How do I get poison ivy off my dog who had surgery recently?

[Momofeat]

I guess my topic says it all. Dd(12) has poison ivy, and we're pretty sure she got it from the dog. The dog still has stitches from a recent surgery, so we can't give her a bath.

 

We came to this realization after the vet's office closed this evening, but we would like to clean it off the dog tonight, if possible.

 

Thanks for any advice!

[Jean in Newcastle]

You can do a sponge bath of the leashed dog.  I would assume that the most likely spots for the dog to have contact with poison ivy would be the legs.  Wear gloves.  Also wash the leash if the dog was on a leash when he was most likely exposed.  

[Momofeat]

Thanks. That's what we've been talking about doing, but we're wondered if it would be enough, and if regular dog shampoo is enough.

[El...]

:scared:  Poor dog!  No advice, though Jean's sounds good.  I hope you can keep it off yourself!

[Jean in Newcastle]

Thanks. That's what we've been talking about doing, but we're wondered if it would be enough, and if regular dog shampoo is enough.

I heard that you might have to do it two or times for it to be enough.  So maybe wash, rinse, repeat two more times?  Make sure you wash the towel you use on the dog and don't touch it or use it on anyone else.  

[wendy not in HI]

My brother-in-law works in forests as a fireman, and spends a lot of time in woods with poison ivy.  He showers in hot water with dawn dish soap - he says the dawn dish soap cuts the oil of the poison ivy.  I would try the Dawn dish soap on the dog.  

[ktgrok]

They make special soap you can get at pharmacies, but I'd use dish soap otherwise.. And honestly, I wouldn't worry too much about the sutures, just dry them well and try not to get them directly wet.

[Momofeat]

:scared:  Poor dog!  No advice, though Jean's sounds good.  I hope you can keep it off yourself!

 

Just to clarify: The dog isn't showing any reaction to the poison ivy--but my dd is. We're pretty sure that the dog is the culprit because she (the dog, not dd) has been traipsing through our woods. We had not thought about poison ivy until dd started having a reaction.

 

Of course, this week happens to be the one where my oldest dd is gone on a mission trip, and my ds & I are spending a lot of time at baseball camp. The allergic dd is the one spending the most time with the poison ivy-infested dog. We don't want to isolate her from dd if we can help it.

 

We've been washing everything we can think of, and now dh is trying the sponge bath. Hopefully that stop it in its tracks without irritating the incision.