Ingrown hair - Page 1

Hello all.

I took my 15 month old bitch into the vet today to have them check on a suspicious lump on the top of her head, between her ears.  Vet ended up saying it is a large clump of ingrown hair.  (She's had a small bump there since birth but, this last month, it seemed to take on a life of it's own and begin to really grow.  She told me I will have to have it surgically removed (appt is scheduled for Monday) as it will continue to grow on it's own if left. 

She showed me that it will be a pretty large spot being cut open, about the entire top of head.  It just worries me, will all of the hair grow back on her head?  Heck, just the golf ball sized spot she shaved today looks gross enough...

And, a moment to brag, she hasn't been out a lot since last summer to socialize with other dogs and kids and she was excellent.  She met two puppies at the vet's and a large hound mix that wanted to play in the park and was such a good girl.  Little children asked to pet her at the park later and she was everything I could want in a good German Shepherd.  She made Mommy proud.

Also, for those that work and/or have worked in a vet's office (or anyone for that matter that might know), why would the vet say, "oh, let me check her back end (under tail) since she is a German Shepherd.)  What does that mean?  I was too dumbfounded to think to ask then but, it has bothered me the whole day now.  Just curious...is there something back there we should be looking at that I do not know about?

Thanks for the help.

Dawn

Can't help with the lump and whether hair will grow back.

More than likely the vet checked her anus for perianal fistulae which happen to some GSDs.

Thank you Aqua, I didn't know that.  I appreciate the answer.

Dawn:

My gsd Falon was born with the same condition.  It was a little lump as a pup which you could feel when petting.  By the time she was 13 months it to took on a life of its own and started to grow and bubble.  She had the surgery and ended up with stitches forming a cross beween the ears and between her eyes.  The hair did grow back but you can tell there is a scar - hair grows slightly different direction between the ears.  Don't be freaked after surgery as it looked nasty.  We called her Franky for a while because she looked like Frankenstein.  She recovered much quicker than I did.

I wish you the best with your dog.

Cheryl

Hi Dawn

I had 1 about 15yrs ago who had a lump on his jaw, when he had surgery they found it to be ingrowing hair, he was 8yrs at the time but the hair grew back fine.

Pam

fanatic,

I too had this happen to one of my dogs, she must have injured herself but I never saw it happen, a splinter or thorn.  She runs thru the woods at night chasing critters and must have jammed something into her head, right between the ears.

It was ingrown hair and puss about the size of a quarter.  The vet cut it open and removed everything, the wound healed fine and I can't tell where it was now.   She was about a year old, now two and a half.  She looked so stupid with a shaved head I felt sorry for her but it grew back fairly fast.  Don't worry.

Thank you all so much for your answers.  Well, sounds like she's going to look pretty awful (I figured that just from the spot that is there now) but, thank goodness it sounds as though the hair will grow back.  (I'll have to keep her at home for a while until it grows back so people are terrified of the "frankenstein dog".  lol

Would any of you that had this done remember the cost of the surgery?  Sorry, but they've just cut our hours back at work to a significant degree and I want to ensure I've got it covered.  My vet said she thinks it shouldn't be more than $200 (but, she is new at the practice too) and I didn't think to ask if this included anesthesia or not.  I normally would fall on my credit card for this kind of thing but, just had it blocked (until the new one comes) due to fraud.

Thank you again.

Dawn

Traditionally my vet costs seeme to be alot higher than most people that post on here.  Falon's surgery was about 3.5 years ago and it ran close to $1,000.00.  There was alot of cutting and significant stitches and it had become infected.   I was able to take her home that night.  Not sure if your dogs surgery will be as extensive, so hopefully they can stick to the estimate they gave you of $200.  Goodluck and let me know how you make out.

Cheryl

Sorry Dawn mine was 15yrs ago it cost £450 plus aftercare as he went to an orthopeadic vet for surgery incase they had to remove part of his jaw bone, luckily enough that didnt happen.

Pam

Wow.  Thank you for the heads up on the possible costs.  I had a sneaky feeling that $200 was too low of a price but, who knows, maybe I'll get lucky. 

I just know when they did prelims on the hips and elbows of my other girl, with anesthesia, the price was $350 and I don't think the actual price of the xrays were that much, I believe it was the anesthesia so, I'm sure it's going to be more than the $200.

I'll let you all know later in the event anyone else faces the same.

Dawn