Rash/Blisters after animal bite?

[Andy1985]

During Memorial Day weekend, I was bit pretty good by a dog (chow).  Since it started healing, I have started to form a rash around the location of the puncture wounds.  A couple of the puncture wounds are already healed up, but this blistery rash continues.  The rash is made up of numerous small bumps around the still healing and already healed puncture wounds.  Sometimes, if I don't pay attention and I manage to bump my arm, these little bubbles will 'pop' and leave behind some clear fluid.  I am constantly washing the affected area with antibacterial soap, yet even the 'popped' bumps return to my skin.  What do I do?  I went to an urgent care and the doctor there spent all of two minutes with me and said that he could only guess that it might be 'contact dermatitis' because he didn't think that it was fungal.  He prescribed a very expensive cream called Diprolene, which I will pick up when I get paid on Thursday, if I don't hear any other suggestions.  Does anyone have a clue what this could be?

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

What your doctor prescribed you is a corticosteroid. You may go ahead and use the said cream. At this point it is best to follow you doctor's advice as he has seen and examined the skin condition first hand. Continue cleansing the area with a mild cleanser like Cetaphil aside from the antibacterial soap. The antibacterial soap may be abrasive and dry up the area. You may ask your physician if you can use low to mid potency steroids like Fluocinonide prior to the Diprolene.Make sure there are no open wounds when you apply the cream.Apply only in affected area.

[Andy1985]

Hello!

So, do you think that the doctor's choice of RX was valid for this?  If so, do you know of anything OTC that I might be able to try first?

Thanks,

-Andy Harmon (Andy1985)

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

Vesicles are bumps which contain fluid and their presence may suggest an eczematous or dermatitic skin condition. Is it itchy? Dermatitis usually presents this way and they may itch also. They may appear as well distributed vesicles that you may scratch because of the itchiness. The itch scratch cycle may lead to excoriations. It is best to have this controlled early on to avoid further infection or irritation of the area now that the  wound is healing.