Cocker Spaniel - Sensitive Skin

Question
Dear Delores,  I have just spent over 2 hours reading a lot of your questions and answers.  Let me first thank you for all the wonderful things I have read,  You are a true blessing.  We have a lovely 2 year old male cocker spaniel named Buddy.  After my readings I will try switching his food to canned Canidae, he has been eating Wellness Lamb flavor dry. He has been licking his paws a lot, he seems to be doing it more with this hot weather. He is prone to a couple ear infections a year.  I do clean them and use drops to prevent  infections.  His ears do feel warm.  I have been doing a lot of on line researching and I found this Nzymes.com. site.  I was wondering if you have heard of it and what you think of it?  It is used for many things.  I was wondering if this may help our little guy.  He seems very uncomfortable today.  I will try the Aveeno bath too, I do bath him once a week.  He has been to the vet within the last month for runny stools, they said a parasite.  He has been to the groomer a few days ago and he has a puppy short cut all over.  He seems to be itchy all over, but his front paws seem to be the worse.  I have even put on some Mometamax which was perscribed to him before for his ears and they said to put some on his paws as it is a yeast infection.  Well after reading all you great advice to others I thought I would ask you what you think.  Thanks, Sharon

Answer
Thank you, Sharon.

Yes, I've heard of and read up on Nzymes.  I could find no scientific support for it - however a lot of people swear by it.

Now..Buddy's paw licking is probably due to an allergy.  I'd first try soaking his paws  twice a day in an oatmeal soak just to see if that alleviates things for him.  I use Aveeno oatmeal but a generic is okay too as long as it's 100% pure colloidal oatmeal.  It comes in packets of powder - fill the tub up enough to cover his paws and mix in one packet (tepid water) and then "sit there" with him (feels like an hour) for 10 minutes.  Do not rinse off - just pat his paws dry.

For ear problems there's an amazing product called Zymox which you'll have to order from EntirelyPets.com.  There's a cleaner and two different meds.  I'd get them all.  This is a new approach to ear infections and the Dermatologists just love this product because it doesn't matter if it's yeast - viral - bacterial - it works on everything

I'd really like to know about this loose stool problem and how your vet diagnosed a parasite?  Did you take in a stool sample (kind of hard with diarreah :) ?

Also, if it is a yeast infection in his paws (and that can only be determined with a swab) dipping his paws daily in a mix of 1/2 water and 1/2 plain white vinegar will kill the yeast.

Generally itchy dogs respond well to bathing and I'd like to know his general skin condition.  Dry - flaky - oily - any odor?

A lot of vets instantly reach for drugs when a less harmful approach would do the trick.  So try the oatmeal soak to relieve the itching (morning and night) and mid-day I'd do a vinegar/water soak.
I just use a small container and have my husband hold the dog up with paws dangling and dip each paw till it's soaked..takes a minute.

I'd also like to know what shampoo you're using - the right one can do wonders.  Plain old Selsun Blue (any supermarket/drugstore) would help - wet and shampoo paws & leave on for 5 minutes - rinse well.

But try one thing at a time and I'd start with a bath followed by an oatmeal soak that gets to any itchy parts.  It's trial & error.

Also - when you bath - the rinsing is key.  When you think you've rinsed enough, do it 10 more times.  Any shampoo left on him will make things worse and the water hydrates his skin (as does the oatmeal soak).

The first goal is get Buddy comfortable.  And do NOT put anything on his paws that would be dangerous to ingest.

Delores