foul smell, foot ulcers and uncontrolable itch

[ririguinne]

I posted  a question the other day.  I just gave my dogs another bath, but I can still smell their stench!  It is absolutely horrible.  I can't stand to be around them.  We thought they had allergies.  The other day when I posted my question, you had mentioned that it could be a fungal infection.  Any suggestions for that?  I bought a medicated shampoo from the vet and they are on Cephalexin - 500 mg 2x daily and Temaril - 1.5 tablets 2 x per day.  They have had bloodwork, a skin scrape for mange mytes and my one dog had also had double ear infections (she lost her hearing but it is now slowly coming back.  They were yeast infections.  

They have crusted ears, their elbows are crusted and ulcerated and my labs feet are horribly ulcerated and crusted - it looks painful.  

Help!
Thank you!

[ririguinne]

I am really thinking, after looking at somephotos online, that my dogs have Mange Mites.  They have been sick since August.  It started suddenly with their ears then moved to their legs and feet and then to their bellies.  They have the stench, but I just don't see how is can be fungal.  It is sooooo bad.  I read that the skin scrapes are only 30 - 60 % effective in seeing mites.  It is just bizarre how it started in both dogs at the same time.  I just feel like I am losing it.  I have 2 young children and my husband is in Iraq, so I don't have much help.  I love my dogs, but I am soooo over it!  HELP.  I have already spent over $1000.  They have been on their meds since 10-30.  And they are on their fish and potato diet.  They just seem to be getting worse and worse.  It smells like dead dog in my house.  

Do you think with the stench that it is fungus or could it be the mites and with them constantly chewing that it is making them smell?  Thank you for all of your previous comments.

[Jaybay]

Get the Dermachlor Flush-Plus from your vet.  If it's fungus, it will at least temporarily get rid of the stench while the meds do their work.  Keep it on their feet a couple times a day and that will help prevent them from licking and biting and making it worse.  We had yeast problems in a puppy's ears and tresaderm (available from vet) took care of that problem in short order.

Some dogs with fungus problems need to be put on a special diet, so ask your vet about dietary issues.  Some fungal infections can take quite a while to get rid of, so don't expect overnight results.