# Skin issues.. Please look at the pictures??



## kmroark (Jun 26, 2012)

Bronson is 1.5 years old and we have had tons of issues with him. It started with horrible chronic ear infections. We have FINALLY got those under control and now he is having some serious skin issues. The skin issues have always been there but they were very mild. The vet would give antibiotics and prednisone and they would go away for 2-3 weeks then come back. Now they are so much worse and all over his body, not just his stomach. His skin is very flaky as well and he is constantly itching and chewing at himself. I know long term prednisone is bad for dogs so I wont give it to him anymore. We have also switched his food several different times. He now eats a salmon based food which seemed to help with the ear infections but not the skin issues. And he does not have fleas, so it is not a flea issue. We are considering Hills z/d or a raw diet. We are also looking into seeing a dermatologist for him. Any suggestions or experience with any of this??


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## BayBeams (Jan 3, 2010)

Have you consulted with a dermatologist?


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## kmroark (Jun 26, 2012)

Not yet thats our next step. Im doing my research on some. There are none close to my area.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

I do not have experience with this issue but I have one questions for you - how did you administer the prednisone? Did you taper down the medication slowly or did you just stop giving to him?


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## Bolledeig (Aug 10, 2012)

Have you had your vet do a bacteria culture?

My vet did a bacteria and fungal culture of my golden's infected skin, and it turned out to be an MRSP infection.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

This looks like typical staph infection which should have cleared up with the antibiotics, so I have no explanation for why it hasn't. You could try Microtek shampoo by Eqyss, it is very good for skin irritations and infections.


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## kmroark (Jun 26, 2012)

It was 1 tab by mouth every 12 hrs for 5 days, 1 tab every 24 hrs, 1/2 tab every 24 hours for 8 days, then 1/2 every other day until gone. And if its staph why does it keep coming back? He also took Cephalexin and we used hibiclens for the area. We dont have a dermatologist in this area so im trying to find one.. I just dont know what to do anymore to help him and all the vets are doing is giving him the prednisone which can cause long term illnesses.


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## Nomes (Nov 7, 2011)

That is odd that the antibiotics didn't clear that up...My old girl, Tasha, had some skin allergies and was on prednisone...so i feel your pain! she would itch herself raw!
I would try a shampoo like mylissyk said...do some reasearch...there are many antibacterial shampoos, just find one and follow the directions. That might help...?
Other than that, a dermatologist is all i can think off.
Keep us posted! i hope it gets better!


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

I agree about the comment with some kind of shampoo. That or a prescription shampoo or lotion, etc. that you can get would be great for him. Bathe twice a week. 

Next I would maybe try the Z/D food or another kind of food that has ingredients he has never been exposed to. 

Also a consult with a dermatologist would be a great idea. 

Good luck with your pup.


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## kmroark (Jun 26, 2012)

Thanks! Hopefully we can get to the bottom of all of this. I just hate that he is going through this! We are looking for a derm. so hopefully when we find one they will be able to help!!!!


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

Our Jack had Lupus and was on prednisone for quite some time. In the last five years of his life (he lived to 16) we were monitoring him and only give in summer times when his nose was getting a bit worse due to longer exposure to sunlight. There are two types of Lupus that affect dogs (DLE and SLE). Jack had it on nose and tail - DLE. 

Does Bronson have this condition anywhere else?


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## Wendy427 (Apr 4, 2009)

To the OP: There have been quite a few postings here on GRF about the benefits of _organic_ Apple Cider Vinegar for skin issues/rashes. Just do a search for this.

Also, here's another link:

Apple Cider Vinegar for Dogs


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## Bolledeig (Aug 10, 2012)

I just wanted to bring up again - having a bacteria culture done will tell you what type of treatment is needed, if he is not responding to a regular antibiotic/the antibiotic not totally clearing it up.
The reason I brought up an MRSP infection earlier is that this type of infection does not respond to commonly used antibiotics, but needs to be treated with an antibiotic like chloramphenicol (which is a really really nasty antibiotic, and it's rarely used).

Not saying this is what your goldie have, but it could be. A bacteria culture will at least give you a definite answer to what kind of infection he has.
Why it occurs is another story.


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## vleffingwell (Jan 12, 2011)

Do you feed grain free food? Sometimes the dog food manuf changes ingredients and can cause allergic reactions. I combed through dogfoodanalysis.com to compare what I was feeding. I ended up changing to Taste of the Wild grain free. 

Years ago I moved to Tennessee from Michigan and my golden had horrible rashes on her belly and ear infections. They cleared up but always came back. When I moved back to Michigan, she never had another episode.

I would also check cleaning products you may have used that she is exposed to on carpets, floors, etc. I cleaned my floor once with diluted ammonia, the dogs puked and I never cleaned with that again - organic only!


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Highly recommend the Eqyss MicroTek shampoo. Gives instant relief and really does help heal. Cody had terrible recurring staph when he was fighting AIHA and this was a real lifesaver. Bathe full strength every few days then use diluted every week. It's now our shampoo of choice. It can be found at tack shops or on amazon.


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## pandamonium (Apr 18, 2012)

I looked quickly at the Images.. Might be a staph infection...that could also explain the ear infections also... Just a quick quess without reading ...


