Coat question. Fleas?

Let's see if I can describe what's going on. You know when dogs blow their coat and you can see the the clumps of hair on their coat and just pull them out? Well, I've noticed that on Diesel and Grace lately. First, Diesel's done blowing his coat - he just did in June/July. Second, Grace is single coat and doesn't blow her coat. So it was odd - even more odd was when I'd pull out the clump of hair (it fell out, I didn't really pull) and at the base of the clump was a scab.

So, I started looking, checking for fleas. I haven't given flea preventative since probably fall 2009 or winter 2010. When Kayla was diagnosed with DM, I stopped using Frontline because there's some belief that Frontline makes DM progress faster. So, I started wondering if they had fleas. But I don't see fleas on them. I don't see flea dirt. I've put the scabs on wet tissue and it doesn't turn red, like I've seen with flea dirt. So I don't know that it's fleas. Plus, they're not itching (well, Grace always itches, so she's not itching anymore than usual) like they have fleas.

Anyway, it's not large clumps of hair coming out and it's not like they're covered in these scabs. But it's just so odd to me that they both have it.

Anyone ever seen this before or have any ideas what it could be? Diesel has a vet appointment tomorrow, so I'm going to mention it to him and get his thoughts, but thought I'd check PA first!

That's odd! The only time I've had small clumps of hair with a scab is when they've had a little boo-boo of some sort. And it sounds like yours have more than that. I'll be interested to see what the vet says tomorrow.

Could it possibly be dirt? we've been having our share of mud season here. Even after wiping Clara off and bathing when it's really bad,I can still find a granule of dirt. I thought the same thing as you with the fleas,but it wasn't.



Trish

Hmm, with Grace, I wouldn't be surprised if it were dirt, but not with Diesel. Grace will happily roll around in dirt, but Diesel doesn't really roll around on the ground at all.

I've just become paranoid that it's fleas because it's been so long since I used Frontline. And I've debated giving them Frontline and seeing if it goes away, but it's been so nice not using chemicals on them that I'm really leery to start using it again.

It will be interesting to see what the vet says. Fingers crossed it's not fleas. I hate using chemicals on my crew also.



Trish

The vet said it's a skin infection that causes the hair follicles to fill with puss, then the pustules rupture and scab over. (Or something like that - I think that's how he explained it!) Anyway, he said it will typically resolve on its own, sometimes requires antibiotics. He thinks both Grace and D's are resolving on their own and don't require antibiotics. So thankfully it's nothing and my paranoia about fleas is unnecessary!!

Oh, and for fun, Diesel has an ear infection. Hmmm, maybe that's why he was so irritated with me cleaning his ear last weekend. But I had no clue, he never showed any symptom whatsoever.

Folliculitis. I assume? Here's blurb about it--again, mostly a staph infection (I seem to be obsessed with staph these days....)

Cause: Most commonly, Staphylococcus (“staph”)
bacteria, usually secondary to other skin disorders such as allergies,
demodicosis (mange), endocrine problems, trauma, foreign bodies, and
many others.
Symptoms: Shorthaired dogs often have
patchy hair loss, tufts of hair raised above the coat surface and/or
reddish or brown “staining” of white hairs. Longhaired dogs may have
more subtle symptoms, including scaly skin, dull coat, and excessive
shedding. Regardless of coat type, clipping may be necessary to fully
reveal the extent of the disorder. The underlying skin lesions include
bumps, pimples, crusts, or scales occurring singly, in clusters, or over
large areas; reddened circular hairless areas with or without darker
pigmentation in the center; scaly or crusty skin may surround the
individual lesions in a circular pattern (epidermal collarettes). The
degree of itchiness varies from intense to non-existent.

Treatment: Oral antibiotics for three
to four weeks or longer, depending on the response; antibacterial
shampoos; antibacterial ointments or sprays. Because superficial
bacterial folliculitis occurs secondary to other disorders,
identification and concurrent treatment of the underlying cause are
essential for successful resolution.