MOLD!
Has anyone ever experienced this before??? If I had not seen it with my own two eyes I never would have believed it. |
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| I'm sorry to hear about the condition your Molly was in. Thank goodness she is with you in a home where she will be taken care of. I could get to rambling on about why it's so important for people to research and think really hard about getting pets. Our puppies are soooo precious when they're little (big too) and sitting in that pet shop window that people can't help but buy them on impulse without researching the breed to see if they fit in their lifestyle. Some OES come into rescue in such sad shape it hurts my heart to see and hear about it. Mats are bad enough, but when mats occur around the hind end mixed with fecal matter it's really bad. Flies will land and lay eggs, then you're talking about horrible infections, maggots...I'm a firm believer that it's better to shave and start over. Then you can make the grooming experience a pleasure. Abby loves to see the brush. It means LOTS of one on one time with me!
You've done the right thing! |
I'm glad she's all cleaned up now. I can't believe it was allowed to get like that.....  |
I've never seen the mold but how happy Molly must be to have a wonderful Mom to care for her. Hope all is better  |
 I didn't know mold could grow on dogs.
I'm glad to hear that Molly is now in your great hands... Some people should not be allowed to come close to a dog. |
| Clyde usually smells a little moldy-- does that count? Just joking, but seriously, I've never heard of mold on a dog but I believe it because it can definitely happen to people. Unappetizing as it is, extremely obese people are suceptible to mold in the creases. Trapping water anywhere is no good!
Molly must feel so fresh and light now. I'll bet you can't stop petting her! |
| Molly is adjusting to her nakidness nicely! she has been rubbing up against the furniture - It must feel soooo good. I too have been rubbing her like crazy but am a little afraid to scratch her back - I would imagine her skin is a little sensitive right now - I really need to take her back to the groomer and get her face and head done !!!! I will post pics soon |
| All,
There are two object lessons to be learned here. First of course is not to bathe any dog that is matted. To do so results in the matts tighening up and inevitably getting closer to the skin and hence becoming more difficult and uncomfortable to remove. (Sorry even putting copious amounts of conditioner on a tight matt while bathing has little beneficial effect.) The other is to thoroughly dry your dog after bathing. Believe me I know that after 3 or more hours drying a fully coated OES the temptation to "call it a day" can be pretty overwhelming. Resist those temptions and complete the job you started for both your sake and the dog's. A damp dog will start to smell very quickly and will also get dirty almost immediately so why go to all the trouble of bathing? Also he/she will knot up quickly as a damp coat has not been fully groomed so some hairs will remain crossed (a pre-knot) and will show a propensity to matting much more quickly and severely than a properly dried and groomed coat. Mould growth, while perhaps the most disgusting consequence of a wet dog is not the only dangerous consequence of matting. A matted dog can suffer in a number of other ways. Matts themselves are uncomfortable and can rub against the skin starting sores or pressure points when the dog lays on them. These sores can ultimately abscess! Even if dry, tight matts prevent air circulating down to the skin which can result in dry skin conditions and given time exzema or other more serious dermatological problems can/will develop. Finally matts will restrict the skin's flexability and abilty to move with the dog. This is painful and can become debilitating. The dog will curtail his/her activities potentially compounding the matting problem with "potty issues" and given enough time left in a matted condition a loss of muscle tone and weight gain will result. OES are high maintenance dogs, individually and as a breed, prossibly the highest maitnenace breed there is. This is probably the greatest excuse second only to problems with small "untrained" children for them being turned over to shelters or rescue. If you cannot care for that luxurious coat either have it done professionally or trim it to a point where you can maintain it. Clearly - my - preference and choise is to care for the "big coat" at home but I do understand that it isn't always a practical option. Whichever decision you make remember that a breathing, loving, trusting, devoted child depends wholly upon you for their welfare, health and mental stability. Cheers and Thanks Carl |
| Thank you for explaining this in more detail Carl. Poor Molly came to us last Saturday - a rescue in this condition. It is great to be able come to this forum and have the wisdom of experienced sheepie owners to help prevent other dogs from this type of neglect and potential serious medical issues. Molly is a happy girl now - mat free and starting fresh with a brand new coat. Thank goodness we got her when we did. |
I'm glad Molly has found her furever home. We also have a rescue...luckily she was in pretty good shape. I told your story to Samantha's groomer and she told me that she has actually groomed a dog that was so bad it had maggots....  . |
| Sheepish, I was just thinking, because there was mold under there, it may be a good idea to ask the vet about a special shampoo to make sure there is no infection of the skin, even at a microscopic level. It may continue to grow without you really noticing anything until you notice she is overly itchy or something. Mold generally needs darkness and moisture to grow, however, there may have been other things in the coat that may cause problems later.
I wouldn't make a special trip to the vet for it, but maybe just ask over the phone or something..... |
| Hi Willowspirte
I did call the vet the day after Molly had her coat removed and the vet suggested I put Medicated powder on her coat once a day for 2 weeks to avoid irratation and to keep her coat dry. It seems to be ok but I think I will bath her often as you had suggested and I need to call the vet back to ask her if there is a particular shampoo I should be using - maybe something with an antibacterial content. |
| Yeesh- this breaks my heart- poor Molly- thanks for rescuing her and getting her back on track.
I've never been the best groomer of my OES' (plural) however, we do try and we do keep her clean and smelling good, she's just a little raggedy around the edges, makes me want to go home and spend a few hours with her on the grooming table! (that's how you know you've crossed over to OES devotion) Anyway - just wanted to share- I had a vet with my first OES who had one of her one- a rescue- and she recommended taking a little bit if a hypo-allergenic moisturizer (I think she used Alpha - Keri or Aveeno- check with YOUR vet to make sure it's safe) She would use it like a human would use a 'leave in' conditioner. She would dillute it in water and massage it into the skin to help re-build the skin's moisture and prevent irritation. Again - check with your vet- but she did this becuse her baby had been badly matted and had developed dry/cracked skin as a result, she also recommended a moisturized bath, same concept/products, letting the dog soak in it a little. This was only with a short-haired animal though, she did stress that you needed to fully towel dry the baby after the moisture bath, and no combing. Good luck with Molly, she's a lucky girl. Up. |
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