Itchy - Scratchy

The dog days of summer are surely here in North Florida.  It's hot, muggy and still.  The horses have shade, water, salt and sand to roll in but by the end of the day, they are salty and itchy.

This evening after work I noticed that Stylin (my delicate little flower) had rubbed and rubbed a raw line on her haunches.  She probably used one of the 2 x 6's in the stall area.

I hosed her with cool water, scraped her off and applied the good, stinky, sulphur medicine (Nu-Stock) to her sore spot then let her graze with her buddies for an hour.  This stuff stays on well and seems to soothe and heal.  

My little Papillon, Maxx, has been having a hard time this summer as well.  He has allergies and just when he is looking good, he'll have breakout at the same time that all my friends start having trouble with itchy eyes and sinuses.  He'll lick and scratch, infection sets in and then his hair falls out.  I have him on steroids, antihistamine and antibiotics.  Within a month after taking him off antibiotics his infection will creep back.  We go to the vet again tomorrow.  Most of the time I put a little shirt on him when we have company because no one will pet him with his bare, scabby parts.  He is such a joy to me and has such fun on our little farm.  When he belonged to a woman in a condo at the beach, his allergies never kicked in this badly.

My mutt rescues are fat and happy - no itchies and scratchies.   Sarah - our lab/chow was adopted from our local shelter and Jesse the Corgi mix, our old man, was rescued near my work place as a pup with a collar grown into his neck.  He is the king of his domain.  

Sweet Sarah has her summer cut

His Royal Highness Jesse presides