Chinese Crested Dog-Working for Clear Skin

Hardly a month goes by that I do not receive an email asking for advise on Chinese Crested skin care.  I thoroughly understand.  When I got my first Chinese Crested, I literally cried with frustration fighting blackheads, whiteheads, and, of course the inflammation that comes along with them.  Unfortunately, although I found many treatments listed on the web from other breeders there was no scientific information easily available concerning this issue.  I decided to tackle the problem.  A number of years later this is what I have discovered...Chinese Crested are  not hairless.  Unlike American Hairless Terriers who are and who have lovely skin, Crested have a rudimentary hair within the follicle.  This is one of the reasons they have blackheads and whiteheads.  The fact they have a lower level of histamine in their system means they cannot fight off skin infections as easily as other breeds.  So what do we do?  My advise is avoid antibiotics and steroids.  They simply suppress the problem and as soon as you stop using them, the problem resurfaces.

Keep their skin clean.  Rub glycerin into their skin.  You can pick this up from the health food store.  By day two black head and even white heads will literally roll out when you run your fingernail lightly over the skin.  This is not an overnight fix.  It takes time, but it is so encouraging to see the blackheads finally coming out.  If there is inflammation, add a drop of tea tree oil to the glycerin and apply this to inflamed areas.  (Please do a little research on tea tree oil and use precautions.)  Don't squeeze blackheads or whiteheads.  Whiteheads will not come out and if blackheads are not ready to come out, you will damage the surrounding skin and cause inflammation.  Blackheads are ready to come out when they appear shiny, no long opaque.

Over time, this regime works but most Chinese Crested will always have some type of skin issue, but blackheads are simply unsightly.  It is the inflammation that is the real problem.

Next blog... Vitamins and Minerals: Do They Assist the Healing Process?

Finally, a moment to get this blog going

I am so busy, which is a good thing, but really cuts into my time for things like blogs. However, I do want to start posting every week. What I am sharing today is just a little about myself and my goals in creating this blog. I am a Doctor of Animal Naturopathy. What does this mean? I treat my own canines and counsel others on holistic alternatives for their pets. After 13 years of feeding a species appropriate diet to a multitude breeds, I discovered some interesting facts, one of which is each dog and breed must be treated individually. There is no one right way to successfully feed your dog. I firmly believe the basis for good health is a species appropriate diet, with dogs and cats, this is a carnivore diet, meat and bones. However, I have also discovered because of our practice of closing stud books and cycling inward with our breeding practices that different breeds, and individuals within those breeds, will need supplementation. For those interested in a good basic supplement for their animals, I recommend Dr. Pitcairn's book, which you can get at reasonable price from Half.com.
If you are interested in learning about Naturopathy or even getting a degree then I suggest you visit the Kingdom College of Natural Health website. They offer excellent educational opportunities at reasonable prices. They have also just added an outstanding degree in animal behavior. I am not studying for a degree in homeopathy (which I use and recommend).
I hope to present some interesting ideas in this blog which will I hope make you think outside the box. Let's see how it goes. Debra