Wound care for my lgd

[Lynda V]

I need some advice on how to heal a wound that my Great Pyr has on her nose. It's from scratching at flies that sit on the end of her nose, which opens up the skin, which causes more flies to sit there, so she scratches more. It's a vicious cycle. The same thing happened last year. The vet gave her a course of antibiotics last time which healed the wound quickly. But this year the antibiotics aren't doing the job. Has anyone else had this issue with their outside dogs and,if so,what did you do to treat it?

 

[rachels.haven]

Not a dog person, but if it were a goat I'd find a way to spray her with livestock permethrin at the appropriate rate of dilution. We just got some for tick tubes and my goats that get bit. It has instructions for various animals and applications. I sprayed down a "tick suit" of clothes with an aerosol can of clothes and gear permethrin and I wear it in the woods. It works on ticks, stinking horse flies, and mosquitoes. The bugs bounce off -although the horse flies do try again and again, but can not win unless they come in contact with exposed unsprayed flesh.

 

[Lynda V]

Is it safe if she licks it? She does have a rather long tongue and can get at the top of her nose. Also, my male Great Pyr licks her nose as well.

 

[secuono]

Nothing really works except the dog learning to hide its face in tall grass or with its foot.
Eliminating flies on the property is another idea.

 

[rachels.haven]

I would try it sprayed lightly on my dog's coat at least if it were my dog-there are dog products on the market with permethrin as the active ingredient-but do ask a vet directly and do a fair bit of your own research to get a feel for how much is safe first. It is very dangerous to cats and fish. Supposedly if diluted way down correctly the 10% stuff can be used as a dip with the "*" to talk to a vet first if your dog is pregnant, elderly, or otherwise vulnerable-so it sounds like there's still a risk of toxicity so I'd talk to a vet no matter what. (eta: I would not spray this on an open wound directly no matter what though. It is a strong bug repellant, not a healing agent.)

However I KNOW you can clean up manure and waste hay, and then spray buildings and small areas of the dog's environment with it without concern for your dog once it's dried.

All this addresses the flies though, and not treating the wound. I wish she could be coned and the wound dressed and covered away from flies, but that sounds like therein lies the problem.

 

[Arnaki]

We use a medicated bag balm. Works well and the flies hate it. It's the red can not the green. Bought ours at tractor supply I think.

 

[Alibo]

We use Nu stock. Dogs do not like the taste and neither do the flies! I slather it on thick and rub it in gently so if some gets taken off there is still a barrier

 

[AmberLops]

Bag balm would work well, as @Arnaki mentioned...Vaseline would work too.
You need something that will coat the wound and keep the flies off of it.
I bought AluShield for a terrible wound on my rabbit last week...I don't know if it's safe for use in dogs. It does say small and large animals...it's worth looking into. It coats the wound with aluminum and nothing can get in or on the wound. Works wonders!!

 

[secuono]

Nothing really works except the dog learning to hide its face in tall grass or with its foot.
Eliminating flies on the property is another idea.

Everything topical was immediately licked off, by itself or others around him/her.
Sprayed/rubbed head & added fly tag to collar. But dog finding relief under grass worked best.

 

[Alibo]

Ooh what about Blue Kote? Sticks on forever. I use it on my chickens and quail because it hides the red colour from the flies and other picking poultry