Front Legs Get Destroyed after a run (Update Pic 8-9-10)

[Joeyman]

The fur on his front legs arn't holding up so well. After a 4hr run he looks like his front legs are bare. kinda hard to see in the pic. His paws are the worst. Not really sure if their is anything I can do about it? his toe area is red raw. If he looks like this now what is going to happen come gun-season when I really set him on the ground for real? Hope he tuffins up or get a thicker winter coat on him.

He will be 1yr old Oct 16,2010

[rabbitsmoker]

Keep on runnin him he'll be alright ive seen alot dogs look that way all the way up to ears mostly in the summer time ive got one that looks like she has the mange when you bring her out of the woods If thats hair gone and redness im seening in the picture

[TC]

I have seen them Do that beating their legs against the shock collar, Could this be the case?

[Bev]

I was thinking the antenna to the shock collar, too. I've seen that usually affect one leg, or one area of a leg. In this picture I can see his chest looks a little thin and raw, too, so it's definitely his leading edge going into the briars that's doing it. You must be running him in some really thick stuff. Perhaps some of it will be down come hunting season.

[Joeyman]

No i don't think its the collar. I've got the TT shocker on him. Its up high on his neck then the regular collar behind it. hmmm well It could be the collar, I don't really know why he gets so beat up like that. My other dogs arn't like that. He's the only one. I run three shockers on three different dogs he's got one on him cause he's young. I could try and run him without it for a bit see if that helps any. it may just be combination of him running like a crazy after a rabbit and thinish hair on him. The rest of his coat is fairly thick up top of his body and the hair really isn't short. his chest, front legs and especially the paws are the worst. his paws are the roughest shape

[S.R.Patch]

There's something they call beagle chaps that are made to protect the legs, I've heard about? Not only that, but you've wore off half his tail ...

No really, I think he's has a bit of a skin issue and the abrasion of the grass and brier has him inflamed abit.

I agree the thin hair on the chest, leg and feet have him at a disadvantage. Dust him with some flower of sulfur and if he licks it off, all the better...

[Bobby Vest]

Joey those sores are a good thing, I call them running sores. That is just his proof that you are pounding him. I would try to get some of the Alaska sled dog medicine and put on the sores, it is amazing stuff and some of the guys on here can tell you where to order it. I think of them just like if you haven't worked real hard for a while with your hands you get blisters. This time of year all foliage is in full bloom and it's hard on dogs to run through the thick stuff all the time. I turned a 13 mo. old pup loose last night about 8:00 PM and he was ran until about 9:30 this morning and almost always had a rabbit in front of them. I stayed with them until About 3:00 AM and my friend stayed with them until 5:30 AM and they hardly ever stopped. When my male came in this morning he was limping so bad I thought I was going to have to carry him. He has the same running sores on his feet, the skin around his collar, chest and front sides look like he has the mange they are so beat up. I say just keep stroking him like you are and doctor him and he will toughen up and there won't be any problem by winter if he's still alive. P.S. The sores on mine's feet and all the hair off around the neck at his collar wasn't from a shock collar, I didn't run one on him.

[rabbitsmoker]

I agree Bobby just run the crap out of him battle wounds is what i call them i have one that will look like that on her feet chest head sides and all of my dogs legs and neck look like that if they run hard and i mean extremely hard thats the results

[bigjohn]

Joey,the last few times I've had mine out,the younget(1 1/2 years old ) has pretty much the same thing.Like the guys say,just battle scars.I do put some Pulvex ointment on to give her a little releave.

[swing]

Could be in the breeding ? I didnt see you say what the breeding was

[Gabby's Beagles]

Joey don't worry about it. I have a young male that at one point this summer I ran him 12 out of 14 days. Same thing happened to him. Pinkish red between his front legs and on his chest with little hair. When wife and kids came back (darn) after being gone for two weeks in California I couldn't run him as much. The hair came back and redness went away. Nothing to worry about.

