dog! Are these mainly on her soft belly and inner thighs? None on her nose or ears? I'm sure a medicated shampoo from the vets would help. A hot compress with saly water might be better than popping them but probably less fun. John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dickelliott Posted November 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2015 Hi John, You are correct, nothing on her ears or nose but loads on her soft belly and inner thighs.No she is not an itchy dog at all. Never heard of "skin flora" what the hell is that? Medicated shampoo would probably help but what i really need is a way of stopping it in the first place. Keeping her away from brambles is not an option for a working dog ha. No sill coat suggestions either but any other ideas that may help would be welcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbird Posted November 6, 2015 Report Share Posted November 6, 2015 Ah mine all get that at the beginning of the season, don't know why but their skin seems to toughen up after a while and they don't get them after that. Wouldn't worry, just keep the area as clean as you can, but don't use anything harsh that could strip the natural oils and soften the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crichbish Posted November 6, 2015 Report Share Posted November 6, 2015 My clumber suffered with the same thing last spring, twice daily bathing in diluted hibiscrub for 2 weeks cleared it up. Don't be tempted to stop treatment early, you need to clear the bacteria. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loriusgarrulus Posted November 6, 2015 Report Share Posted November 6, 2015 We use Dermopt shampoo on our terrier who has an ichy skin. Works well on him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted November 6, 2015 Report Share Posted November 6, 2015 Try a jacket on the dog until the problem passes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted November 6, 2015 Report Share Posted November 6, 2015 Isn't it more likely to be skin flora, that when scratched sets up a local infection. Try washing with chlorohexadene. Is she an itchy dog! Are these mainly on her soft belly and inner thighs? None on her nose or ears? I'm sure a medicated shampoo from the vets would help. A hot compress with saly water might be better than popping them but probably less fun. John. Without doubt this. The small scratches from the brambles allow skin bacteria to enter. Usually, dependant on severity an antibacterial shampoo twice a week works well, keep it on the dog for 10 min or you may find a topical spray containing chlorhexidine is sufficient to control it. Hibiscrub and the spray worked on mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinach Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Dickelliot, Sorry for using skin flora I couldn't "and can't" remember the word I was looking for ! It just means the normal bacteria,yeasts, viruses that normally live quite happily on your skin without causing any problem. The trauma of tiny scratches kicks the immune response and therefore pus. Often just the immune system needs to be introduced once for it to be a problem just once as it'll be remembered. Hope your springer bounces back!! John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dickelliott Posted November 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Hi everyone, Just like to say a big "thank you" to everyone who has comented about this problem. Special thanks to Spinach for his comments and help. I now know what the problem is and how to sort it out once and for all. Thanks again everyone Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Regular swimming in sea water cures a lot of skin conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 You could get the dog a bramble vest. I use to use them on my pointers. NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Dickelliot, Sorry for using skin flora I couldn't "and can't" remember the word I was looking for ! It just means the normal bacteria,yeasts, viruses that normally live quite happily on your skin without causing any problem. The trauma of tiny scratches kicks the immune response and therefore pus. Often just the immune system needs to be introduced once for it to be a problem just once as it'll be remembered. Hope your springer bounces back!! John. Your term is the common one and Flora is often used to describe a host of organisms that live on and in the body. For the purists skin microbiotica would be the better choice, but for the common man "skin flora" and "gut flora" suffice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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