Collar Rash/sores

[chilli]

Hi, am just hoping someone can help me with some info on what I should do/apply. My dog (a blue heeler) who is a notorious escape artists, wears a "zappy" collar for the hidden fence we had to have installed earlier this year to keep him in.

I check it regularly and take it off him twice daily for walks. HOWEVER when i was bathing him yesterday I have found that that the two pronged parts that touch his skin, have caused him a rash and sores. I have removed the collar, washed with salt water solution and then put betadine on it as well. This morning it is looking worse and looks to be oozing pus. Can anyone help me with suggestions.......I would like to try as many things as possible before resorting to the vet . (funds a little low before onslaught of family birthdays next week, Christmas & foster dogs to feed). I would be appreciative of any suggestions.

Thanks

Renee

[shekhina]

Not sure what could be causing it sorry, but when my pup had an infection on top of his ear that made a complete mess I just kept bathing it in salt water and it cleared up within days...but if it's not clearing up I'd definately be taking your dog to the vet.

[KitKat]

I have the same kind of collar on one of my dogs, he had developed the odd wetspot in the area of the collar but he's a tad prone to them anyway. HE's never had them at the site of the prongs tho, but i keep the collar 'just' loose enough that it can move around his neck but the prongs are still kept against his skin.

But he also sleeps inside at night currently and i take the collar off him when i put him to bed and put it bac on in the morning. He hasn't had a wet spot happen since i've been doing that but i am expecting them to start up again with the humid weather. His coat is quite thick around his neck/ruff.

Best thing to do is clip the fur back from around the spot and dose it in salt water, or apple cider vinegar, or puff some powdered antiseptic on it. Basically to help the spot dry out, generally within a couple of days it will dry up and the scab will fall off then the fur will grow back. While it's healing you might want to have the collar set up on the other side of his neck or a little higher if possible so that air can still get to the wet/hot spot.

[cowanbree]

I was under the impression that you were not meant to leave these collars on for more than 12 hours a day so that is possibly what has caused the sores. If the salt water isn't clearing it up after a couple of days a vet visit may be in order

[Erny]

Perhaps the stimulation is irritating? I'm not sure. Perhaps check in with K9 Force, as he is experienced in the use of stimulation collars?

[chilli]

Thanks all, have been using betadine liquid dilution three times a day, then putting the powder antiseptic on after it has dried, and all seems to be going well, is looking a lot less oozy and is scabbing up nicely.

Generally we try not to leave the collar on him all the time, but in the last week we have been out a lot at night time too and haven't been bringing him in until quite late so the collar has spent more time on his neck in the recent two weeks, and I think with the hot humid weather and intermitten spurts of rain we have been having (cause Chillidog is a fool and loves playing in the rain and puddles) it just got wet and hot and sweaty and created hotspot type of thing. In any case he has been without the collar for three days now and has'nt gone anywhere near the fences/gates to try to escape!! Fingers crossed this keeps up!!

[TiffanyAmber]

You have yourself there, neck burns. Get the collar checked out to make sure its working as it should. Take the dog with you to make sure you have it corectly fitted.

Having it on for long hours doesnt help either. Raining, yeah they love to play in the rain too.

[KitKat]

Neck Burns? ok...I have to say i have been using my zappy collar for 2 or so years now and have only recently (last several months) been taking the collar off at night while the dog sleeps insides. Without 'burns'.

Hot/wet spots can be caused from even the tiniest irritant...mud trapped under the prongs that dried and pressed intot the skin, dog scratched and it caused it to break the skin...that in humid weather or thick fur can at times be enough to cause hotspots to form. Also the collar itself can help create a humid environment as any other fitted collar over thick fur in already wet/damp/humid weather. When ever it's been wet or it starts getting hotter i start running my fingers through my dogs ruff/neck fur to catch hotspots as early as possible. (But as i have said before, my older boy is a tad prone to them to start with.)

Perhaps it could be either or somethying in between but i wouldn't be jumping to the conclusion that the collar is burning the dog as first option.

[Staranais]

I'm also fairly certain that you're not meant to leave that type of collar on all day long. The dogs can get pressure necrosis (like bedsores) where the prongs are if the collar is put on too tightly, or if it is left on for more than 12 hours at a time.

Have you re-read the instruction booklet that came with the collar? They should have some information about how long to leave the collar on. If you're exceeding the recommended time limit on a regular basis, it's really not suprising that the dog is getting collar sores.

;)

[Steve K9Pro]

HOWEVER when i was bathing him yesterday I have found that that the two pronged parts that touch his skin, have caused him a rash and sores

K9: There are two reasons this can occur, one is known as pressure necrosis, that is the most common.

Collar is too tight & being left on too long. Make sure the reciever (box) is left off until your dog is healed.

There is a device Im testing at bthe moment that is said to reduce remove this.

The other possibility is that the collar is too loose & the probes are rubbing the neck, this friction damages the skin cells & there is bacteria trapped underneath the collar that causes an infection.

It has nothing to do with any electricity.

You have yourself there, neck burns.

K9: rubbish, collars arent capable of causing burns. Thats been proven.

[TiffanyAmber]

chilli read these.

http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/RUFUS.HTM

http://www.kerryblues.info/WDJ/SHOCKING.HTML

http://www.optimumchoices.com/March_2005.h...ainment_Systems

Edited November 16, 2005 by TiffanyAmber

[Steve K9Pro]

K9: someones website does not have to be factual, in fact the story of Rufus floats around many web sites.

You will find if you search deep enough that the acide form the battery caused the injury to Rufus.

Not anything to do with voltages or electricity.

When this case was current, it was found that the sustem was fitted to a penned enclosure by the idiot owner so the collarw as going off continuously, I feel this is what caused the battery failure.

