Dog has bump and rash on tail and stomach

[suzym]

I took my dog , Star, (Manchester Terrier) to the vet for a rash on her tail ans stomach. Vet put her on an antibiotic, pills for itching, and vitamins to help reduce the allergies ( she is now taking vitamin A, E, C, Selinum) and  we are doing daily washing of the area.
The other dogs are fine ( I have 4  of my own, 2 foster dogs))

I cook the dogs food,but Star is now on just pork and well cooked white rice as the vet said that pork has the least amount of allergy issues for dogs.
We are going to slowly add the other foods that I cook, one at a time ( potatoes,sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, apples, eggs, cottage cheese,spinach, chicken)

Poor Star is constantly itching, day and night. I wake up at night and hear her struggeling to lick and bite her tail There is a bump on her tail where the rash starts...the bump is about the size of of a grape. The vet told me to rub Vitamin E on the rash.
The antibiotic helped the look of the rash,but NOTHING else is woking. I am getting worried about this grape sized bump on her tail,and she just looks so uncomfortable.
We went to a holisitic vet in Tucson , Bernarda vet hospital,and they are wonderful there,but I simply cannot afford another trip to the vet for awhile ,(unless I miss another mortgage payment) so I thought I would ask for advise here.
Please,any feedback on this would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Suzy

[Ghilly]

You're very welcome!  That's what I'm here for.  :)

I'm glad you found my response to be helpful.

Ghilly

[suzym]

Ghilly,

Yes, All of my animals are spayed/neutered- that is a priority.

Star is 7 years old now. We moved to Arizona from Colorado a few years ago, and that is when I noticed the itching started. This year is much worse than ever before, and the bump on the tail was really alarming.


I  like your suggestion to journal...am going to start the journal tomorrow ,so perhaps things will become clear and we can figure this out.
I have noticed already that the vitamin routine the vet put her is helping some ( she is on vitamin A, E, C, Selinium) It is my understanding that vitamins will not eliminate the allergies (if that is the issue) but will greatly reduce the symptoms.

You are so generous to give such a thoughtful response- thank you so much!

Hugs,

Suzy

[Ghilly]

In most cases, when a dog has a bacterial skin infection, it's secondary to something else, like some type of parasite (infected flea-bite dermatitis), dermatitis caused by allergies, or even hormonal imbalances.  

How old is Star?  Is she spayed?   The thing with staph infections is that, depending upon the cause, they can be chronic.  Sometimes they will recur if the animal is under stress or if the immune system is compromised in any way.  In animals that are not spayed, it's similar to a teenager with acne.  It will appear around the time of the heat cycle.  This is common in cats, who often develop feline acne on their chin area when they are coming into season.  Often, spaying, in the case of both dogs and cats, takes care of the problem if it is hormonal.    If it's caused by a flea bite allergy, then naturally every precaution must be taken to ensure that the animal remains as free of fleas as possible.  Allergies are much trickier, as it is often enough of a challenge to determine what the allergen(s) is/are, never mind dealing with a staph infection as a result of the rash.  

I think the best way to pinpoint what any possible cause(s) might be is to keep a journal or log of your pet.  You don't have to write volumes, but each day, make a note of what your pet has eaten (even if it's something that you think is negligible, like a treat), what the weather is like, where your pet has spent time that day (under the porch in damp dirt?  Did they get into the basement and lay down on some moldy old newspapers?), etc.  If you bathe them, make a note of the shampoo you used.  Try to monitor the same things each day, and also monitor the condition of the rash; has it improved or worsened.  Then at the end of each week, look to see if you see any patterns forming, and that's when you may be able to see what could be causing it.  For example, if the weather has been rainy for the last eight days straight and your dog has spent every afternoon lying in the dampness under the porch and the rash has gotten worse, you might be able to say that either the dampness is causing it or there is something in the dirt, perhaps some type of parasite, that is causing it.  

It's going to be a case of trial and error, and it's going to take time, but eventually I think you will be able to draw SOME kind of parallels to her daily activities and the condition of the rash.  Good luck, and have patience!  You WILL figure it out.  :)

Ghilly

[suzym]

Hi Ghilly,

Thanks for the response. The description you gave for the abdomen and insides of hind legs is exactly where the rash is, also along the tail where the bump is.

Do you know what some of the causes for a staph infection could be?
I want to be sure I am doing everything I can for her and to eliminate any possible sources.

Thanks!

Suzy

[Ghilly]

Has your vet thought that she might be dealing with a staph infection and not an allergy?  It is absolutely possible for staph to produce grape-sized bumps like you describe, along with a red, "prickly-heat" type rash.  It's most often found on the abdomen and insides of the hind legs.  A good, broad-spectrum antibiotic will take care of a staph infection, but some of them can be quite tenacious and unless you find the source of the staph, she could keep just reinfecting herself.  

Ghilly