How to treat lip fold pyoderma in dogs

Lip fold pyoderma is an irritating bacterial skin infection that can cause lesions and make your pup’s sensitive mouth folds red and inflamed. Perhaps you’ve heard it called skin fold dermatitis or even just ‘stinky lip syndrome’, thanks to its tell-tale foul odor? If your pup has a lot of loose skin, they can also develop skin fold dermatitis on their facial folds, tail fold, vulvar fold, and armpits.

There’s no need to panic if you notice these symptoms in your dog though. Lip fold pyoderma is a common, non-contagious, and treatable skin disease. And, there are some at-home remedies that can help.

Common symptoms of lip fold dermatitis

While it’s always best to have your vet confirm a lip fold dermatitis diagnosis, watch out for these symptoms of skin fold pyoderma:

• Foul smell coming from the lip fold or skin wrinkles
• Redness or irritation/ inflammation in the affected area
• Yellow or white discharge
• Discoloration of the area

What causes lip fold dermatitis?

• Breed/genetics. Saggy skin, face wrinkles, and droopy lips can all lead to your dog developing lip fold pyoderma. There are several breeds which are more likely to develop this irritating condition (see below).
• Weather changes. Excessive salivating, drinking, and panting when it’s warm and humid can contribute to seasonal skin fold pyoderma.
• Medications. Although this is rare, lip fold pyoderma can occasionally develop in pups that are taking antibiotics due to changes in saliva chemistry.
• Allergies. Whether an allergy to plastic bowls/toys, food, or an environmental allergy, this can exacerbate dermatitis.

Dog breeds more prone to lip fold pyoderma

• Bloodhounds
• St Bernards
• Pekingese
• American Bulldogs
• Pugs
• Shih Tzus
• Shar Peis
• Basset Hounds
• Cocker Spaniels

It’s fairly easy to treat mild cases of lip fold pyoderma. Make sure to carefully clean the area with a vet-approved cleanser and then generously apply a soothing dog balm. For more complicated cases of lip fold pyoderma, you may need to set your vet. 

A veterinarian may treat a more serious dog lip infection with antibiotics, prescription topical creams, or other treatments. As a last resort for extreme cases, treatments like steroids or skin removal surgery could be prescribed.

👉 While you can (and should!) take steps to prevent lip fold pyoderma, it can recur throughout your dog’s life. But don’t worry — this is normal and treatable! 

Try out some vet-indicated treatments — Sometimes cleaning and soothing alone won’t solve stubborn skin fold dermatitis in your four-legged friend. This is when you should make an appointment with your vet. They may recommend treatments like antibiotics, topical chlorhexidine treatments, medicated shampoos, or steroids in extreme cases.

Skin removal is a last resort — In severe cases (especially for dog breeds with very wrinkled features) surgery may be recommended as a way to keep lip fold pyoderma at bay. However, vigilance, preventative measures, and vet-prescribed remedies should typically do the trick long before surgery becomes an option.

Apply soothing balms at home to calm the symptoms — If your furry friend has lip fold pyoderma already, ease the symptoms and speed their recovery with soothing balms. Some of our favorites are Wrinkle Balm and Skin Soother, thanks to their all-natural ingredients and anti-inflammatory properties.

Wrinkle balm: eradicates yeast and bacteria

Wrinkle Balm is a simple way to soothe your pup’s lip and skin fold pyoderma at home. The gentle scent-free formula has all-natural, anti-inflammatory ingredients

Ingredients — Wrinkle Balm
Avocado Oil, Rosemary Extract, Olive Leaf Extract, Niaouli, Natural Vitamin E, Hempseed Oil, Stearic Acid, Jojoba Oil, Shea Butter, Calendula, Candelilla Wax, Coconut Oil

Nozzle Nectar: organic nose balm with avocado oil

Nozzle Nectar is a natural balm that’s ideal for soothing irritated lip folds. Perfect for sensitive, scabbed, scaly, or rough skin, this balm contains soothing ingredients like avocado oil and shea butter. It’s also free of chemicals or other harsh ingredients, so it won’t hurt your pup in case they lick it!

Ingredients — Nozzle Nectar
Sustainable red palm, organic beeswax, avocado oil, shea butter, soy, coconut oil, vitamin E.

Skin Soother: high-quality ingredients

Skin Soother is an all-natural balm that can calm the redness and associated irritation caused by lip fold pyoderma. With anti-bacterial and anti-fungal ingredients, Skin Soother is an all-round doggy rescue balm that will soothe irritating dermatitis which can also be used on scars, dry spots, and more!

Ingredients — Skin Soother
Lavender, Chamomile, Frankincense, Sea Buckthorn Oil, Myrrh, Cocoa Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Coconut Oil, Safflower Oil, Candelilla Wax, Vetiver, Niaouli, Benzoin, Vitamin E

While lip fold pyoderma may reoccur due to the warm, moist environment that the folded skin causes, there are some ways to prevent your pup from developing stinky wrinkles.

Keep the affected areas clean and dry — Prevention is always a good idea. Keeping your dog’s lip folds clean and dry on the daily is the best way to prevent pyoderma from developing. After they’ve eaten, use a clean, dry cloth to gently wipe the wrinkly skin around your dog’s mouth twice a day. Does your dog have an especially fluffy face? Keep that fur trimmed too!

Clean food and water bowls daily — You need to keep your pooch’s bowls (we recommend stainless steel or ceramic to decrease the chance of a skin reaction) as clean as their face to help stop them from getting lip fold dermatitis. Wiping their dishes clean every day with specialized, pet-friendly anti-bacterial wipes is a good place to start.