So my puppy has mange, and part of her treatment is the use of medicated shampoos. She's been prescribed two, and both of them require being left in the coat for ten minutes. I was told to use both at the same time--one's to treat the mange, I think, and the other is an anti-itch shampoo--which means I'm looking at a twenty-minute-plus bathtime. I guess my question is, how can I keep her safe, happy, and entertained while she's stuck being bathed? I'm concerned about the temperature, too--I'm too scared to bathe her outside (yay agoraphobia) and of course our problem a/c started working again overnight. And I was planning on using our kitchen sink, but I'm worried it will be too hard to keep at a good temperature, so I'm thinking instead of washing out a bucket we've got and using that... And Izzie has so far not responded well to baths. Last time I kept her from crying/screaming with lots of treats, but I only have so much kibble to allocate and she's going to be in there for a while.
I don't have any words of wisdom for you, really. It sounds miserable for you both. I had heard somewhere about someone spreading peanut butter on the tiles to keep the dog occupied. It's high in calories, but might help? Just make sure you get one that has no xylitol in it, as that's toxic for dogs. The best would be one that's made entirely from peanuts, so no added oil, salt or sugar. I use (for myself) a brand called Meridian which is 100% peanuts - I don't know if you can get that where you are? Agoraphobia is awful - I used to stay near Oxford during the week while I was working there and the lady I rented from was a sufferer. Will you be able to get out and walk your puppy when she's older, or will that have to be done by someone else?
Hmm, that's something to try. I have no idea if we have Meridian over here, though I'll check for a 100% peanut peanut butter next time we go shopping. I guess I'm not sure if it's safe to let her out of the tub while the shampoo is soaking... I'm worried she'll try to eat the shampoo. But leaving her in the tub wouldn't help much, since I'd have to keep her from drinking the water. I'm also worried about shaking. I may have to properly clean the bathroom for this, haha. My agoraphobia is relatively situational; if I've got someone with me, I can usually manage. I haven't had trouble walking my partner's parents' dog around, so I'm hopeful that once Izzie's old enough to go for walks, I can manage. If not we'll have to hire a dog walker. I'll go check to see if the peanut butter we have has any xylitol in it... she hasn't had peanut butter yet, but it might be good to try.
Oh, that's an excellent idea! We may have to make a trip to the pet store today, then. I hadn't thought of that at all. Thank you! I'm starting to feel almost prepared for this glorious undertaking.
I bathe my dogs in the tub with no water in the bottom, using a handheld shower head. I could keep them in there for 10 minutes with treats and kibble and lots of reassuring pets/scratches - I like the peanut butter idea! I've had to do it for natural flea shampoo and skunk odor remover, ha. But this way you don't have to worry about the water drinking. My first puppy had mange. It was miserable. Sending feel better thoughts her way!
Ah, handheld shower head sounds so convenient! Our bathroom's pretty old, though, so it doesn't have anything like that. Hopefully we'll get through this without her hating me afterwards. Thanks for the feel better thoughts!
When I was a kid we used to have a hand-held shower attachment with rubber ends that you fixed over the taps when you wanted a shower. I wonder if they still exist?
Harley used to hate baths......until she jumped into my bath, complete with bubbles!! Since then she's lived baths. I usually put her in the shower with me which she seems to like. My OH used to throw treats over the shower intermittently which she loved.
Oh, I didn't know you could buy portable shower sprayers! I checked some on Amazon and found one that looks good, and thankfully it will be here before her next scheduled bath. And aww, Harley sounds so cute! I hope Izzie's water instincts kick in soon. I managed the first of her many baths to come. I shampooed her then put her in a towel-lined bucket to wait out each ten-minute period. She shivered so badly the second half; I couldn't tell if it was cold or scariness or both. Next time I think I'll try towel-wrapped cuddles to keep her calm through the waiting. My poor little puffball. Thanks all for the tips! I think overall it went much better than it could have, and hopefully that shower attachment helps. The peanut butter helped a lot, although she burned through it too quickly for the whole ten minutes and I didn't want to give her too much given she's never had it before and I'm trying to be good at managing her diet.
Poor thing - sounds like you are doing good though. Maybe you need one of those drying coats to put on her, in between and after shampooing?
Could you crate her while waiting through each ten min period? This is what happens at the pet parlour when they shampoo with anti-flea shampoo. You could leave her with a bone or frozen kong (maybe too cold?) or a hoof with peanut butter thinly spread inside it. And heat the room so she's not cold while being wet. Best of luck. Thankfully we've never had to treat mange, but I've read the exhausting stories. Are you also addressing her immune system? I understand mange attacks when immunity is low.
