Red Ears, Beard and some of the coat
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| It's likely just staining. Enzymes (and ear wax in the ear) cause staining on the fur and it turns reddish. Take a look at the picture gallery and look at some of the dogs in there. I'm sure you'll see a lot of similarities. |
| If it's more noticeable than it should be, then it could also be the dogs ph level is off, or the dog could have a systemic yeast infection.... |
| How do I know if Rheba's pH is off or if it is an ear infection. I am thinking that is just a build up of some oils because there isn't any smell. |
| I'd take her to the vet if there's any question. The vet will be able to easily identify normal staining or if something is off. |
| ARTabone,
Welcome to the forum. We're glad you found us and hope to hear lots more about your Bobtail girl Rheba. This is THE place to share your concerns and your joyful experiences with other Bobtail devotees. As others have mentioned, while this may be a medical problem if the staining is particularly acute and/or is accompanied by odours, the degree of discoloration you are describing is most likely simple staining due to enzymes in the saliva (mouth and feet discolouration) and wax/oils around the ear canal opening staining the white coat. All healthy Bobtails suffer from this to one degree or another and we are constantly fighting to keep their whites white. Around the mouth saliva enzymes are the worst culprit and can, if not treated, lead to the beard and sideburn area staining all the way to a dark brown in time. You need to ensure that water in Rheba's bowl is kept fresh, free from dribble and food debris and keep the beard as dry as possible. Dry her mouth with a towel after drinking to remove the vast "bulk" of water that gets trapped in the beard/sideburns. Also make sure to clean any food debris from these areas as well by brushing, and if needed combing, the beard as frequently as possible. The amount of discolouration is affected by a number of factors such as food formulation, effort you put into keeping the beard clean and dry but most of all by how "wet-mouthed" the dog is: ie how much do they dribble. The more the dog dribbles the more effort you must make to keep the beard in decent condition. You may also notice that the feet, especially front feet, have a tendency to discolour as well. It is the same mechanism working as in the beard due to the dog licking their feet. If they have an irritation, or are just plain bored, the dog will often lick his/her feet leading to dicolouration. The recent thread http://forum.oes.org/viewtopic.php?t=11920 discusses keeping the beard and sideburn area clean with several further threads referenced. Discolouration of the hair around the ear canal opening is a result of wax and oil building up in the ear and "leaking" out. Ear care is especially important in drop eared dogs where the ear flap covers the ear canal and results in hot, moist ears. I have posted extensively on ear car and published a photo essay on our website. Just click on the www button at the bottom of this post and select the "ear cleaning photo essay" link near the bottom left of the home page. Supporting posts are linked at the thread http://forum.oes.org/viewtopic.php?t=11920 You may also run into tear staining around the eyes. While tears are very different from saliva and ear oils they too stain the hair in the immediate area. Use the same preventative measures of cleanliness and removal of debris (eye boogers). You can also use many of the same whitening gels that are available for beards but naturally be very careful not to get them in the eye. Fellow member Joahaeyo has a Maltese which are renown to have problematic eye stains so she can chime in with other eye stain remover recommendations. Hopefully this and the reams of great information here at the forum will help you in keeping Rheba looking her best. As always don't hesitate to ask if you need more help or more explanation of the information presented. Thanks and Cheers Carl |
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