Posted on 03/05/2023 5:26:42 AM PST by knarf
Our black Lab, Bubba, is about 80 pounds and because of being preoccupied with my own physical ailments, we've sort of neglected our best friend and compatriot.
I've been all over the internet and there seems to be a pretty good selection of shampoos (our decision as to the best way to attack the problem) that promise the best and most effective/sweet smelling and etc.
We live in rural SW Pennsylvania and the winter has been mild enough for Bubba to be outside a lot.
We've tried a shampoo which seemed to work but the itching keeps coming back.
We're committed NOW to shampoo him 2 or 3 times a week (if needed) in order to give Bubba relief.
FReepers are the smartest people on the planet so I'd like your input.
Give him a decent amount of vitamin c EVERY DAY. You can do capsules or powder. Chances are very high he does not have mange but he has MRSA or a skin infection related to the flea bites. The vitamin C will go a huge way in getting rid of those hot spots and infections in his skin. Get rid of the fleas and that’ll help a lot. You probably will have to use one of the expensive flea spot ons you buy the vet or the Petco
Use Dawn dish soap. It pretty much kills fleas on contact. The degreaser destroys the flea’s breathing membrane. It’s doesn’t get rid of the eggs though. The bigger issue is the fleas in the house that are not on the dog. They will be harder to get rid of. An egg can stay in a dry place for a very long time and when the conditions are right they hatch again.
Go to the vet, get Vectra, or other flea med. Tractor Supply might gave something. There is a certain point where shampoos will not work and the dog will develop an allergy to flea bites.
Also, vacuum and clean the house, especially bedding where the dog sleeps.
We live in the country and have had success with getting shots at the Vet. Our dog has never had fleas because of the shots. However, trips to the Vet are very expensive these days, so perhaps a good flea powder might help. One caution though is don’t bath him too much because it takes his natural oils and protections away.
If you shampoo him 2-3 times per week, you might dry his skin out, which would make things worse. Get rid of the fleas first, then see what you’ve got.
Also, fleas are an intermediate host for tapeworms. Get rid of the fleas & get the dog checked for tapeworms. I had this issue with a kitten I took in from ‘the wild’ who was infested with fleas. You will likely have to treat your house if you let the dog in (carpets, dog bed, any furniture if the dog gets on it). The stuff I used at the time kept fleas eggs from hatching. Eventually, the fleas were gone & since the cat(s) were indoors, the fleas/tapeworms did not recur.
The Relationship Between Fleas & Tapeworms
https://www.infurmation.co.za/articles/the-relationship-between-fleas-and-t
If he is inside at all, you might need to treat your carpets. Diotomatrous earth works on the carpet.
I’ve had labs for many years, and currently have two silver labs. They are known for having skin disorders, several that look like mange, but are not.
First, get rid of the fleas. Check your ankles for bites as if the dog has fleas, they are most likely in your house too.
I don’t give them the flea pills as their skin is so sensitive it makes the rash worse. I use the liquid that you put on the back of their neck.
I simple trick to get them out of your house that is far better than sprays or dusts. Put about a half inch of water and some dish detergent in a cookie sheet and set it on the carpet. Now hang one of those clamp on lights with the aluminum shield over the cookie sheet, about 12 inches up.
The light attracts the fleas and they drop into the soapy water. I’ve seen it look like a pepper shaker was dumped into it in the morning it attracts that many fleas.
The labs diet is most likely causing the skin irritations. Too much corn and other grains for labs will cause breakouts. I started giving mine more fats and oils.. chicken skin, or just dumping vegetable oil on their feed. Put some olive oil on their skin... fish oil is best but it’s much more expensive.
A meat based diet would be better than dry dog food, but is usually cost prohibitive.
Recently, my lab developed skin sores that swelled up like cysts. It was a type of yeast infection and quickly cleared up with antibiotics.
Here is an article that might help.
Skin And Coat Issues In Labrador Retrievers
https://seapet.com/skin-and-coat-issues-in-labrador-retrievers/
Tell them Dr. Fauci sent you.
If you begin a flea and tick treatment for the dog be wary of Frontline. I used the product for decades successfully until last year. The vet told me the pests seem to be developing a resistance to it. I picked ticks off my German Shepard for a month before I changed. Unfortunately, one of the ticks carried Lyme Disease.
ivermectin
cheap and effective
We have two Labs and they sleep on our covered back porch in their houses. 2 years ago we got a very bad infestation, these were biting fleas I have never seen before. Very aggressive, eating flesh off the ears and places they could not reach them to kill them.
I bought a gallon of that spray, it was not sold in a smaller container. Think it was just shy of $30. Then we bought a round end stock tank and dip bathed the Labs in regular dog shampoo. We locked the dogs out of their sleeping area, swept all debris, through out their bedding, sprayed the inside of their dog houses. Then sprayed all of the surface on the patio. That did the job, we thought.
Suddenly the flees migrated into our sun room, next to the patio that the dogs sleep on. It is carpeted, we thought, OH NO.
Well, I sprayed all of the carpet in that room thinking the battle would never end.
But it did. We had no reinfection and to this day I have not seen a flee on the dogs.
We do periodically put flea drops on the labs. It is not normally needed in the winter.
This flea killer works.
Mange?
Jeez, that’s rough. Your best option is to take him to the vet and have them prescribe something. DIY solutions tend to be preventative and probably won’t have the results you want/need. You need to address this fast, directly and with some significant power.
Then you need to address the issues in the home that would cause this all to come back.
Cool trick with the light and water. Wish we had known about it awhile back.
We have had great luck with bravecto. Frontline and such no longer work around here
The fleas jump at the heat from the lamp, as though it is an animal. Works fabulous..
if he has some red sores/hotspots - i always used baby diaper cream on my dog and they dried up right away.
Only if they are in a spot he won’t/can’t lick it off. Good luck Bubba.
Dinovite!!
Our little pug was on it for years. Never another skin “mess” after she started it.
I’ve taken to using appropriately dosed horse paste with my dogs in lieu of Filari-bits as a result of learning a lot about Ivermectin starting in Spring 2020. It’s a whole heck of a lot cheaper.
Whenever spraying try to work from the inside outward.
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