Decided to take my dog to the vet

I posted a question about a skin rash, loss of hair, and itching on my dogs back and belly. It was posted about a month ago. I got some great feedback, but nothing seemed to help. Hydrocortisone cream, Rx antihistamine, Benadryl, Hot Spot spray, bathing, NOTHING worked, and it continued to get worse and become very bothersome for him....to the point he was loosing weight from it.

Anyways. I decided to take him to the vet, after nothing else worked. They did a skin scrape to check for mites or parasites on the skin. It was all negative. He did, however, have a bacterial infection on his skin. The vet said it was probably brought on by him having sensitive skin from the beginning, and then being bitten by misquitos and fleas when I would walk him. And it eventually became an infection.

Anyways. I have had him on the meds the vet gave me (antibiotic and anti-inflamitory) for about 5 days now. The patches have already almost healed, his hair is growing back, and he is no longer itching and whining. The shine is coming back on his fur, and he is happy again. On top of that, the vet gave me Comfortin (flea medication) which he takes orally, and I have already noticed a difference. The vet said it would take up to 6 months to see a durastic change, but I gave him a bath the other day, and not ONE FLEA was on him. This has never happened. Same with my other dog, which took the same medication.

I hope this helps someone who is dealing with t he same issue.

[seeana]

Hi I am so glad you have put this very telling message up here.

I know the cost of Vets is formidable but you have just proven how importent it is to get the proper care for your dog.There is no cheap way when it come to our health and dogs are no different,so many say they can not afford the Vet....... well it comes down to your beloved pets   life and a lot of the time its a course of antibiotics.

Its only a dog they say !!!!!!well I nearly came to blows with someone when they said that.
And all i said was give me a choice over you or the dog it will be the dog everytime.lol.

[ho0olly]

Thats great!!! What antibiotic did they give you ?

[seeana]

Hi I am so glad you have put this very telling message up here.

I know the cost of Vets is formidable but you have just proven how importent it is to get the proper care for your dog.There is no cheap way when it come to our health and dogs are no different,so many say they can not afford the Vet....... well it comes down to your beloved pets   life and a lot of the time its a course of antibiotics.

Its only a dog they say !!!!!!well I nearly came to blows with someone when they said that.
And all i said was give me a choice over you or the dog it will be the dog everytime.lol.

[4Maddie44]

Hi, I am so glad your dog is well again.  What a great photo.

[Misfits4Me]

I'm glad to hear some good news for a change.....Thanks for posting....

One of my dogs has a severe allergy to fleas....Comfortis has saved us, too!  

Thanks again for coming back with an update....Karla

P.S. Your dog is Beautiful!

[4Maddie44]

Hi, Your dog is beautiful too.  But then I am biased as I have a Bichon as well.

[4Maddie44]

Thank you for telling me about Chance.  What a heart warming story.

[Andria70124]

I have a male POM that has been to repeated vets and NONE seem to know how to diagnose or treat his scabbie sores on his skin that begin as bumps and red irritation then scabs then hair loss and now his skin is turning BLACK.  I red another blog today dated from 2003 until 2007 where many dog owners express same symptoms and NONE of the expensive vets have been able to help treat or cure any.  I read of something called "black skin disease" of which most vets have never heard of.

I think since so many dogs have this problem - it is something that should be studied.  Hopefully this will be done soon so my dogs and others can be relieved of some of these awful symptoms.

[OttNL]

What are you feeding your dog? Food that has allergens, such as corn, soy, wheat, and some meats can cause skin and digestive problems. You could try switching his diet slowly to another brand. I have been feeding my AmStaff this kind of food his whole life, and his skin and fur are soft and glossy. I would recommend Blue Buffalo, or a less expensive brand, like Taste of the Wild. The first ingredients are always meat. There are no by-products, no corn, wheat, or soy, and the best part is that there are no cancer-causing ingredients like BHT, BHA, or ethoxyquin. Good luck! I hope this helps. :)