Here we go again with Jacob

[Zara]

I was giving him a brush today, haven´t done it in a couple of days now, and discovered a wound on his head. Not sure what caused it, but it is round and the size of a dime (maybe a mm or two smaller). It doesn´t look good at all. It is right where he scratches, so maybe he nicked his skin scratching, and now he keeps scratching the scab off.
This dog has had it all, poor little guy. As a pup I noticed something was wrong and it turned out to be hip dysplasia, then a few months later he had an outbreak of sarna (demodex? the little bug thingy, vet said it was likely from his mum when drinking milk) on his cheeks. Then a year later, he had another skin condition in his manhood. Then he had a strange skin lesion on his side. And he´s a tail chewer.
So many skin problems!
I was told as a pup that chow chows are prone to skin conditions, but boy I wasn´t expecting so much.
Ugh, I really didn´t wanna have to go to the vet, especially with Jacob, I just hope I can go in with him or it will end badly
It´s 11pm right now, it´s not an emergency, he´s not bleeding, So we will go to the local vet in the morning. I´m done with his previous vet because the lovely ladies all left and I went there just before the pandemic got bad for a nail clip and the girl was terrified of him. So much so that she made me muzzle him, and then was shaking so bad she cut too short and made him bleed.

 

[Sodapop&Co.]

Aw man he's been through a lot. Hope he's all better soon.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Hope he will be OK.

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

Poor Jacob... I hope it will be all ok! Have you ever tried using one of those toenail grinders to do his toenails? It's what I use to do my dogs. They're all more frightened of the nail clippers more so than the grinders. It's messy with all the powder that comes off as you are grinding but you are less likely to cut the quick. I used to do our standard poodle too. He didn't like it much but I could get his nails done nicely. Much better than struggling with a big dog terrified of the clippers.

 

[Monaco]

It sounds like he gets hot spots. Are you able to change his food? I had to go through many, many adjustments to help Mr Theo's skin issues. There's no one thing that helps every doggo, but switching for elimination diets can guide you in the right direction. Start with corn, and try to move through the grains.

It's a disgusting mess, but I used an oatmeal mush on him several times to get things to a manageable place. At least he was a quarter of Jacob's size... Ugh the rinsing for all the hair was awful, but it made a huge difference.

I'm sorry he's having issues.

 

[Zara]

I couldn't imagine putting that on him because he takes hours to dry.
When he had the sarna in his cheeks I had to clean him 3 times a day give him pills and dry him and I would try to hold his face flaps open to let air in.

Here's a pic when he was getting better,


He healed very nicely, he had a little baldness for a few months but it all grew back perfectly,

Love this dog so much!

 

[Ankou]

OMG he's a giant teddy bear! I love him.
I'm so sorry, poor guy. I wish I had some useful ideas for you. There are over-the-counter hot spot sprays (in the US anyway) that sooth and aid healing, if you don't already have a better prescription on hand with his history anyway.

I know the pandemic situation is very serious but I wonder what vets could do right now to make it easier on the animals? Masks and isolation aren't a great combination for a nervous dog in a scary place or naturally suspicious breeds.
I had to take Axel to the vet near the start of this (he pinched a nerve in his shoulder probably) and they were coming out to cars with leashes, getting dogs, and bringing them in alone. Like... he isn't poorly behaved but he's a German shepherd and was absolutely not going to let masked people take him out of his car and then follow them into a building without me.
Instead of me coming in his doctor decided to do the appointment right there in the parking lot, I wore a mask but she had to take her's off so Axel wouldn't be so leery. I have no idea if something like that would work if your new vet were even willing to try it but it went alright, better than muzzling him and letting strangers drag him away anyway!

 

[Shezbug]

Poor Jacob.
It scares me more than anything to find a vet who wants your dog muzzled simply because they can't read your dogs body language. It is normally fairly simple to see which dogs you need to be extra careful around as a stranger manhandling them and which ones you can relax around, for a vet this should be extra easy.

The vet which is five mins from my house (probably less) I do not use for my dog as they saw her once when she was still a very young puppy and they made me muzzle her (wrong size muzzle which meant she was having trouble breathing properly and could not even poke her tongue out) which terrified and stressed her, when I took my smaller dog to see them who was more likely to bite/snap at a vet through fear I asked if they wanted him muzzled and they said no as he was a smaller dog, I actually had to keep myself between him and the vet so she did not get bitten. This made no sense to me at all.... a 6 month old puppy who walked in happy relaxed and wagging her tail had to be muzzled because of her breed mix but a shaking growling and snarling bleeding whippet is fine??
I take my dog to the vets that are about 45 mins away instead of the one just around the corner as the further vets are really good with her...... she tried to drag me out of the car and across the nature strip to greet the vet last time she saw her vet so that made me quite comfortable when I had to leave her over night as I knew she was not only well cared for but she was happy to be with them- when I picked her up she was roaming around the clinic doing as she pleased lol.
I never want her muzzled again unless it is actually necessary so I do not blame you for wanting to find another vet for Jacob. He kinda seems like my dopey big snuggle bug dog..... loving, laid back and too lazy to do anything but look for a scratch and a hug or a comfy piece of furniture to curl up on.

Hope you get Jacob sorted out very soon

 

[Zara]

I had to take Axel to the vet near the start of this (he pinched a nerve in his shoulder probably)

I hope he´s ok!

This made no sense to me at all.... a 6 month old puppy who walked in happy relaxed and wagging her tail had to be muzzled because of her breed mix but a shaking growling and snarling bleeding whippet is fine?

It is like that here. They just discriminate against the larger dogs.
The girl with the nail clip didn´t even ask about the muzzle, she said if he´s not muzzled she can´t clip his nails.

Today I went to the new (to us) vet. I walked right on in and there was no one there. Staff seemed to be a father son duo. The son greeted me and I told him what was going on. He went and spoke to the other vet. Then called me in. The elder of the two (likely his father) asked if Jacob bites. I told him, he´s never bitten anyone and he´s 7. But as this was a new vet, and this was the first time a man vet has handled him since the Xray day, I don´t want to be liable if the vet gets bitten and Jacob was scared/unsure, he had his tail between his legs. So the vet offered the muzzle and I put it on him - which, being a short nosed dog, he broke out of in quick succession. At this point the vet realised he was fine and not a threat, so I left it around his neck while the vet took a look.
Today this wound has dried over, likely because I hawkeyed him all night to stop him scratching.
He has said to clean with betodine, and has given me two courses of pills, antibiotics (amoxicillina) and something begining with D, I cannot read the writing.

I´ve brough Jacob home to relax, and I´ll nip out for the pills in a moment, the chemist is only across the road.
He weighed in at 33kilos.

All in all I don´t really know what it is. The vet said something about dermotitis - though that can mean anything.

Hopefully it clears up soon

 

[Ali]

Dacortihi That's what it looks like to me but it is a bit confusing...

EDIT Google has all the answers! I believe it is possibly this? Dacortin - Drugs.com

 

[Zara]

Looks like prednisone is used to treat almost everything! Jacob is still trying to cool down from being outside in the daytime.

 

[Clueless]

He's beautiful.

I had a German shepherd that didn't like people. He'd get his shots by me taking him into a kennel at the vet, passing his leash through the fence so someone could hold his head tight against the fence, the vet would slip in and give him a shot and then escape.

It's rough on vets. My fellow was sweet to 4 humans, the only ones he trusted.