If you would like some factual information, search the net for the case in which RSPCA lost in court for saying that.

Here is a report from the ruling

But Federal Court Justice Mark Weinberg ordered the RSPCA to pay $100,000 compensation to Innotek Australia Pty Ltd for comments made by its senior inspector Kevin Apostolides.

Mr Apostolides had WRONGLY told a Herald Sun journalist that the collars could inflict burns and 3000-volt shocks to dogs, the judge ruled.

Mr Apostolidis had also made the "entirely fanciful" claim that the charge from the collar caused a 60-kilogram dog to perform backflips, eventually resulting in brain damage.

I find the Federal Court of Australia a more reliable source of facts than someone who was feeling guilty about not following the instructions that came with the system he bought.

If you feel that a 2 volt low current stimulation can cause burns, your wrong.

[TiffanyAmber]

Thats why I said to have it checked out.

If you feel that a 2 volt low current stimulation can cause burns, your wrong.

I said that??? Where.

Edited November 16, 2005 by TiffanyAmber

[Steve K9Pro]

I said that??? Where.

You said

You have yourself there, neck burns.

these collars only produce 2 volts, when you say they cause burns, your saying a 2 volt low cuurent stimulation can cause burns & your wrong.

It would also be wise not to make a medical diagnosis without even seeing the dog.

Given the information we have in this thread, all evidence has the most probable answer being pressure necrosis from leaving the collar on too long.

[TiffanyAmber]

Yes and that is why I said to get it checked out. Neck burns can be anything. Maybe the battery, we dont know.

It would also be wise not to make a medical diagnosis without even seeing the dog.

I know that. That is why I said to get it checked out.

Given the information we have in this thread, all evidence has the most probable answer being pressure necrosis from leaving the collar on too long.

And you can give a medical diagnosis without even seeing the dog? Really.

these collars only produce 2 volts, when you say they cause burns, your saying a 2 volt low cuurent stimulation can cause burns & your wrong.

I never said that. You did. I never said anything about a 2 volt low current stimulation. Only neck burns, which can mean anything.

[Steve K9Pro]

TA:

Yes and that is why I said to get it checked out. Neck burns can be anything. Maybe the battery, we dont know.

K9: neck burns cant be anything, they would be burns, burns come from heat, not acid corrosion, not batteries, not collar being too tight, heat.

Your right, we dont know, so saying

You have yourself there, neck burns

is incorrect, right? Because you dont know.

The OP never said anything about burns, in fact the thread subject is rash/soares.

TA:

I know that. That is why I said to get it checked out.

K9: the way I interpret you post, you were talking about getting the collar checked out, when the issue is whether its burned or not, you can only tell if its a burn by looking at the dog.

TA:

And you can give a medical diagnosis without even seeing the dog? Really.

K9: No, & no where have I said

You have yourself there, neck burns.

Or no where did I say what the issue was, I gave some possibilities .

The are based on my experience with e collars.

Maybe you can share with us your experience with e collars?

TA:

Only neck burns, which can mean anything.

K9: again, no it cant, neck burns dont mean anything other than neck burns.

[TiffanyAmber]

K9: neck burns cant be anything, they would be burns, burns come from heat, not acid corrosion, not batteries, not collar being too tight, heat.

You can get a neck burn from rubbing of a collar. Friction which causes heat. Heat.

You can get a neck burn from rubbing of the prongs on the collar. Friction which causes heat. Heat.

So saying that there is neck burns, can mean exactly as I was saying. Friction caused by unknown means, why I said, get it checked out.

chilli was saying rashes/sores because she didnt know herself what they were. So therefore I said to get the collar checked.

is incorrect, right? Because you dont know.

No I dont know, because I can not give a medical diagnosis without even seeing the dog. You said that, right.

All I'm saying is unless the collar is checked out, by either the correct fitting, a fault with the collar, etc etc, we will never know the real cause of chilli's dog's rashes/sores.

[Steve K9Pro]

TA:

You can get a neck burn from rubbing of a collar. Friction which causes heat. Heat.

K9: so your now saying a faulty collar, with a battery fault etc may somehow "rub" the dogs neck more than a collar with no fault?

Let me tell you that you CAN not get friction burns from the collar rubbing the neck, doesnt happen.

What you can get is irritation from the probes rubbing. Irritation is not a burn.

Thats like me telling you that you can get a friction burn from a cross around you neck.

Your only gonna get burned if your a Vampire...

TA:

So saying that there is neck burns, can mean exactly as I was saying. Friction caused by unknown means, why I said, get it checked out.

K9: Its quite obvious, by the nature of your posts, the links you have made to other sites that you were indicating the e collar itself was burning the dog, I said rubbish they cant burn, your links were put to prove they could.

None of those links or your posts said anything about friction until now.

Friction burns dont occur either.

TA:

So therefore I said to get the collar checked.

K9: again, to get the collar checked, you need to take it off, if you wanted to see if the collar was too loose, you cant with it off.

FYI, the battery inside does not, can not produce enough current or voltage to cause any burn.

TA:

All I'm saying is unless the collar is checked out, by either the correct fitting, a fault with the collar, etc etc, we will never know the real cause of chilli's dog's rashes/sores.

K9: I know its not a burn, friction or heat... Although you havent made comment about the case, this was proven in Federal Court.

I also asked of your experience with e collars, would you care to elaborate now?

[TiffanyAmber]

Give it a rest Steve. You keep putting words in my post that aint even there.

Chilli will let us know what is happening.

[Steve K9Pro]

TA:

Give it a rest Steve.

K9: I simply replied to something you posted that was incorrect, I dont think your in any position to tell me when & what I can post.

I guess you decided not to regail us with your e collar experience after all or make comment about the Federal Courts findings that totally dissprove what you have said.

Thats fine, Im happy to leave it here is you are.