Are you saying "black"? I'm not completely following.

" .... I noticed the back crusty stuff under front leg. Also back spots starting around the private areas."


Are the black spots footprint-shaped?

Betagen is an antibiotic/corticosteroid combo, not to be used on a yeast (fungus), so I want to see if we can clarify what you're seeing.

Kasey sometimes gets that black stuff on places where he has been chewing himself - usually under his tail. The derma vet has seen it, and she has tested it for yeast several times, but usually it comes back negative. For him anyway, it is just a part of the allergy skin thing, but I use the chlorexidine pads on it until it's gone.

I wouldn't use the steroid pills unless the itching gets over a 5 and he's starting to bite a lot of the time - you don't want him to be really uncomfortable, and you don't want him to break skin with the itching/biting. If Kasey can take naps during the day, play ball, etc within stopping to scratch or bite, and if he seems relatively comfortable, and doesn't have rashes or broken skin, then I don't use the steroids. But definitely if there is any open skin showing, I will go on the every third day dose and see if that settles it down.

Connie,

The skin on his privates and the area under the leg (like our arm pit) has new black blotches. One of the pits the black stuff is a little crusty.
This is what he had when we first went to the Derm Vet.
The skin cytology shows cocci, rods and a few yeast. This had all cleared up a month or so ago and the vet was pleased with him the last time we saw her.
I called the Derm vet today and they want to give him another round of Simplicef, but the generic. I'm not sure of the name.
She said that dogs often have secondary infections which are common till the allergies are under control. Also will try a little steriods.

I hate to use the antibiotics again but he got so bad last time this started I hate to chance it getting full blown awful and have more issues to deal with. I don't want to over treat but this is a hard call for me. Want to do the right thing. Comments?

In response to Lori's post, he has been stopping to itch when we walk the last couple of days so I did give him a steriod pill this morning and I will do that every other day for a few days and then every third day for a few days.

Thanks Geri

Gotcha. My confusion was mostly because you typed "back" (but I figured you meant "black").


There's cytology on the new eruption(s)?

"I hate to use the antibiotics again. "

It's faster for me to ask than go back over 12 pages .... did he react poorly to antibiotics before?

Please feel free to answer, Lori, if you remember better than I do and see this before Geri.

"I hate to use the antibiotics again "


Sorry ... I lost part of my post.

Did he react poorly to antibiotics before? Or you mean in general, being concerned about so many meds?

Connie

Sorry for the confusion. I wrote what his first report had said from June to show where we had come from.

His second report July 11 is as follows: lumbar area normal; papules on ventrum cleared, one papule present on prepuce: post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation remains: minimal erythema of ventral interdigital area remains skin cytology from feet normal , anal area has moderate cocci.

And by Aug 1 or so the black was cleared up beautifully.
(I'm assuming the black is the inflammatory hyperpigmentation that they are talking about.)

So anyway when I called the Derm Vet yesterday and told them that he was itching again around a 5 or 6 and the black on the skin was coming back she said she wanted to do another round of the antibiotics. To me the trouble is that this will be his 4 or 5 round of antibiotics since the first of the year. I always heard how you need to save the antibiotics for really serious problems.
On the other hand the vet said that just maybe we didn't completely knock out the infection last time even though it looked cleared up. He had no probems on the antibiotics and I also give him probiotics.
I never mind repeating anything so please ask anything.
I hope you can tell how serious I am about taking care of
him

Thanks Geri

"On the other hand the vet said that just maybe we didn't completely knock out the infection last time even though it looked cleared up. "

I'd seriously consider the new round but following the protocol with a re-check (probably involving a scraping). These days, I don't like assuming that an infection has been completely knocked out without checking, even though it's done often. I believe this is one of the major ways we create resistant bacteria.

I'm not a health professional. JMO.

Well, I decided to go with the round of antibiotics. I also started the steriods on the 14th because the itching has increased slowly everyday. The skin is not broken but he is licking under his tail a lot and licking his paws. It's the worst since everything had initially cleared up.

So I went with Lori's recommandation of every other day for 3 doses. We are on the third dose today. Then I was going to do 3 doses every third day. So the black on his privates parts and under the arm pits is going away already. But the itching underneath his tail and licking of his paws is worst.
Should I maybe give 3 days in a row of steriods or give the antibiotics more time to work. I can also call the derm vet on Monday. Just not sure how to proceed.
Wondering about all this licking under tail. He just had his glands done on Wed so that shd not be the problem.
Doing all the protocals so I"m not sure what else we can do. I also thought that maybe I can use the chlorexidine pads under his tail everyday for a week?.

Thanks Geri
Hope you're not tired of hearing from me yet.

I would have done the antibiotics, too (with a re-check planned).

Is the worst problem under his tail? The pads are often prescribed for daily (and in fact, this is the RX label on my jar). I use them gently in areas that are so easily abraded.

How bad do his paws look? Is the antihistamine any help with the paws? Does the Pred slow it way down, or not? It's every other day, and today is the last of three doses?

Yes, the worst is under tail. On the jar of pads it says use for 1 week and then 3 times a week thereafter. But I have used them the last 2 days and its helping. Maybe I'll go a full week on the tail and the feet like we are starting over.
His feet don't look bad but they never did. A little red between toes.
Sat. (yesterday) was the 3 day of every other day of steriod use.
Wondering if I should do 3 days of every third day for 3 more doses or just go with the week worth of the pads now? The itching is letting up a little but not completely.
I think I'll call the vet and see if the 3rd vial of allergy treatment is too strong. When we started that there was more itching. Maybe I'll increase the antihistamine.
Anyway, lots of maybes here. I know it's all trial and error.
But having people with so much knowledge and experience is so helpfull.
Thanks Geri