Pets Keepers Guide Forums

I have an 11-month old shih tzu named Clio and as much as I wanted to keep her fur growing long, it's not practical especially if the weather is very hot. It's summer here right now. She's an indoor dog and the garden is just where she usually runs around. Picking up ticks along the way, an infestation started soon enough.

My poor dog was always scratching so I had to have her fur shaved off when I brought her to the groomer. Red patches on her skin were very evident and because there's no more thick fur to shield her skin while scratching, she developed open wounds.

I have only money for her grooming so buying a topical was out of the question. My aunt suggested to boil guava leaves and use the lukewarm water to bathe her. This same guava water is what we in the province use because it has antimicrobial properties and aids in the fast healing of wounds. I bathed her with it every after two days without using any shampoo, just rubbing her skin with it until the wounds and the red patches subsided in less than two weeks. I liked this remedy better because it's natural.

What do you use on your dog's skin to dry their wounds?

I have learnt something new. I didn't know that guava water would be so effective an antimicrobial and wound conditioner. I come from the tropics and there is an abundance of such plants and are being underutilised. My pets rarely encounter such but I once tried dressing my wounds with slaked lime and it was quite effective since it dries the wound immediately and has antiseptic properties.