Scars

[WhiteTree]

My parents yellow lab just attacked my shepherd, there's no blood and my shepherd is blissfully unaware that it was an attack. She has two marks on her face though, I'll attach pictures. How can I help keep them from turning into scars? I know it's stupid but she's so pretty I don't want her to be scarred, it won't make me love her less of course but it does upset me. I get upset seeing the scar on her foot. I don't want her face to be scarred, she's so pretty and she has a hard enough time with people, she was abused so she's afraid of people and people don't understand so all she really has going for her with people other than me is she's adorable so they tolerate her. I love her no matter what but I would like to try to keep this from scarring her face, she needs that face to get people to give her a chance despite her emotional state. I know it sounds crazy, I probably make no sense right now because I'm furious with the lab for attacking Lady. They've been best friends for over a year and a half and then today for no reason she snaps at Lady for nothing more than walking past her in the livingroom and it wasn't in play. I'm just glad Lady doesn't realize what happened, she doesn't know what being mean is, everything's playful to her.

 

[eroomlorac]

I am almost positive those will not scar. I'm thinking the fur will grow back normally. Your dog might have been aware she was being attacked. Some dogs or so submissive they don't question being attacked. They don't feel 'bad' for being low dog on the 'totem pole'. That just is their position in life and they accept it. I know it's hard to do but don't try putting human emotions on your dog. Love her and care for her and give her the best but I'm betting she is quite content in her position in life.

 

[WhiteTree]

She's actually second rank in the house out of four. It's the lab, then her, then the two puggles but they're part timers now. I'm just so surprised, we have five dogs with this lab, the two puggles, an older shepherd mix, my shepherd mix and a beagle. The puggles have both been attacked and aren't even allowed in the kitchen if there's food. The beagle was never attacked and was allowed in the kitchen but not near her bowl. But the shepherds have both been allowed to not only be in the kitchen but eat from the lab's bowl with the lab standing there and until today neither had been attacked.

I knew the lab had developed some aggression, her personality changed lately which is why the puggles are only here part time. But she lets my shepherd eat her food which is huge for her because she'll take your hand off for a crumb, she lets her lay on top of her, she lets my dog do anything to her. Then today all my dog does is walk past her in the living room and she attacks her. The shepherd doesn't know, as it was happening she started trying to play, I had to pull her away, she went into play mode, I really don't think my shepherd understands, she's not playing with a full deck, a dog bites her and she wags her tail and wants to play.

I guess I'm just protective of my Lady, she went through so much at the rescue the first 8 months of her life were hell. She's finally getting over her phobias where I don't have to worry about her getting scared and peeing herself if someone uses a tissue but now I have to worry about leaving her with the lab. I know I'm probably making a big deal out of nothing but Lady's like my child, she's so emotionally damaged from the rescue she only lets me and my mom touch her she's getting better slowly.

 

[Jenn]

the attacks to her face don't look too bad so I agree, most likely will not scar. I think the abrasion needs to be deeper for long term scarring. I have a dobie that has cut himself twice now on his leg - he runs around the property at a 100 miles an hour (only slight exaggeration) and has gotten caught up in something that took a good chunk of skin off his leg. I put neosporin on the cut and wrapped it up and now healed, it appears that the area will remain scarred. But the cuts were much deeper than what your dog has and at least she can't continue to irritate the area by licking it. It should heal pretty quickly.

 

[eroomlorac]

WhiteTree, I see what you mean. I didn't know the whole story until your second post. If I'm reading it right, it was the older shephard that attacked your lab? I wonder if the older dog isn't feeling well, thus making her more prone to be 'crabby'. Keep an eye on the older shephard and try to note if she seems to be in any sort of pain, maybe, from arthritis or if something else seems to be going on with her to make her a little less tolerant lately. I had an old Border Collie who seemed to get less tolerant as she got older. I know she had some gastric issues and she had arthritis and her physical issues sort of changed her personality near the end. When my grandbaby was born three years ago, my BC would lay on the floor and "protect" the baby from the other dogs and cats. If any of the other animals walked past the baby, my BC would growl and snap as if to warn the other animals away from the baby. Two and a half years later, you could just tell the dog was not thrilled with the toddler and just wanted to be left alone. So, moral of the long story, try to see if something could be bothering that older dog.

 

[WhiteTree]

WhiteTree, I see what you mean. I didn't know the whole story until your second post. If I'm reading it right, it was the older shephard that attacked your lab? I wonder if the older dog isn't feeling well, thus making her more prone to be 'crabby'. Keep an eye on the older shephard and try to note if she seems to be in any sort of pain, maybe, from arthritis or if something else seems to be going on with her to make her a little less tolerant lately. I had an old Border Collie who seemed to get less tolerant as she got older. I know she had some gastric issues and she had arthritis and her physical issues sort of changed her personality near the end. When my grandbaby was born three years ago, my BC would lay on the floor and "protect" the baby from the other dogs and cats. If any of the other animals walked past the baby, my BC would growl and snap as if to warn the other animals away from the baby. Two and a half years later, you could just tell the dog was not thrilled with the toddler and just wanted to be left alone. So, moral of the long story, try to see if something could be bothering that older dog.

It was the lab that attacked my young shepherd. 9 year old lab, she's had problems with her shoulders for years though, she runs into things. We got her when she was 6 months old and she had three owners before us, the first night she ran into a telephone pole, she has since broken cabinets, doors and bent a door frame from running into them. She runs into my car door almost everyday. So she is in pain but I don't think that's what caused this, she wasn't hurting today, at least not like she usually is, we give her pills to treat her pain (all vet approved) and she was actually having a good day. She was playing with my shepherd just 15 minutes earlier and loving on her, then my shepherd walks by and she attacks her. She bit me later in the day, she grabbed me by my leg as I was leaving to pick up my mom. I just don't know what to do with this dog anymore.

 

[eroomlorac]

I would be concerned there is something going on in the dog's head. Like maybe a tumor or something? What do you mean the dog runs into things? Like she can't see them, or what? I think there is something going on in this dog's brain and I would be concerned that someday this dog will violently attack. I'd look into this dog's behaviour much closer, maybe even getting a ct scan of it's brain. I see some bad potential here.

 

[moon]

I would have to agree with eroomlorac - it sounds like maybe something really wrong with your lab. What was the problem with her shoulders that could make her run into things? When you said that, the first thing I thought was blind or brain damaged, like eroomlorac said. I would check further into this as well. I wish you luck.