Abrasions, Acne, Furuncles, Bumps and other Dog Skin Conditions

Last Updated on 2022-05-08 by Admin

As a Boxer owner, I am acutely aware that the Boxer breed is highly vulnerable to developing cancer. For that reason, much attention goes into nutrition, exercise and freshwater. But none of these things guarantees no furuncle, cysts, abrasions, acne, and other skin conditions. Many of these skin conditions are precisely what we now start experiencing with Annie, my Boxer girl.

Early detection and treatment of these growths are critical, even if they are benign.

How to Detect Growths and Other Skin Conditions

Annie, my Boxer girl, is massaged from front to rear daily. While I do the massaging with my fingers, I can feel or see where spots develop, which lets me inspect them closer. While I sit on the floor massaging Annie, she will often lay between my legs and enjoy the treatment. That then allows for a paw inspection. Once done, Annie usually gets up, stands in front of me and presses her head on my chest. That is when Annie gets a head, neck and jaw massage. I can also closely inspect her neck, chin, lips, eyes, and ears during that massage.

This massaging started because Annie had torn ligaments and later surgery. She came to me for a massage when she was in pain. Today, that massage is still something Annie and I enjoy as it helps with building a better relationship. However, I also use it to inspect her body for bumps and other skin conditions.

When in doubt about a newly found new growth, don’t hesitate to contact a Veterinarian.

Skin Abrasion, Acne, Redness on the Chin

Abrasions or acne on the chin is a common occurrence on Boxers. One reason for such events is that Boxers like to lay their head on all kinds of surfaces, including their paws. When rubbing against fur or other material, the chin can get aggravated and turns red.

Chin red from rubbing

Other sources that can cause a dog to increase the frequency of rubbing are changes in laundry detergent or the materials that touch the dog. Things like a new blanket, crate mat, carpet, new floor cleaning solution, and even sand, dust and dirt on surfaces can cause increased redness.

When the redness gets ignored in the early stages, it leads quickly to more severe abrasions, leading to bleeding. Some of these chin areas that bleed might take a long time to heal, and some will forever be visible as brown spots on the chin.

I treated redness on the chin effectively by applying cream 3 to 4 times a day. Because dogs have difficulty reaching the chin with their tongue, a good cream shows its effectiveness rather promptly. However, because Boxers have a habit of resting their heads on things, the redness will develop again.

My wife, who had many boxers in the past, puts a small pillow under Annie’s head when she sees Annie resting her head on something. The little pillow makes a huge difference, and Annie appreciates the attention.

What to Watch out For

Because redness indicates some inflammation or infections, other issues can develop. When the Dogs rubbing of the chin increases, there might be an irritant other than just the surface where the chin rests. In such cases, it’s time for a Veterinarian visit.

Bumps, Soars and Scars on Lips\Flews

Dogs do many tasks using the mouth. That exposes the Lips\Flews to many conditions that can cause injury. On dog breeds like Boxers with large lips and flat noses, injuries or growths can stay hidden from view unless one makes an effort to pull up the Flews and scrutinize them inside and out. My Boxer girl Annie had many bumps on the outside of the flews and inside. These bumps are not comfortable for the dog when touched. However, I found that they quickly disappear when treated with a skin cream. The skin cream works well even though Annie will lick most of it off.

Because most of these bumps are not visible superficially, it is helpful to ask the Veterinarian to take a good look at them during visits. That is one way to ensure that any potential issue is detected early and treated quickly.

One should not be surprised to see scars around the lip area. Dogs like to mouth one another. Bones and other objects can get between the lips and can cause injury. Horseflies, mosquitoes, ants and other bugs are also attracted to that area, which can cause bleeding and discomfort when bitten by bugs. Because the lips are generally dark, moist and frequently used, it is an area where infections can develop.

Large Bumps with Redness Around the Base

A few months ago, I noticed that Annie had some growth on her neck, about 0.75 inches in size. Around the base, it was red. This type of bump I saw a couple of times. Both went away after I applied some cream for a few weeks. Each time these bumps were located behind the jaw by the neck area. Never found out what these bumps were. Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of that growth.

Bald Spots on Paw Where Claws Come Out

bald spot on the top of claws

Shortly after that, I noticed the bumps mentioned earlier. I noticed spots without fur where Claws come out on the front right paw. Applying the cream did not make it heal, but the site was less red. Over time more spots like that developed, and eventually, even the other paw had bald spots on top of the claws. At that time, I wondered if this was some type of inflammation.

Over time, some spots had reduced redness, while others got black around the edge. After a few months, all the bald spots eventually had hair gowning on them again, but one can visually spot that something was there. All the black sites also disappeared.

And it is worth mentioning that Annie did not wear robber booties or other items on her paws during the winter months. If she had, this might have been some explainable reaction.

Growths that Grow Breaks Open and Regrow

Then, about a month later, I noted that Annie was bleeding from the rear left paw after our morning walk. So I got some warm water with soap and cleaned and dried the paw. I thought she might have a cut on the bottom or the side of the paw. But there was no sign of bleeding. So I started inspecting the toes a little closer. That’s when I noticed a bump between the middle claws that was bleeding. After cleaning it with some antiseptic, I could better look at the bump; it looked like a small Volcano.