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

How long was he on the anitbiotic for? Sometimes staff takes at least three rounds of antibiotic (about 3 months) to completely clear up.


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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

Looks like a staph infection. My older girl used to get that and had to be on antibiotics for almost a month. It's sometimes hard to clear up.


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## Titan1 (Jan 19, 2010)

We had a derm visit and present at one of our GTCGRC meetings and she let us know over 70% of allergies are environmental, of the 30 percent food related very little was related to grain or grain free. It was usually protiens. My older golden Tukr had allergies from 6 months on and looked like that during spring and fall. We did allergy shots for 10 years mixed with steriods and antibiotics.. he lived to 15..
Without a derm visit you are just shooting in the dark..most times it is multiple things,Tukrs' was grain dust, corn pollen, cottonwood trees and mouse dander..lol
looks like your baby is pretty miserable, I would get him back on the medicine to provide relief and make it a point to get into a derm..


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## kmroark (Jun 26, 2012)

We have an appointment Wednesday for a dermatologist. We have to drive 2 hours away for it but will be worth it when he finally gets some relief! Thanks for all the opinions I definitely have a list of questions for the dermatologist!


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

I think you'll be happy you went to the derm--I agree with most of what has been suggested above. You need a definitive diagnosis so the treatment is correct. There are nasty antibiotic-resistant germs out there that only respond to certain drugs. If its allergy, you need to find out if it's food or environmental. 

For the short term, a good shampoo such as mention above might help your dog be more comfortable. Perhaps just wash the affected areas. Also, I recently got rid a nasty rash on my dog's belly with Gold Bond medicated powder. If you haven't used it before, it's strong smelling and goes on thickly. I think the smell helps keep dog from chewing and the medication helps stops the scratching. With Tucker, it kept his belly really dry which helped him a lot. 

Good luck--hope you'll come back and let us know what you find out.


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

Micro-Tek shanpoo and a spray are available at Tractor supply.
Once Copper had his spleen removed he became very prone to awful skin infections and rashes. One was so bad even his oncologist thought it was a mast cell tumor, but it was a mass of infection.
She prescribed cephalexin antibiotic and chlorhexadine shampoo (Duoxo) available at entirely pets and other places online as well as your vet most likely. Here's a quote "Douxo Shampoos and sprays are easy to use and are a must if your pet has a fungal, yeast or bacterial issue." It seems Copper had a yeast, bacterial and maybe fungal infection too.:doh: The shampoo and antibiotic cleared him up very well and I made sure to wash him every week or two with Duoxo to keep him from getting it again.
Copper's skin did look a lot like Bentley's. I'm glad you have an appt with a dermatologist and sure hope this clears up soon!


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## Sweet Summer Time (Nov 24, 2010)

Summer also had a staph infctn her first year and bad skin allergies...I got the micro tech shampoo and it worked wonders with her skin!


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

That looks like a staph infection to me as well. I was able to clear up the reasoning behind my dogs continuous staph infections without a derm vet. I dont think I was shooting in the dark at all the derm vet is just more expensive and will likely recommend the same things. At least thats what happened when I brought one of my previous dogs to a derm vet she suggested the same freaken thing my regular vet did except I paid $400 to get her to say that and only $45 at my regular vet :S


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## kmroark (Jun 26, 2012)

So we went and seen a dermatologist. It is a staph infection but he is also allergic to everything.. Grass, trees, pollen, weeds, mold, dust, cats, tabacco, wool and specific bugs. Poor guy :/


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## goldy1 (Aug 5, 2012)

kmroark said:


> So we went and seen a dermatologist. It is a staph infection but he is also allergic to everything.. Grass, trees, pollen, weeds, mold, dust, cats, tabacco, wool and specific bugs. Poor guy :/


So at least now you have a diagnosis and can work on the treatment plan. The allergies are tough. You need to encase him in a plastic bubble  .

He's lucky to have you.


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## kmroark (Jun 26, 2012)

Well we start off with allergy shots and im going to switch him to a raw diet. Ive heard the raw diet can help tremendously with allergy issues. Was definitely a fortune to get him seen by a dermatologist but so worth it! And its the other way around, we are so very lucky to have him.. He is such an amazing addition to our family!!


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## kimberlygino (Jul 11, 2012)

hi kmroak, i'm glad your dermatologist gave you this valuable advice. you are definitely on the right path feeding your dog raw food. my golden was on raw food for 15 years and gave us no problems at all. not a single skin allergy or irritation. all i can why your golden is having this skin allergies it's because your dog have been on keebles/ other dog food and the body can no longer tolerate it therefore, it's detoxifying itself thats why these irritation are being seen. don't worry about it. pls do not give steroids like predosine because it's just supressing it instead of healing it. 

when you switch to barf diet (biologically appropriate raw food) your dog might experience some skin irritation as well. this is to detox the current toxic in your dog's body. he might experience loose stool as well. don't worry, it's normal and part of detoxifying. you can also read up on the book- The Complete Herbal Handbook for Dogs by world renown herbalist- juliette de barciali levy. after reading what she say you will be surprized. she lived in the wild for 60 years with gypsies and is sharing her experiences with us. learnt a lot from it. 

pls keep us updated! thank you


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