Sores and Rashes

First-aid treatments may be divided into problems that you can deal with yourself, and treatments to carry out to keep the problem to a minimum before you take the dog to the veterinary surgeon.

A dog may get a sore place or a rash through chewing itself. Many dogs will chew their skin raw if there is an itch. The dog may get a rash from insect bites - typically flea bites, from skin contact with irritants such as nettles, or as an allergic response to an external or internal substance.

It is often difficult to tell to what extent the sore area is caused by the irritant or is self-inflicted as a result of the irritation. The object of treatment, whether your own first aid or your veterinary surgeon's, is to eliminate the cause, before attempting to cure the effect.

If a dog has been scratching itself a little more than usual, the commonest cause is the presence of fleas. Fie never come singly. If you see a flea, there will definitely be others.

One or two may be sufficient to start the cycle off. The answer is to treat fleas (see External Parasites), and problem will usually disappear. If doesn't, a soothing cream, such as rescue cream, will be sufficient.