Constant Cuts/thin Skin

[Guest lilyray]

I know greys have thin skin and cut easy. I have had two greys without many cuts. Our new grey seems to have extremely thin skin and comes in with a new cut almost everyday. My first post was because of two cuts he got that required stitches (still healing the large pad on the bottom of a front paw). He is also more reckless and hyper than the other two. This week he cut his back leg coming up the back step toooooo fast and nicking it on the concrete edge. I put neosporin and a wrap on it. I think I need to take stock in the company that makes the wrap that sticks to itself and not the skin(fur). I have gone through so much of that stuff in just the three weeks that we have had him. Anyway...could his skin be thinner due to vitamin difficency from the race track? Or any other reason? Or is his skin just thinner? Could it be his coloring (dark brindle) that makes thinner skin that my other two?

[Guest LadyChester]

While many greys tend to have thin skin, my friend has one who the vet believes may be collagen deficient, leading to constant cuts and tears. I think she gives her a vitamin C supplement; I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will jump in. EMT Gel is their best friend.

[Beautybabe]

Emmet was always getting new scrapes after we adopted him. Seems it took a while to figure out (us and him) the rough places in the yard. Emmet has a very skimpy white coat and every nick and tear shows bright pink. Martin on the other hand...he has a thicker brindle coat and doesn't seem to be so susceptible to scraping injuries. Yogi is the same way.

 

Our vet told us to be very very careful about vet wrap--not to wrap it too tightly. Apparently, it causes swelling if too tight.

[Guest greydogluvr]

Maybe you should keep some Jammies or a shirt on him until you sort out the cause. Maybe a little extra protection will help. I also have one who gets frequent cuts and scrapes. I will be watching to see what is suggested for supplements or potential contributing factors.

[Guest lilyray]

Maybe you should keep some Jammies or a shirt on him until you sort out the cause. Maybe a little extra protection will help. I also have one who gets frequent cuts and scrapes. I will be watching to see what is suggested for supplements or potential contributing factors.

 

 

Good idea to put something on legs to cover them while he is out. Sometimes the best ideas escape out brains when we are trying to think too hard about what to do. I read on this site somewhere about cutting out kids shirt sleeves to cover legs with. I will try it.

[tamborine]

With my greys, it seems the ones with the thin, slick coats and almost bald chests are the ones who get all the boo-boos. I keep EMT gel & spray on hand (actually, I have a huge first aid kit!). Bama just got snagged by Henderson (my corgi) a couple of weeks ago while they were playing - this one required the vet, and he wound up with a 4" line of sutures on his side after debridement. He's also always getting different kinds of scratches & dings, because his coat is so thin. Stephanie, on the other hand, has a coat that's more dense, and a hairy chest - she wrestles with Henderson like there's no tomorrow and always comes out unscathed (knock wood).

[ahicks51]

Maybe you should keep some Jammies or a shirt on him until you sort out the cause. Maybe a little extra protection will help. I also have one who gets frequent cuts and scrapes. I will be watching to see what is suggested for supplements or potential contributing factors.

 

 

Good idea to put something on legs to cover them while he is out. Sometimes the best ideas escape out brains when we are trying to think too hard about what to do. I read on this site somewhere about cutting out kids shirt sleeves to cover legs with. I will try it.

 

A size large sweatshirt does a good job at covering much of the front part of a large greyhound. You will either have to roll the cuffs or cut them short, but the sleeves are great for keeping the front legs protected.

 

The big, goofy boys can be real "boo boo puppies" fresh off the track. They tend to slow down a bit and get dinged up less as time goes on, so it's not hopeless!

[rschultz]

mine has thin skin too i use a lot of neosporin and emj gel

[seeh2o]

If I look at Carl too hard he will get scratched, Kobie was like that, too. I have learned to keep lots of triple antibiotic ointment, triple antibiotic spray and peroxide on hand.

[Guest Hollys2hounds]

My Lexy is the same way. Both my greys play like lunatics in the yard, but Lexy is the one with the tears and rips in her skin. It is not constant, but during normal play she is the one that I am playing " Florence Nightingale " to... EMT gel, Neosporin, and lots of kisses.

 

Its funny though, because she is always getting compliments on how shiny and beautiful her coat is. She doesn't look like she would have thin skin...

[Guest LindsaySF]

Are there sharp objects in the yard that need to be removed? Are you sure none of the injuries are from the other dogs nipping while running/playing?

 

Since he is new, chances are he is just excited and doesn't know the lay of the land yet. Once he figures it out and calms down a bit things should go better.

 

When I first adopted Teagan he tripped running up our deck stairs, let out the GSOD, and cut his leg and just under his eye. We had our first meet & greet the next day. But he never did it again. He walks up those stairs much more gingerly now, he learned his lesson!

 

[kronckew]

try chainmail

Edited November 24, 2008 by kronckew

[greyhoundlady]

I know exactly how you feel. My mostly white female is like a patchwork quilt with all her scars and stitches. She is reckless when she runs in the yard, as if her mind goes elsewhere and all she wants to do is run full out. She hits everything, including tripping up the step on the deck once, which caused the skin on both back legs to tear down about an inch. The vet expects us regularly. In fact, We were just there the other day for neck stitches and another leg wound. My male brindle has much tougher skin and is also extremely cautious when he zooms. No nicks on him since we got him. Have them both over 4 years.

[rschultz]

oh forgot to add my vet also said to use some vasoline on their pads of the paws. it has helped keep her pads soft and stronger...she likes her weekly manicure..lol

[grey14me]

I think you answered it yourself...he is much more hyper and reckless. The only answer to that is really long leash walks to keep him too tired to run like a maniac in the yard.