[Dailydrool] Legpit issues- please help

[Brenda Waldrop]

As warm So Cal weather sets in here in San Diego, my Sr. basset Copper seems
to have developed a new issue.  In his front legpits he seems to have worn
off the fur in almost a hot-spot type fashion.  It's red an irritated, and
it has some light yellow, yeasty looking material gooped in there. (Sorry
for the ewww factor there.)

I strongly suspect that it's a product of his huge belly and legs rubbing
against each other as he walks, although how he could have walked enough to
cause this is beyond me.  Walking for him consists of to and from the water
dish and food bowl to the couch or dog bed of his choice (a span of maybe
30ft tops. And if we're lucky, he will deign to travel two blocks total
roundtrip for his time outside to do his business several times a day.
Usually though it's half a block before he's done and ready to head back in.

Now, he came to us at a starving 26lbs at 9 years old, and we spent about 7
months packing him up to a healthy 55lbs.  However, with his arthritis, and
his tendency to be as sedentary as he can get away with, he's porked up a
bit over the winter and is pushing 65lbs now, possibly more.  I'm sure this
is the reason this has now become an issue, I'm just not quite sure what to
do about it.

Obviously I should try to get some weight off of him (rotflol, yeah that'll
work), but in the meantime how should I treat/prevent this?  It's only going
to get warmer here soon and he doesn't tolerate walking in the heat well as
it is.  Sore legpits is going to make it worse.  I cleaned them, which
didn't seem to bother him in the least, and sprayed them with NutriVet Cool
Skin spray for hot spots.  Is there anything else I should be doing?
Knowing the basset's tendency towards being as large as they can get away
with, this must be a fairly common problem in the warmer and more humid
areas.

Thanks,
Brenda- momslave to Copper (No way am I going on a diet!) and Elphaba (I'm
trim and fit so this is not an issue for me yet.)
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