[ohlinger]

Keep on runnin him he'll be alright ive seen alot dogs look that way all the way up to ears mostly in the summer time ive got one that looks like she has the mange when you bring her out of the woods If thats hair gone and redness im seening in the picture

Demodectic mange/Red mange. better keep an eye on it from the picture it looks like the start of it. if it's lumpy and hair is thin on the lumps. If it's spreading up the front legs onto the front of the chest and under the neck. Try fish oil pills get it at wal mart in the health section. 900 miligram pill once a day dogs will usualy eat them out of you're hand put it in the dog food might take it a couple days to get used to the gel cap but eventualy it will be like giving it a treat. It always looks like it's from the brush and weeds rubbing the skin raw, but it's from an excess of demodex mites. Try worming it with ivomec or similar ivermectin wormer to clean it out of any possible parasites, clean it's ears with mite killer get it in tip top condition or else it could take over, and the rash will spread all over it's body and it will look like crap. Fish oil is good for the skin & coat. it helps! Helps build the immune system. PM me or call me if you have any questions if you don't get it taken care of and blow it off it will get worse. Demodex always attacks the feet first then spreads up the legs into armpits and under the neck. Then it moves on from there! Seems like this time of year is when you see it first i think it's from the grass and brush roughing up the skin and letting the mites get deeper in and burrowing in more! then they start there take over. If the dog is in good health it will fight off the outbreak, but if anything is boggin down the immune system the mites get out of control! Google Demodex in dogs! You can find lots of info! Make sure it's cleaned out of parasites. All dogs carry demodex mites. The dogs immune system natuarly keep them at bay. Running them alot in the summer can cause sores in the skin and the mites build up in those areas, they create yeast, and dry out the skin and make it look swollen and lumpy with the hair falling out! also look for Nu-stock that stuff can grow hair on bald men!! Great for the coats and it helps treat red mange specificaly. If you ignore it you run the risk of the mite taking over and then you're in for alot of money with the vet to get it cleared up and the treatments can make it lathargic. Usualy it will clear up on it's own but it's not worth just ignoring it! Not saying thats what it is for sure but if it's better to take action now. maybe take a closer pic and post it!

here is a pretty helpful website for general info. Some vets claim it's genetic others say it's not. There is'nt really alot of information about it. The only rocksolid info is basicaly if the dog has a weakened immune system either geneticaly or from an underlying problem the demodex can take over the entire dog. The outbreaks are usualy a warning sign of the possible risk to come. It can stay isolated to the feet and clear up in a few days or weeks, or it will spread either way if the dog is getting them on its feet chances are will contintualy come back until it is treated once and for all. Each outbreak runs the risk of taking over.

http://www.gsdhelp.info/paras/demodex.html
this will get you started. Keep reading up on it!

[Joeyman]

I give him Ivomec in the mouth Once a month. I have the fish oil pills I will start him on that tomorrow.

I was thinking today it may be the morning dew on the grass. Then again he is the only hound that gets red raw like that on his paws. And i was looking at his front legs today and the hair is thin. I can see his skin.

[ohlinger]

It looks bad but it really does'nt seem to affect the dog mentaly it just really looks bad especialy if it spreads!!. It can get really sore looking and even bleed sometimes after running. Keep me posted joeyman my number is 330 987 5883. If you have any questions give me a call!!! Lol this is a tricky thing to take care of...Ivomec can help but also if it keeps recurring you want to stop giving it ivomec b/c ivomec is a very strong product and it can adverse affects on the dogs immune system, actualy making it weaker b/c the dogs body becomes dependent on ivomec. See how it does for awhile with ivomec, if it keeps coming back then stop ivomec on that particular dog, and look into ways to boost the dogs immune system natuarly for example the fish oil i told you to give it! This is just my advice....

[Joeyman]

It looks bad but it really does'nt seem to affect the dog mentaly it just really looks bad especialy if it spreads!!. It can get really sore looking and even bleed sometimes after running. Keep me posted joeyman my number is 330 987 5883. If you have any questions give me a call!!!

thanks ohlinger. I will try the fish oil pills. I have a bottel of them on the shelf. I've had him on ivomec since spring hit. It don't seem to bother him none he still runs strong. It bugs me though to see him like that. None of my other dogs are like that after a run and i've never seen this before. So thats what had me wondering what the problem is.