Irritation on my whippet

[Cash_Dolly]

Can anyone help. My little whippet girl has some red "sores" almost like a rash and some sort of yellow headed spots on the belly and chest. Any ideas what it could be? I am thinking it may be after running along the edge of the crop field? I can phone the vet in the morning but don't think it's cause for an emergency vet. I'd appreciate any advice thanks 

 

[dogmatize]

Hello cash dolly. I would suspect that it is a reaction to an environmental irritant but I would naturally get the vet to have a look if you're worried. We used to have a whippet who would run off into the woodland and come back with her face all swollen from a reaction to Geranium Robert which we have a lot of. We used to give her antihistamine to help. I  think I would wash the area off and If It looks sore put on ointment to Soothe- but I'm sure you've done all that already☺

 

[eingana]

Yep, that looks like a grass/pollen/crop spray/whatever allergy to me too.  I get a random rash that's very similar occasionally, and even after about 25 years of it neither the doctor nor I have any idea what makes it come and go so suddenly.

The last time it covered my whole head and my torso down to just under my armpits, and it stayed for about 10 days, then disappeared for no apparent reason.  Nothing seemed to make any difference to it although antihistamines did ease the itching.

Of course, after it had gone there then followed about 4 weeks of really dry and flaky skin, which was the layers that had been damaged by the rash coming up to the surface.  I suspect you'll see the same with your lass once the rash has subsided.

In the event that you need to give a dog an antihistamine, chlorphenamine (original Piriton, not Piri-anything else though) is safe to use in dogs at one tablet a day for larger dogs, half a tablet for smaller dogs.  You can buy these over the counter at a pharmacy and it's worth having a pack in the cupboard if she turns out to have a rash regularly.

 

[JoanneF]

You could also rub in some coconut oil to relieve any irritation - the advantage is the there's no harm if she licks it off.

 

[Cash_Dolly]

Hi all.  Thanks for your replies.  I put some coconut oil on it last night and gave her piriton (I have loads of the stuff as Cash gets it daily for his hayfever) and it is already looking much better!  I guess it to be some kind of irritation of something as she likes a wee galavant in the woods and as we are on the farm she walks the edges of the fields which do get sprayed.  I have now worked out a different root to avoid long grass/fields/too many exciting raking places lol!