For the first time this season I swam my dogs. The water is still cool. I dried them off as much as possible. And like always, they got the itchies. . . a precursor for a bacterial crusting down the back. I have some Vetericyn Wound and Infection Care and sprayed that down their backs. Hopefully, that will stop the progression. What can I do next time to prevent it? I so much want my dogs to enjoy the water.
We have a boy nicknamed Stinky Pond Dog. He is in the pond as soon as the ice is out.
We have found that he needs a full bath after each swim or he gets either a skin or ear infection.
We keep a stack of towels by the hose along with either a bar of dog soap or a shampoo that will not strip the oils. When he is done, he gets a few drops of drying agent in his ears.
So far so good this year.
Isopropyl Alcohol,, I was at the pool one day and saw some lady putting drops into her ear afterwards, asked what it was and she said her doctor had given it to her, it was Isopropyl Alcohol. Witch Hazel would work well too, for the ears and for the coat.
There is a product called Fungisan, it is used with the horses to clear up rain rot,but it's labeled for dogs too,this you can just pour on after you hose off.
Ear cleaner solution works well also. So does Seabreeze (facial product for humans). Both have alcohol in them, just not straight, which is what is the "drying agent". Good Luck!
These are the two drying agents our vet has given to us over the last two years.
#1) Vet Solutions Swimmer's Ear Astringent manufactured by Vetoquinol. Website is vetoquinolusa.com It is a gel, which is a bit easier to control, but it sounds like a ketchup bottle.
#2) Virbac Epi-Otic It's sold as an ear cleanser but it is listed as cleansing, drying, and non irritating. Our vet suggested this one just recently. It's a very thin liquid.