Every day I check that bump. Over time it would grow, then pop, and clear liquid comes out at first, then it would bleed. Afterwards, it would shrink and then grow and pop again. Strange. I applied some skin cream that contained Silver to prevent infection. It seemed to help or at least made me feel like I was doing something.

On the first veterinarian visit, the vet mentioned that it could be several things and also mentioned cancer. But he made it clear it did not look like cancer. We left the Veterinarian with some antibiotic pills and had a follow-up visit two weeks later.

By the time we had our follow-up appointment, the bump on the rear paw was just a black spot. The Veterinarian made some notes but said that cancer would not behave like this. However, he was not sure what it was. He speculated that it might have been an ingrown hair.

Growth, Abscesses Between Toes that Grows and Shrinks

growth between the toes

I showed the veterinarians the other bump on the front right paw. This new bump I detected after a long afternoon walk. As I took off Annie’s leash at home, I noticed a large and light read growth between Annie’s middle tows on the front right paw. It must have hurt Annie while walking as it was rather significant. It was visible just by looking down at the front paw. After inspecting it, I concluded that this was not the same bump as Anne experienced on the rear paw. This one worried me a lot more. As with the other bump, I applied cream three times a day. Also reduced the walking time so as not the aggravate the growth. And I was glad to see that the bump had reduced in size after a couple of days.

It was hard to tell if it was the cream or if the bump was shrinking on its own. However, this bump seems to have a life of its own. Some days it looks deflated, and on others, it looks puffy and somewhat more prominent. Overall the size is tiny now.

The Veterinarian wanted to do some blood tests and some other examinations. He also was intrigued by the change in size. He asked if there were changes in food, water or the environment as he suspected some allergic reaction to something. However, there were no changes in Annie’s environment, food or items she touches.

Nothing in Annie’s surrounding nor food and water had changed.

The only thing that had changed was that Annie had knee surgery. So I wondered if some material from the surgery might cause an allergic reaction? I sent an email to the surgeon who performed the surgery, and he informed me that it couldn’t be from the surgery material.

Follow-up Appointment

On the next visit, the growth between the middle tow on the front paw was measured to be 3mm. A note was made in Annie’s file to check the size on the next visit. And that is where we left it. The bump is changing size. Sometimes it looks full, and other times it looks deflated. Every day I apply cream 2 to 3 times a day.

Our Research

My wife had sent me a link regarding inter-digital furuncles, which looks pretty close to what we see on Annie’s paws. It just makes me wonder I we are being fleeced by the Veterinarian.

Creams and Gels That Help Treat Some Skin Conditions

The cream I use the most is the Dr. Maggie Skin Care Ointment for Dogs. When applied, it worked on most bumps even when most of the cream got licked off by Annie. Most of the bumps on Annie Lips\Flews shrank, and most went away. It also worked great for under the chin redness, as long as it was not bleeding. The Dr. Maggie Skin Care Ointment can be used on humans as well. I Used it on myself and my wife with satisfaction. Overall I’m very impressed with how well it worked on the many growths that I never thought a cream would work. This cream works better and is more cost-effective than the cream we got from the Veterinarian.

Disclaimer: I like to make you aware that as an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, should you decide to purchase one of the products through the links below, I would earn a commission at no extra cost to You. And that would help greatly to support this site. Thank You.

I used the Armor Gel from Silver Biotics for open and inflamed furuncle and bumps. This cream contains Silver, which is long known to have an antibacterial and even antiviral effect. When the Armor Gel dries, it creates a film over the wound, which acts like a barrier\dressing. The Armor Gel is safe for Humans and Pets. I can tell it seems effective even after Annie licked some of it off the wound.

Armor Gel is available directly from https://silverbiotics.ca where you can find out more information.

I now always have these two creams at home to address minor cuts, abrasions and other skin issues.

Conclusion

What puzzles me is why Annie has all these odd skin issues now. If it were just one issue, I would be less concerned. But having several minor issues showing up like that makes me wonder if there is some other more severe condition the underlying cause.

While not every growth is a serious issue, being aware of them and doing some investigation and research helps decide when to visit a veterinarian. Some skin conditions can be related to allergies, inflammation or the immune system. Finding and addressing the root cause can prevent significant health issues later in a dog’s life.

For now, I’m happy to have found the two creams mentioned in this article. They work great on dogs and humans. They are much more cost-effective than the cream from the Veterinarian. I Always have both of them handy.

I must admit that I’m frustrated with the Veterinarian’s lack of proper diagnosis or communication. However, this has been something we experienced before. And we might again be looking for another veterinarian.

Resources:

Lumps on Dogs and What To Do About Them https://www.allpetvoices.com/lumps-on-dogs-and-what-to-do-about-them/

7 Types of Lumps on Dogs https://www.vetinfo.com/types-lumps-dogs.html

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