Happy Australian Shepherd with Lavengel box in mouth

Real Stories

We love helping dogs of all ages, shapes, sizes, and skin conditions. Hear directly from customers about how Lavengel® has helped to relieve and heal a variety of issues - from scrapes and wounds to hotspots and paw infections.

Dr. Vickie Howell, DVM, of Vet Care Animal Clinic in Greeneville, Tennessee

5 Questions for a Veterinarian That Uses Lavengel

Dr. Vickie Howell, DVM

Owner/Operator, Vet Care Animal Hospital

Dr. Howell's small animal medicine clinic in Greeneville, TN, was first introduced to Lavengel in 2018, and it’s been a fixture there ever since. We asked her a few questions about her use of our gel in her practice.

  • 42 years - and counting! VCAH is celebrating 40 years this year!

    #1: How long have you been a veterinarian?

  • It's my first go-to ointment or treatment - no comparison. It's very soothing and non-irritating.

    #2: How has Lavengel worked compared to similar products?

  • Cellulitis, rashes, pyoderma, otitis externa, ulcerations, lacerations, Staph infections, suture reactions, urine scald - you name it.

    #3: What kinds of skin issues do you use Lavengel on?

  • Hundreds of them. It's a staple in the practice.

    #4: About how many dogs has Lavengel been used on at your clinic?

  • Pet owners LOVE IT and make repeat purchases at the clinic.

    #5: What have the pet owners had to say about Lavengel?

Brown and white English Bulldog sitting on blanket with box of Lavengel

Chandler the Bulldog's Raw, Irritated Paw

Chandler the English Bulldog had an irritated paw with infection between her toes. Her vet diagnosed it as a bacterial pyoderma and prescribed oral medication and Animax® topical ointment.

After 2 weeks of treating with Animax®, her owner saw very little improvement, so she switched to Lavengel® and found great results.

You can see Chandler’s story and healing progression below. She and her bulldog brother Walter can be found on Instagram @walterenglishbulldog.

  • Closeup of bulldog paw with bacterial pyoderma infection and redness between toes

    Chandler’s paw became irritated and itchy, and she was licking and chewing at it constantly. As a result, a nasty bacterial infection developed, earning her a trip to the vet.

  • Unhappy English Bulldog in large padded cone for dogs

    Her vet prescribed oral meds and Animax® ointment. She had to wear an e-collar to keep from licking. Due to bulldogs’ short necks, finding the right size can be difficult.

  • Sad English bulldog wearing a grey e-collar donut with infected left paw lying on white blanket

    After trying several out, her mom found a better-fitting donut collar. However, progress was slow, and even with her new collar, Chandler had trouble sleeping.

  • Closeup of dog paw with irritation, redness, and infection between toes

    After 2 weeks of consistent collars, Apoquel® oral meds, and Animax® ointment, Chandler’s paw showed minimal healing progress, so her mom decided to try something else.

  • Brown and white English bulldog with tongue sticking out sitting on couch

    Her mom had experience with Lavengel®, so she decided to try it instead of the expensive Animax®. She quickly noticed that Chandler seemed more relieved than before.

  • Healed bulldog paw after 2 weeks of treatment with Lavengel

    With Lavengel® being safe to lick, Chandler was able to say goodbye to the e-collar donut. Two weeks later, her infection cleared and her paw was healed.

  • White and brown English bulldog "smiling" at camera with light green blanket in foreground

    Now, Chandler is back to her normal, playful self, and her mom had to say, “We love you all SO much and are genuinely grateful for your product and for reaching out!”

  • Before and after photos of Lavengel healing scrape wound under left eye of Australian Shepherd

Mending Maple's Eye Wound

Accidents happen! Maple the Australian Shepherd ran into a fence while playing fetch and got a scrape just below the left eye. Her owner cleaned the area, and applied Lavengel® twice daily. Within 5 days, the wound was healed, and here’s what her owner had to say:

“I love that once it is applied, it continues working even when licked or rubbed off. That is a rare find with ointments, though it should be more common, especially in animal medicine. I enjoyed the smell, which is an added bonus.

The results speak for themselves. This is the first time I have used Lavengel, and I am now a believer in its efficacy.”

  • Left: Brown recluse spider bite on Chihuahua-corgi mix; right: Chihuahua-corgi mix lying on fleece bedding

Saved from a Scary Spider Bite

Buddy the ChiCorgie got bitten by a brown recluse spider. These spiders are typically found in the Midwest and south-central United States. Though not aggressive, their venom is powerfully necrotic, destroying layers of tissue around the bite and often leaving a deep scar.

