Category: FAQ’s

Frequently asked questions about the Xoloitzcuintle breed. Email patty@xolo.com and I will respond with a post on the blog.

How to…

…bandage/dress an injured hairlesss tail, a “Happy Tail.”   I have had many people ask he how to bandage a hairless tail.  It took me years to figure out how to dress a hairless tail.  Hairless Xolos injure their tails when they wag them hard and hit against their crate or anything that is hard.  We call this injury “Happy Tail.”  One of the members of the Xolo list called it this years ago and the name has been a good one, so we still call it that.
Take a large tampax tube.  Put some antibacterial ointment on the wounded area.  Wrap a piece of telfa around it and secure with sport tape.  Slip the tampax tube over the tail, covering  the injured area.  Have two long pieces of sport tape, about  1/2 inch wide, and at least ten inches long, ready.  Tape the tube in a spiral pattern from one end of it right up the tail.  Use the second piece to tape the same but in the opposite direction of the spiral pattern.  Change the dressing every few days to check on the healing.  Once a good scab is formed,
the telfa dressing is no longer necessary.    Please share this with your vet.

A message from my son…

…Barry, who  has a xolo named Finn.  Finn had a dark patch of skin on his belly and by his hind legs.

“YOU REALLY NEED to add this to your site mom! This stuff saved us!”

Finn had the ‘black skin disease’, and we were at the end of our wits, we tried everything (diet, applications, home remedies – and it only got worse). He was scratching himself to bits. You really need to recommend this to your xolo people! It should go on the health page i think.
(The term ‘black skin disease’ , as used in this message, was not arrived at as a result of a veterinarian’s examination.  It was found on an internet blog. This cream
would probably be helpful with many different skin issues.)

Xolo Info. – Taping puppies ears.

The Xolo ear usually needs temporary support to grow erect as the puppy grows.  Many different parts of the puppy’s body are competing for the available nutrients and calcium that make the ears stand erect.  When the adult teeth come in and have formed, then there is more available calcium for the ears and they generally are erect by 6 months of age, if not before.  We usually begin taping the ears at 3 weeks of age, very early, so that the pups learn to tolerate the slight discomfort involved.  Here we have photos of 4 week old puppies that have their ears taped and another photo showing how they look when the tape is removed after two days.

A bit about grooming your Xoloitzcuintle.

Shampoo for Xolos with normal skin.

Into an empty gallon jug put:

1 bottle Ivory liquid or Planet liquid. (25 oz. bottle)

2 oz. glycerin……2 oz. white vinegar…….& fill jug to 2/3 full with water.

If shampoo is for coated dogs, fill the gallon jug to the top with water.

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E.P.’s Healing Shampoo for Xolo skin.   (best for xolos with bumps & sores)

Betadine solution 4 oz. (50%)

Glycerin 2 oz. (25%)

Dish detergent (Planet or Ivory) 2 oz. (25%)

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Ear Cleaning Solution for Xolos

Into a plastic squeeze bottle:  fill 3/4 with water & 1/4 with white vinegar.  Squirt this into the ear & massage the side of the head below the ear.  Use weekly before the bath.

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Once a month put a few drops of olive oil into the Xolo’s ear and massage the head below the ear. This will soften any ear wax and prevent mites.

Hairless Xolos should be bathed and groomed once a week, including cleaning ears and clipping nails.  Coated Xolos can go longer between baths but need their ears cleaned and nails clipped every week.  For a hairless Xolo, follow the bath with a lotion, preferably one that contains cocoa butter. For any Xolo, a vinegar rinse promotes healthy skin. After the bath, fill a cup with warm water and add a splash of white vinegar. Pour this over the Xolo, saturating the skin. Do not rinse off.  Do not use a vinegar rinse if the dog has any open scratches or sores.

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For the hairless dogs that develop large bumps, clogged glands, on their skin, it is helpful to use Sulfur Soap a few times a week. This can be ordered from www.naturalgenesis.com

Of course, hand in hand with grooming for a beautiful skin or coat we have to maintain excellent nutrition for our dog. Some skin problems are caused by sensitivity to the diet or enviroment. For information on this go to www.vetallergy.com