Caring for wrinkly dogs

Lili the Pug gets special care by her owner Jeannine.

Caring for Wrinkly Dogs

Some of the most popular breeds of dogs today are breeds with wrinkles — cute little Pugs, stout Bulldogs, Shar Peis, and many of the Mastiff or Molusser breeds. These breeds may have wrinkles only on their faces or they may have wrinkly skin all over their bodies. In either case, their owners may have fallen in love with them before realizing that it takes some extra effort to care for a dog with wrinkly skin. Without special care these dogs can develop serious skin problems. But if you’re willing to give your dog’s wrinkles some regular maintenance you can prevent these skin problems from occurring.

Video: How-To: Clean Your Pug's Wrinkles

Wrinkles are beautiful

If you have a dog with facial wrinkles, such as Pugs, you should use a very gentle wipe to clean their wrinkles on a daily basis. If you begin wiping your dog’s wrinkles when he’s a puppy he should have no problem with this daily regimen. He will probably enjoy the attention. If you have acquired an adult dog with a wrinkled face, you may have to help him get used to the idea. Clean your dog’s wrinkles slowly, give your dog lots of treats, and you can help him adapt to having his wrinkles cleaned.

Pre-Moistened pads are very good to use to clean your dog’s wrinkles. They’re alcohol-free and safe to use on even the youngest puppy. Try Eye Pads , they don’t contain any pharmaceuticals or chemicals. You can rub Eye Pads with and against the grain of your dog’s fur to thoroughly clean inside the folds of his wrinkles – but always rub very gently. You don’t want to irritate your dog’s skin. Eye Pads contain all-natural colloidal silver that helps prevent the growth of bacteria.

More wrinkles!

Video: How to Take Care of an English Bulldog Puppy

Some breeds, such as Shar Pei and the Mastiff breeds, have wrinkles all over. Their wrinkles need to be wiped all over their bodies. When wiping these dogs you should pay special attention to anyplace where your dog may seem to be itchy. This can be a sign that there is dirt collecting in the folds of the wrinkles. This can lead to irritation and even an infection if you don’t clean your dog frequently. This is one of the reasons that dogs with wrinkly skin can have skin problems.

In addition to this daily wrinkle care you should take special care to bathe your wrinkly dog at least once a month with a gentle shampoo to soothe any irritated skin. Shampoos with colloidal oatmeal are especially good for dogs with wrinkly skin and for skin irritations such as itchy and dry skin. Comfy Dog Oatmeal Shampoo is a good choice for dogs with wrinkly skin and skin irritations.

You’ll need to gently — very gently — scrub between all of your dog’s wrinkles during each bath. Make sure that you rinse your dog completely, too. Rinsing your dog is perhaps even more important that the bath itself since any shampoo residue left behind can cause skin irritations, especially between your dog’s wrinkles. Dogs with wrinkles are particularly prone to itching and rashes so be very careful to rinse away all traces of shampoo. If you use a conditioner make sure that you use an all-natural conditioner that will soothe your dog’s skin.

There’s no need to blow dry a wrinkled dog. They tend to already have dry skin and blow drying them will likely dry out the top layer of skin and may leave moisture in the folds of their skin. Simply towel dry a wrinkly dog and let him air dry.

See what the vet thinks

All dogs should see the vet at least once a year. Your wrinkly dog is no exception. When you take your wrinkly dog to the vet, ask your vet to pay special attention to your dog’s skin. Make sure that he or she checks the folds of your dog’s wrinkles and looks for any skin irritations or other problems. Whether your dog has face wrinkles or wrinkles all over his body, see that your vet gives your dog’s skin a thorough going over. If your vet finds any skin problems he or she will probably prescribe a topical spray or cream to help the symptoms.

Wrinkly dogs are all beautiful in their own unique ways. If you have a wrinkly dog take extra special care of his skin and your dog’s wrinkles shouldn’t give you any trouble at all.

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