While healthy adults and larger dogs can endure such a bite, it can be deadly to small dogs, like Buddy. His owner Steve, a friend of our own Dr. Andy Clark, was fearful for Buddy’s life, and had this to say:

“A lump developed followed by a hole in his side that was oozing pus. We took him to the vet, but they said it was at an advanced stage and the outcome was doubtful. They gave him antibiotics but there is no anti-venom. We used Lavengel at the suggestion of Dr. Clark. We applied it to the wound several times a day and saw improvement after one day. After several days, the hole closed up and within a week, it was nearly healed. I recommend this product highly and am so grateful to the people who made it. Buddy is precious to us and we are so happy to see him running and playing and back to normal.”

  • Three images of healing progression of hotspot on groin of Siberian Husky treated with Lavengel over 14 day period

Kierra the Husky's Hotspot

Veterinary professionals love Lavengel®! We've asked our friend Tasha, an experienced Veterinary Assistant, to share stories about how our gel has worked for her clinic's patients, like Kierra the husky here:

“Kierra was presented with a large palm-size lesion on her groin that her owner noticed her licking excessively. She had acute moist dermatitis (hot spot) between her two hind legs about 5 inches across. The area was shaved and scrubbed thoroughly, and Lavengel was applied evenly over the wound.

Kierra went home and the wound was cleaned twice daily and Lavengel applied. The wound responded to treatment within 1 day, showing significantly decreased irritation to Kierra.

The area was completely healed within approximately two weeks from the first application. The owner was thrilled with the results, how quickly the product took effect, and the overall ease of use with Lavengel - not to mention the wonderful smell.”

  • Before and after images of allergy rash on belly of Pitbull mix clearing after treatment with Lavengel

Allaying an Allergy Rash

Dogs have skin allergies like we do. When a rash breaks out as a result of an allergic reaction, it is often referred to as atopic dermatitis. Like all forms of dermatitis, Lavengel® proves more than a match for it, as Nicole found out with her dog Piper:

“Piper loves to roll in the grass, but does not like the itchy skin that comes after. Just a few days of Lavengel and her dermatitis was almost gone! She even stopped licking her itch as soon as it was applied. It has helped save her and our wallets from expensive daily allergy meds, because she's not going to stop rolling.”

  • Before and after images of Lavengel mending puncture wounds on dog neck caused by prong collar

Nursing Prong Collar Wounds

Wounds happen, and we're here to help. Lavengel® not only aids in quicker skin repair, but it inhibits the growth of bacteria, reducing the risk of infection - and professionals like Kim are taking notice:

“I am a registered nurse, and I know how to treat wounds. [These] were caused by a prong collar that was accidentally left on by one of my teenagers after a hike in the woods. Three days ago, when treatment began, there was a lot of purulent material, weeping, and a few puncture wound areas (which are especially hard to treat). I haven't used packing or anything like that to treat the wounds. I'm just using lavender shampoo, rinsing, then pulling out debris, and then I dry that off. At that point I then put your gel on; this is the third day of treatment and the wound bed is looking spectacular with no edema, pus, or odor.”

  • Before and after images of Lavengel healing extensive hotspot rash on back and tail of rescue dog

Healing a Huge Hotspot

Hotspots that don't involve free internet are no fun, especially for dogs (and their owners). Some can be small and treated with relative ease. Others can escalate as the dog scratches and agitates it, causing it to spread and even leading to fur loss - like poor Samson here. Thankfully, hotspots fall right into Lavengel's wheelhouse, as Samson's owner Kelli found out:

“When we adopted Samson, he had a hotspot that, when mixed with anxious scratching, quickly covered his entire back. After applying Lavengel for approximately 2 weeks, his wounds were almost completely healed. He was very hesitant to let us touch him with anything when we first got him, but eventually he learned the Lavengel bottle and would allow us to put it on him. His back is looking so much better!”

You can learn more about acute moist dermatitis (hotspots), how to prevent them, and what to do when they happen in our Ultimate Hotspot Guide.

  • Before and after images of Lavengel healing heat rash on back and tail of rescue mutt

Goodbye Heat Rash

In a case similar to Samson's, Albe had a nagging heat rash on his back that his owners could not get rid of for quite some time. Here's what his owner Taylor had to say after using Lavengel®:

“[Albe] had a bad heat spot on his back and tail [and] we've been trying for over a year to find something that works. We're not even a full month of using Lavengel and we're seeing the best results yet. The first [photo] was taken December 28; the second was on January 13. It has definitely helped out more than anything else we have used, and it is making him look and feel better every day!”

Tell Us Your Story

Do you have a Lavengel® story that you’d like to share? You can submit one on our Review page via the button below, or you can email it to us at info@aoxbio.com.