Dukes got a few issues

I"m not at home but I know it's in the archives here in a million places - but search for "Blue Power Ear" solution -- it's boric acid, plain rubbing alcohol and gentian violet (all 3 easy to find at a drug store).  The boric acid never "dissolves" - you mix it up, transfer it into a squeeze bottle and shake/squirt in the ears.  Massage with the ear flaps down for a full minute and then let the dog shake his head.  It will sling the junk out without rubbing.

Those look allergy related (it's spring -- probably spring greening/atopic allergies) because that often tends to make mucus membranes like ears get red and the scratches indicate that he's a bit uncomfortable.  The Blue Power is gentle but it really soothes and it kills a yeasty ear infection better than anything.  It will deal with *very mild* bacterial infections but not bad ones so if this doesn't clear the ears up in 2 weeks THEN have the vet do a culture and sensitivity on the ears to get him on the *Right* antibiotic if it's warranted.

If you can fnd Thuja Oil (it's an essential oil but not easy to find sometimes) that can really help "weird skin' like that.  You can try some tea tree oil -- sometimes skin like that on the elbows is a bit of a fungal infection.  But the Thuja is better if you can find it.  Thuja is a type of cedar tree -- but it's great for skin stuff.

Thanks Callie! I found the PDF and I'm going to the drugstore later today to see if I can find the ingredients. I'll let my dad know to see his vet if it doesn't clear up in two weeks. I'm not sure if its seasonal, my dad said its all the time sort of thing and when I cleaned his ears last night it was solid brown stuff. I just hope this helps him, looks pretty painful.

Hmm Thuja Oil, never heard of that before, I'll check the health store tonight too while I'm at it and see if they have it.

 Thanks again!

Thuja can be tough to find -- usually you can find it online. 

When you get the gentian violet -- you do **not** need the 2% -- the 1% solution is FINE.  But you may need to ask the pharmacy "where it is".  Typically they keep the 2% behind the counter down here but you don't need that one (*and it's about 5 times more expensive!!)

gentian violet is kinda old timey stuff -- it's what they have traditionally used for babies with thrush (mommy/baby yeast infection?  Can be pretty painful for a nursing mother, and they paint the baby's mouth with it.

It is BEYOND PURPLE -- it is like dye.  So you will want to use this **outside** cos when he shakes his head he'll sling purple stuff everywhere.

**however** if you get it on your hands or on his ears, plain old alcohol on a tissue will get it off.  (altho my dogs love the attention when they go around with purple ears.  All the teenagers think it looks great LOL).

Boric acid is another "old timey" kind of thing -- it's marked "poison" all over it (and you don't want them licking it up if you spill it).  But it's fine to use topically.

Boric acid is a calmative.  Historically it was used in eye washes because it's so great at calming things like sore eyes.  I have some pretty major psoriasis and the itching beomces unbearably intense.  Right now while I'm typing I'm soaking my feet in boric acid and water.  Like a teaspoon to 2 gallons of water?  But it saves my sanity. 

That's why it helps in the Blue Power solution -- it takes the itch away.

You'd think the alcohol would burn but it really doesn't.  I have actually used the Blue Power solution in **my own** ears.  I can get ear infections darned easily and I've put it in my own ears so I can tell you it doesn't burn and it soothes incredibly well!!  But it IS messy.  (and *grin* I prefer to use a Q-tip to wipe out my own ears rather than shaking my head -- my ears don't flop well enough **rotf lmbo**)

Kindredspirits

This is on both elbows and turned dark red/ purple when I bathed him

Looks like a hygroma - http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2111&aid=2861

Here is a product designed to help with that problem - DogLeggs - http://www.dogleggs.com/files/adjustable.cfm

  The amount of calories would depend on his activity level.   Generally, you want between 20 to 40 calories per pound of body weight.   If I'm trying to reduce a dog's weight I do it very gradually and I watch the treats which can really add up.  I also try and increase exercise for the dog.  I like to keep dogs prone to HD lean and the older a dog gets the harder it is to get the weight off due to arthritis issues and overall stamina.  Duke's a gorgeous dog and I hope you can help get him in a little better shape. 

ETA that it's hard to give a guess about what his ideal weight should be.  I would think he should be around 75-85 lbs at 27" but that could vary depending on his musculature and his skeleton. 

calliecritturs

  (and *grin* I prefer to use a Q-tip to wipe out my own ears rather than shaking my head -- my ears don't flop well enough **rotf lmbo**)

Bahaha thanks for the laugh Callie LOL!

I'm just waiting on my dad, hes 'hesitant' to try this, so I'm not buying it until he gets home from camp, which is later tonight. I want him to read your post and the .pdf I found. Sounds like this will be a GREAT thing for Duke. I'm kinda nervous about the Thuja though, I did some reading and it sounds pretty dangerous. Could possibly burn sensative skin? Anywho, if its what Janet said would tea tree oil work?

janet_rose

Kindredspirits

This is on both elbows and turned dark red/ purple when I bathed him

Looks like a hygroma - http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2111&aid=2861

Here is a product designed to help with that problem - DogLeggs - http://www.dogleggs.com/files/adjustable.cfm

Thanks Janet, I`m not sure it is that, I mean it could be. I googled pictures and they all looked raw, swollen and seeping. Dukes is like a callous looking thing. I won`t say its not that though. Definitely something my dad can mention to his vet int he very least.

JackieG

  The amount of calories would depend on his activity level.   Generally, you want between 20 to 40 calories per pound of body weight.   If I'm trying to reduce a dog's weight I do it very gradually and I watch the treats which can really add up.  I also try and increase exercise for the dog.  I like to keep dogs prone to HD lean and the older a dog gets the harder it is to get the weight off due to arthritis issues and overall stamina.  Duke's a gorgeous dog and I hope you can help get him in a little better shape. 

ETA that it's hard to give a guess about what his ideal weight should be.  I would think he should be around 75-85 lbs at 27" but that could vary depending on his musculature and his skeleton. 

Thanks Jackie! I was thinking around the 75lbs mark too. I get to watch him for a few days next week too and I`m going to take him to my vets office to get weighed, I am curious to see how big he really is. For now for exercising should I just do light walks or do you think its safe for him to come jogging with me? I don`t really know where a good starting point would be, so any suggestions are always appreciated :D

Thanks again ladies!

 edited for spelling lol

Thuja's going to be too hard to find and generally it's not very strong in the topical oils.  If it's fungal then tea tree would be the first thing I'd go to.

See the "blue stuff" you get from the vet can actually be dangerous and it's HARD to get them to shake it out.  Some dogs can be allergic to it and it can turn the ears bright red (I had a dog highly allergic to it and they use that stuff in all sorts of veterinary "cleansing" stuff).

The Blue Power stuff is gentle and effective.  When I first got Billy his ears were swollen shut from allergies and infections.  There was a deep bacterial infection so my vet could NOT use the blue stuff (it can make them deaf if it crosses the ear drum barrier) so once we did the initial course of ear antibiotics I went to the Blue Power Solution and it **TOTALLY** cleared his ears. 

My vet's often known to recommend it to folks that are on limited incomes because it's danged cheap.  The boric acid is not at all dangerous in the ear.  You just don't want to drop a whole bottle of it on the floor and let the dogs lick the powder. 

But it's a marvelous calmative and it will put and end to the digging in the ears that's causing that scratching (you can see where he's scratched his ears and drawn blood).

It's only real disadvantage is that it's messy so do it outside and let him shake his head out there.