Skin problems on my Aussie

Question
Hello, I was hoping you could give me some insight on this issue. I have just recently noticed that my three year old aussie mix Orion has quite a few scaley, crusty spots on his underside (belly, groin, and in his "armpits")... They are small (the size of a dime maybe), aren't very red, and they aren't accompanied by hairloss - they resemble scabs, with dark flaky matter coming up off the skin underneath. A few look as though they might be a little irritated (inflamed, swollen) but he hasn't been itching at them. I recently shaved him to help with his shedding, and I noticed them a few days later (his hair now being short enough for me to see the skin)... Is this an irritation to being shaved, or something more? I figured that it was probably just senstive skin reacting to being groomed, or possibly the newly exposed skin reacting to sawdust or something else (he was hanging out with my husband in the garage several days while working,) but I remembered that my mother's shepherd mix has had the same thing for a long time and they've never been able to get rid of it (my dog and her's lived in the same house and were playmates for a year.) so now I'm worried. Any ideas?

Answer
Hi Cheri and thanks for your question.

I honestly don't think it's a reaction from the grooming, but more probably, a existing condition that you can now see.

It sounds like some type of dermatitis that could be coming from a yeast or fungal infection. The sawdust is a possiblity as wood does have componants in it (preservatives) that could cause a sensitivity or other condition.

Try using tea tree oil (mixed 50/50 with distilled water) and apply this (with a spray bottle) to the affected areas 2x/day for 10 days. If they don't start to clear in this amount of time, then you may want to schedule a vet visit. You will want to note that if these areas begin to become especially red or inflammed, a vet visit is in order. These types of things can (not will, but can) turn into staph infections of the skin and take forever to clear up.

One other thing you might want to try would be using a tiny dab of desitin (diaper rash cream) to each spot and rub it in well. Don't over use it though.
Zinc is an important mineral for healthy skin and many dogs can benefit from a zinc supplement. You can have your vet check your dogs blood to see if he is lacking in zinc and if so, supplement his diet with it.

Hope this helps!