My pug has things that look like scabs in her wrinkles What should I do?

QUESTION: My pug has things that look like scabs in her wrinkles What should I do?   So I was cleaning her wrinkles out the other day when I picked off something I thought was dirt. When I did she started bleeding! I checked the other side and she had scabs there too! My parents don’t think it’s a problem but I’m scared for my pugs health! What do I tell my parents?

ANSWER: Several possibilities. It could be a skin infection of some kind in which case you’ll need to consult your vet to diagnose and treat it. The same goes for if it’s an irritation from some outside source eg grass etc. You may need some treatment to get her over the irritation before it gets worse. Another likely possibility is that it is related to her ‘wrinkles’. The folds in the skin can get hot and get things lodged in them that don’t come free as they would if they were on an external part of the skin. Things like dirt grass small twigs bits of dust/fluff etc can get stuck in there and with the movement of her body the skin rubs on it and it irritates the skin and can break it and create a small wound which you may have found partly healed as a scab. This can be helped by daily cleaning of her wrinkles to clear out any debris build up. Also build up of moisture within a skin fold can lead to infections and a mould-like situation and the breakdown of skin tissue if the area is not able to dry out. Think not washing your armpits for a couple of days. Gross huh. Something else to consider is that pugs typically have quite short and sharp hairs that stick straight out rather than lying flat like a lot of other breeds hair does. Because of this the hair fibers can rub and irritate the skin within the folds and create the same problem. Unfortunately there is not much you can do about this. It is just part of her breed’s nature. Regular cleaning and general maintenance of her skin folds can help. There are more possibilities but these are the more likely ones that I can advise you of. In any case it would be worthwhile contacting a vet to get their opinion. Hopefully your parents can help you. I hope she gets better soon.