Lip Folds

[kamuzz]

My young English Setter has an issue with his lip folds. For some reason he seems to be prone to dermatitis there.

The vet has done "cosmetic surgery" but says they could possibly have taken more out and it might be worth putting him through a second op. I'm not so convinced I want him to have another GA.

He is a very active dog and so he drinks a lot. His mouth seems to be permanently wet e.g. he often has froth under his chin.

The vet suggested wiping his lips at bedtime with fragrance free baby wipes which we are now doing.

Does anyone else have some preventative tips?

[Rappie]

You can use an antibacterial shampoo like pyohex or malaseb as a preventative measure. Harder to leave on in this area for the 10 minutes but even a quick scrub and rinse off can help.

[Danois]

Wipe with the original gold listerine.

[Mim]

My boy had a little bit of dermatitis develop on one side of his mouth/lip and the vet suggested trimming the fur down and wiping with peroxide. I buzzed a small patch with clippers and wiped with peroxide every night and it's managed it really well. Noticed a difference after just a few days. Fur has grown back now and I still occasionally wipe with peroxide.

[Florise]

Trim fur as closely as possible. Clean all folds thoroughly with a cotton wool swab soaked in natural apple cider vinegar. Will be much improved after one clean. Repeat once or twice a day until the smell is gone - should only take a day or so. ACV kills bacteria on contact.

[karly101]

You used to be able to order malacetic wipes - these worked great for lip fold dermatitis. For some reason they are not available anymore, the compounding pharmacy that supplies my vet clinic makes their own version so perhaps ask your vet if they can look into that for you.

[Kajtek]

The vet suggested wiping his lips at bedtime with fragrance free baby wipes which we are now doing.

Please be a little careful with these. I used to use them to wipe the faces of my bullies each morning and, after a while, they caused skin irritation. I have stopped that practice now.

+ 1 on Malasep.

Maybe you could dilute Malasep 1:10 and use that on your dog. Please check with your vet or someone here may know if that's ok to do.

Edited December 24, 2014 by Kajtek

[MTD]

I use apple cider vinegar on Maggies lip folds - she doesn't get bad dermatitis but it does get a bit red and smelly . Seems to help

[Dogsfevr]

English Setters are wet mouths & it would want to be bad to have the surgery for something normal in the breed,there dribblers/frothy & slop there water everywhere but i have never had issues.

The dogs we see issues with in the salon (normally Cockers don't get clipped often enough so the hair stays moist around there face .keeping the mouth well groomed is a must but many groomers who aren't sure don't clip the area short as it should be

We suggest wiping with hydrogen peroxide & it works a treat ,we groom a Springer with the same issue ,vet did surgery & his answer come back for more ,never offers any advise on other options .We suggested HP & the dog has been great since ,we groom her regular & she does go swimming alot so stays wet around the face ,he follows a good maintenance programme & not had issues since ,

The HP will froth so you now when the bacteria is there

[Erny]

Wipe over with Calendula Tea.

[Jed]

Unless you are showing, clip the area fairly closely. As others have suggested wipe with Hydrogen Peroxide once daily. This seems to kill the bacteria, and keeps the area clean and smell free. Used by most cocker breeders for lip folds to prevent dermatitis. And you could try putting the water into a spaniel bowl, which may help keep some of her face dry. Probably wont though/

Ernie, hate to disagree with you when you have shared so many good ideas, but I found calendula tea not terribly effective for this problem, although good for others :)

Edited December 29, 2014 by Jed

[Steve]

Apple Cidar Vinegar is great especially as you can add it to the actual drinking water too. 1 capful per two litres.