Quote: Michael_Wise

... Does that still sound like yeast or bacteria?

Yes, including bacterial folliculitis and fungal folliculitis.

Yeah, there were some other problems with the old vet. Some personal reasons that had nothing to do with dogs.(small town:wink

Also, my cousins kibble fed dog had an HGE flare-up, too. Treated by the old vet, too. First thing out of his mouth when my cousin took the dog in was, "What the hell you been feeding him? Raw deer meat?". I took that as a personal jab.

Anyway, thats WAY off topic.

The new vet didn't do a scraping. We had actually gone in for her heart, and had this looked at while we were there. It wasn't this bad then. I wasn't sure of what to do, and wouldn't know if what he wanted to do was necessary or maybe needed more done.

I know, I know....Probably shouldn't be that paranoid, but she is older, and I don't want to take any chances. He mentioned allergies, but I wasn't sure how allergies work. Didn't know if it was something a vet could "see" or if this could be something that he sees alot at this time of year and knows that is what she has.

I want to KNOW that we are taking the proper steps towards diagnosis this time. I know all vets have been to school and all, but that doesn't mean I don't want to be a little educated myself.:smile:

And this vet doesn't mind questions, either. He doesn't treat my suggestions as "internet education". He listens, so I would like to have something to say when we get this checked out.

Thanks a ton!:smile:

 Quote: michael_wise

The new vet didn't do a scraping. .... It wasn't this bad then. I wasn't sure of what to do, and wouldn't know if what he wanted to do was necessary or maybe needed more done. .... I know, I know....Probably shouldn't be that paranoid, but she is older, and I don't want to take any chances. He mentioned allergies, but I wasn't sure how allergies work.

You are not paranoid.

Many GP vets are pretty clueless about allergies.

An allergy flare-up is very often the trigger, the breach, behind a yeast infection. (Dogs can even be allergic TO the yeast.)

If allergies are the diagnosis here, then I have reached the point where I'm inclined to say "Derm vet" before wasting a small fortune first with the GP vet and then turning to the derm vet as a last resort. JMO.

I second the derm vet suggestion. Went through tons of tests, money and mental agony with our last dog - for 10 years - with a regular vet. Dermo vet is now in charge with our present allergy dog and it's a world of difference with the first visit!

 Quote: Lori Hall

I second the derm vet suggestion. Went through tons of tests, money and mental agony with our last dog - for 10 years - with a regular vet. Dermo vet is now in charge with our present allergy dog and it's a world of difference with the first visit!

Yes. It's a specialty for a good reason.

Michael,

Just a thought but it may be worth asking your current vet or a derm vet if the heart medication(s) could be making her more susceptible to skin flare-ups and/or infections. Since she's had itchy allergic symptoms in the past, perhaps the meds are just making it worse?

I found this:
http://www.bimsds.us/BIMSDS/msds/Vetmedin_msds.pdf

Pruritus is listed as an adverse effect.

Ladies, you ALL are wonderful.

Questions for the vet are what I wanted, and questions for the vet are what I got.:smile:

I already feel more confident about getting this resolved this time.

This has been, though not as bad, something that has frustrated me every summer for 3 years. Its normally mild symptoms, and mostly short lifespan, have made it hard to solve and easy to look over.

This is gonna work this time.

I do like this vet, but it is time for this particular problem to see a specialist. I'll get him to do the scrape to make sure that there isn't anything he can diagnose there.

A side note, she did get VERY sick a couple weeks ago. We were pretty sure that was it for her. She turned around as quick as she got sick, but now I wonder if that let a normally mild problem for her turn into what we have now.

Can't wait to let y'all know how it goes.

By all means, if you ladies or anyone else has more to "learn" me with speak up.

My wife took Domino to the vet today. I still don't really have the answers that I want. She wasn't sure about how much to press for a derm referral. Its not her fault, I should have gone.

He said it was a staff infection. Prescribed cephalexin and chlorhexidine shampoo. No test. Nothing.

I don't doubt what he thinks, but that still doesn't diagnose the original problem.

Something happens that makes her get these spots on her skin. This time around, her system was unable to deal with it and she got this staff infection. Still doesn't fix the problem that started this all to begin with.

I don't know, am I wrong. It still feels like we are treating symptoms instead of the REAL freakin' problem.

Regardless, I should start the antibiotics to treat the staff infection, right? Then find a freakin' vet.

Please describe a skin scrape to me, too. He told her there wasn't anything to scrape. I thought the scabby sores would be a good place to start.

I have Chlorhexidine Max on hand for True's skin. He's had problems with bacterial skin infections so I use it every other week to manage the problem. He was on antibiotics, an extended course of antibiotics, to clear it up, as well.

I will tell you that before I ever went to the derm vet I took True into the GP for a greasy coat and scabby sores. My vet didn't scrape anything either but she diagnosed it (correctly, as it turns out) as an overgrowth of bacteria. Maybe it just looks a certain way??? In any case, the derm vet we saw several weeks later did several scrapings and confirmed the presence of bacteria.

The scrapings I've seen done involve using a sterile razor and removing a thin layer of skin that is looked at under the scope. Very severe, extreme cases involve a deeper biopsy where a local/topical anesthetic is used and a small plug of skin is removed and sent out to a lab for analysis.

In True's case the derm vet took several scrapings from different areas of his body and some of those scrapings were a bit more than the topmost layer of skin.

My experience with my dog's bacterial infections is that they are stubborn, they really DO need the antibiotics and the shampoos and, at least in my case, this is a long-term management issue caused by allergies.

I hope I'm not muddying the waters here. If I am, Connie please feel free to edit or delete this post.

How did he diagnose staph?