The problem with dogs running through poison oak is that the oil will stay on their fur until it is removed. The only way to prevent having to clean your dog daily would be to keep her from coming in contact with the plants in the first place, such as keeping her close on a leash or taking a different path that does not contain poison oak. To remove the oil, you can use Tecnu Original Outdoor Skin Cleanser. Saturate a cloth with Tecnu Original and wipe down her coat. Follow up with a pet shampoo and water. You want to make sure to remove all of the Tecnu so that she doesn't lick her fur and ingest it.
Anything that you can do to dry up the rash is going to benefit you the most. Oxygen is helpful to healing the wound. If you cover the rash with a sterile bandage cover loosely to allow healing oxygen to reach the surface of the skin. It is important to keep the rash very clean changing sterile bandages frequently reduces the risk of infection.
You can use Tecnu Original before using a hydrocortisone ointment. Just make sure to wait at least 3 days after using a hydrocortisone ointment, before using Tecnu.
The reason is that the use of hydrocortisone thins the skin, allowing any topical application to the skin to penetrate more readily. If you are slightly sensitive to a detergent, like Tecnu Original Outdoor Skin Cleanser, it will aggravate the skin more quickly and severely.
Poison oak and ivy rash can be tricky! There are a couple of reasons why your rash appears to be spreading: 1.) Different areas of the body absorb the rash-causing resin (urushiol) at different rates; so, you may notice one area of your body breaking out, and another spot show up a day or two later 2.) You are coming into contact with urushiol from an unexpected source such as clothing, tools, steering wheel, even your pet. See our post to learn more about secondary contamination & how to avoid it.
It is not uncommon for a poison ivy or oak rash to blister and ooze during the healing process. That is actually formed by your own body and has nothing to do with the cleanser. When the blisters break and ooze you want to make sure that you are keeping them clean and if you cover them use a loose bandage.
