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I figure if any bunch of people know how to deal with fiberglass injuries this group would!
A person on one of my dog mailing lists has asked for help in dealing with a rescued Bloodhound. As well as being physically abused and starved this dog was only given a bat of pink fiberglass to lie on and she has terrible skin problems as a result. They have washed her to remove any surface glass fibers, but are afraid that she has many more embedded in her skin. She is under a vet’s care, but they, too, are unfamiliar with just how to deal with her.
I have suggested soaking her in lukewarm water and Dreft which is what was suggested to ME when I had a fiberglass rash). Does anyone else have any experience/suggestions?
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Annie:
The first job in construction I had was as an insulator. What we were told, and what I did was take cold showers after work to remove the fibers. The thought is that hot water opens the skin's pours and lets the fiberglass penetrate even more. I believe this is correct, and I also believe that fiberglass exposure itches more when the working environment is very hot.
Further I believe that whatever fiberglass your canine friend has been exposed to will just kinda wear off after a week at the most. When I worked with the stuff, I'd take a shower and after 2 or 3 hours the itch was gone.
I'm not familiar with the actual health implications of fiberglass exposure, but from a pure comfort standpoint, I don't think it's as bad as most folks crack it up to be. For example, I find mosquito bites 2x as bad and chiggers & poision ivy x10!
*That poor dog! I would hope the fg would be shed as the animal's skin grows and sheds. I'm forwarding your Q to an animal expert friend of mine.
*It will help, to groom the dog several times a day with one of those grooming brushes with tons of tiny wirelike hairs. Any strands that are fairly loose will be eventualy worked out of the skin and coat.Anyplace that it looks like the strands have worked their way in and caused infection, (pimples), daub on some mycitracin triple anti-biotic ointment. The vet can fit the dog with a collar that will keep it from licking the ointment off. If the spot is kept 'wet' with the ointment, (reapply every couple hours or so), it should be good as new in 2 to 3 days.Has the vet taken an x-ray of the dogs lungs ???
*Both of my cats LOVE sleeping on fiberglass batts, and it has not bothered them one bit. As hard as i try to keep them out of the stuff, they get right back in it whenever they can. My vet told me that they seem to love the stuff for some reason, and not to worry about it. So I don't worry about it. I also had a dog a few years ago that would drag a piece out of the garage, and lay on it. It never seemed to bother him at all either. I never noticed a rash, excessive scratching of the dog, or any signs of skin irritation on him.Some dogs may be highly allergic to the fiberglass batts. For us humans, take some duct tape, and fold it over so that the sticky part is facing out. Dab the tape around your skin (or in this case, the dog's skin and hair) to pick up the loose strands. Fiberglass to me is NASTY stuff to deal with.Just a thought...James DuHamel
*Any chance of wrapping the previous owners in FG? I certainly hope they are being looked into by the proper authorities. Animal cruelty: bad business.
*Bummer. My research vet friend reports :Subject: Re: distressed doggie To: The Douglasses 2 Here is the response from the board certified dermatologist. There is nothing specific for fibreglass dermatitis other then tincture oftime. At 08:15 PM 5/5/2000 -0700, you wrote:>Thoughts? I feel/hope that time will shed the fibers.....>>
*never could keep our dogs out of the fiberglass..they would drag it out whenever i was working with the stuffthey loved curling up in it.. and they never exhibited any adverse conditions..the cats... one liked it.. and one liked the sun better....are you sure the skin condition is the fiberglass?.. nothing you said would lead me to believe the fiberglass is the cause of the abused bloodhound's skin problem..he's a hound.. both my dogs were hounds...BTW.. u no why dogs have fleas?so they won't dwell on the fact that they're dogs...b Pogo
*Our dog likes his shade. The cats sleep in fiberglass any chance they get. I had some batts up in an old ceiling. They would always climb up there to sleep.They also like the blown-in cellulose above our kitchen.But.... these are the same cats that wouls chew on our cactus plants. The ones with the tiny spiky hairs that fall out and embed themselves...in their tongues!! That was always funny to watch. They kept goinb back though.-Rob
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Update on Bloodhound...
The rescuers tell me Erie the Bloodhound is doing well, although she sure isn't pretty! She is being soaked daily, is on prednisone and antibiotics. The skin problem is definitely glass fibers in the skin, complicated by secondary infection. The vet feels that being filthy, starved (she is 40# underweight - for her size she should weigh 100#, she only weighs 60) and not being able to get away from the fiberglass has probably suppressed her immune system and made her more susceptible to the fiberglass irritant factor. Just as some people can practically roll in insulation with nary an itch while others can rash up just looking at it, dogs have varying reactions to irritants, whether they are fleas or fiberglass...
I myself get oozy rashes on my forearms if I don't take precautions with fiberglass and rinse off with cold water as soon as I am done working with it. Taking an antihistamine helps also.
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I figure if any bunch of people know how to deal with fiberglass injuries this group would!
A person on one of my dog mailing lists has asked for help in dealing with a rescued Bloodhound. As well as being physically abused and starved this dog was only given a bat of pink fiberglass to lie on and she has terrible skin problems as a result. They have washed her to remove any surface glass fibers, but are afraid that she has many more embedded in her skin. She is under a vet's care, but they, too, are unfamiliar with just how to deal with her.
I have suggested soaking her in lukewarm water and Dreft which is what was suggested to ME when I had a fiberglass rash). Does anyone else have any experience/suggestions?