Amazing skin

Just over a week ago, Katie was brought in for an issue with her left forelimb. A month ago, she had been playing with one of her friends when a tooth accidently caught her skin. It seemed to be healing well so she wasn't brought in to see me until she started chewing and licking the area.

We had a couple of treatment options. One was to do nothing (gross!), place a local anesthetic and debride the infected tissue or surgically remove. The problem with the last choice is the fact that once all the tissue was removed, it would be a tad difficult to close the defect.

Option two it was. The picture on the left shows what the leg looked like when she first came to see me. The middle picture shows what it looked like once the dead and infected tissue was removed (same day). I showed Katie's owner how to bandage it and they would need to be changed on a daily basis. The picture on the right is the incredible healing after just one week. I can't wait to see how much she's healed in two weeks!!!

And you thought your pet had a lot of dandruff!!!

This time of year it is very common for me to get questions regarding the amount of dandruff owners are finding on their animals. Alberta has such a dry climate and when it gets this wonderfully cold (heavy sarcasm!!!) their skin gets dry just like ours. Sometimes it is worth trying a fatty acid supplement (one with eicosapentoic acid gives the best results) or sometimes changing the diet. Please consult with your regular veterinarian to make sure it is appropriate for your pet.

Now, I would like to help you keep your dander frustration in perspective. I have a few clients who own Golden Retrievers who suffer from a condition called Ichthyosis. This is a congenital (inherited) skin disorder where the dandruff comes off as large flaking scales. The picture I have included is from one of my patients, who I’ve been asked to call “Cutie”. Cutie’s owners comb her out on a twice daily basis.

Ichthyosis can be fairly intense to deal with, in that we need to try foods that support the skin and a variety of supplements. There is also a new line of products to help owners control the amount of flaking – shampoo, spray and/or topical drops. Now, I am saying control, there is no cure for this disease.

At the moment, we know we have fairly good control of Cutie’s ichthyosis as her flakes are only 1cm in diameter. The combined dander from all four of my dogs is nothing in comparison!!!