While bathing my dog, I noticed that she had a lot of little granules of what looked like dirt under her hair on her skin and even on her ears under the hair. What is this and how can I get rid of it? I couldn't get it off even when I bathed her. I've heard people talk about "flea dirt" before. She doesn't have fleas. Could this be what it is?
2007-03-14 04:37:15 · 13 answers · asked by jamie6882 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
She's a Corgi/Basset Hound mix. She's white with light tan patches.
2007-03-14 05:41:16 · update #1
What kind of dog do you have? I have groomed many dogs that have crusted dirt under their fun. A Chow Chow and dogs with similar coats get this. You probably will need to use a bath brush to get it out and will probably have to lather her two or three times to cut the body oils that have bounded the mess together.
I would suggest that you take your dog to a groomer. It might be a good idea to have her shaved to get to this. A groomer has specialized shampoos to work with and special brushes to get down to the skin.
A dog with a heavy coat or one that has multi layers of different kinds of hairs build up a lot of dirt under the coat especially when they start shedding.
What you have is a combination of dead skin, dirt and body oils
2007-03-14 04:53:25 · answer #1 · answered by bluebonnetgranny 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like flea dirt (aka poop) to me. If your dog has dark colored or long hair, it would be hard to spot the fleas. Have you noticed your dog scratching a lot recently? I would suggest buying some flea and tick shampoo and bathing your dog with it (just go to your local pet store and ask someone there what they think is best). It can't hurt to give your dog a flea bath just in case that is the problem. If it is fleas, when your bathe your dog with the flea shampoo your should see them come off in the tub. Just make sure to follow the directions on the bottle, wash as much of the dog as you can, and rinse really, really well! Best of luck!
2007-03-14 05:03:14 · answer #2 · answered by Adelle M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My parents have a Boston Terrier that LOVES to roll in the dirt...He always has the dirt granules in his hair...They got this glove that you can find at wal-mart to scrub him with while giving him a bath...It gets the dirt out.
If you are interested, it should be in the section where they keep the dog shampoo, and it is green and a kind of rubber material...It has 2 sides and both sides are like rubber rounded knubs.
You could also check to see if it is "flea dirt". Just do what the other answerers said. Although I have never heard of that or seen it before.
2007-03-14 04:49:43 · answer #3 · answered by Xo_Danielle_xO 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sounds like it. When you wash off the dirt, see if it turns reddish brown. If it does-bingo flea dirt. Now is the time to start drops. Plus fleas can live in the carpet for months, so if it is a flea problem you may need to treat the house too.
2007-03-14 04:43:26 · answer #4 · answered by VAgirl 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you remove a few of the granules and rub them on a damp cotton ball does it turn red? If it does, your dog has fleas and what you are seeing is their droppings (from the dog's blood). You can also try running a flea comb over the dog and see what you get. Run the comb through and tap it on a white paper towel. You usually catch a couple actual fleas with the comb if the dog is infested.
2007-03-14 04:42:38 · answer #5 · answered by th3dogmomma 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Our collie gets those little "blackheads" on her belly skin. I wouldn't freak about fleas, but its something to look into...do not waste money on shampoos and sprays, go directly for a topical medication from the vet's office like Frontline Plus. Even if you don't encounter fleas, it's a good preventative for the warmer months. However, if they are like human blackheads under the skin i wouldn't worry. Try rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball or just wipe her down after being outside.
2007-03-14 04:47:38 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you think it is "Flea Dirt", the easiest thing to do is to take some off, put it on a white paper towel/napkin, and put a drop of water on it, if it turns red like blood, its flea dirt. Good Luck.
2007-03-14 04:59:11 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It could be "flea dirt"... which is also flea poo...try scrubbing her with a good lather and use flea protection like advantage or frontline... nothing from walmart!! that stuff does NOT work!... It could be sand or just plain dirt from rolling around outside if you are for sure that she doesnt have fleas... i hope this was helpful!!
2007-03-14 04:45:33 · answer #8 · answered by csmutz2001 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
flea dirt can be scraped off. My dog has the same brown spots, I tried everything to get them off and in the end realised she didn't mind them being there so I just let her be!
2007-03-14 04:44:18 · answer #9 · answered by Angela L 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be some type of dermatitis so have the vet tell you what it is. possibly an allergy. Maybe a shot of medication will get rid of it. I hope it is just some tough dirt, but you better make sure. OK???
2007-03-14 04:45:49 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