Chronic Skin Infections
Since Oscar got MRSI (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Intermedius) in March of 2008, we have been through the ringer with skin infections. His usual pattern is to get one infection, which we successfully treat, and then to get at least one more directly on its heels. Sometimes we get a break, and he will go months without a significant problem, and then - whammo - back on the bacteria treadmill. There is no rhyme or reason, as they crop up at different times in different seasons. (We were trying to link them to potential inhalant allergies, with no success.) Oscar has Immune Mediated Disease, an autoimmune disorder, which could in fact be the underlying cause of his troubles, as well as hypothyroidism. We hoped that once he began treatment for hypothyroidism a couple of months ago, that his skin issues would improve, but exactly the opposite has happened. Since we started treating the thyroid condition, he has had FOUR infections in a row, two of which were drug resistant. Each time we successfully killed off the current bacteria, only to have it replaced with another pathogen. He has literally gone from one antibiotic to the next for the last 12 weeks. He is currently on Clavamox for three different bacteria. He takes probiotics, and I bathe him every 7 - 10 days with a Chlorihexidine shampoo. (My vet just attended a dermatology seminar and felt that my timing was good. Any more baths and we risk drying out his skin and removing vital mechanisms for protection. Any less, and it gives the bacteria time to get a real foothold.) We are considering seeing a dermatologist, but my vet is pretty sure all she will do is allergy testing. Theoretically, that's fine, except that we won't be able to do allergy shots due to the Immune Mediated Disease. Anyone else struggling with a similar problem? Any suggestions? Laurie and the Cootie Infested Oscar |
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With immune mediated disease it's not likely allergies, his immune system simply cannot deal with bacteria  The probiotics are good, certainly can't hurt, but can't "fight" infection, they simply keep his good gut flora balanced which he desperately needs with all those antibiotics. Have you had Dr Dodds run immune panels? I suspect he has low or non existant levels of immunoglobulin G, which is likely a congenital problem. Dr Dodds has done extensive work and may have some suggestions to help your boy. It sounds like you're doing an amazing job with him, I really hope you can achieve a greater level of success for his sake and yours.... |
| Also, is the chlorhexadine a 2% solution or 4%? If it's not 4% maybe trying to find that (not easy) would be good. |
I waited to post because I just don't have anything helpful to share.  Sogeval, the Duoxo mfr., makes (or at least made) a 4% shampoo- http://www.tscpets.com/md-17606.html?pr ... elid=NEXTA Sogeval Laboratories, Inc. Tel: 866-866-8896 toll free Email : info@sogevalus.com The 7-10 days seems to be a good balance here... closer to 7 days usually. The vet did mention we had to be careful we didn't dry out his skin because it can leave them open to more infections. I know we're not dealing with the same thing ( Bumble's problem is pyoderma) but you can just tell when it's time to clear his skin and coat. The short coat is a must for him. That Kenic Emu Oil Moisturizing Spray that Dawn had recommended seems to help Bumble's skin... it doesn't have any alcohol and it says it can be used daily... it's only 1% oil so it's not greasy. http://www.kvsupply.com/KVVet/productr. ... 8489F56C50  |
| Thanks for your help, guys! I am using the Douxo Chlorhexidine PS shampoo, which has 3% Chlorhexidine in it. This shampoo is just not as good as Chlorhexiderm, which, as we discussed on another thread, has been discontinued. Thanks for the info on Immunoglobulin G. I will definitely bring that up to my vet to see if that is also at play here. My understanding about the probiotic is that it balances the gut, as well as boosts the entire immune system. I guess it can't hurt, right? In addition to managing the skin, we're doing the best we can to avoid throwing his digestive system under the bus and causing an IBD flare-up with all of these antibiotics. So far, so good, but historically, Clavamox is the hardest on his tummy. We are also on the look-out for yeast overgrowth, which Oscar is also prone to. Are we having fun yet, or what???? (sigh.) I do keep Oscar's fur short, as he's usually shaved every 6 - 8 weeks. (Sure makes him easier to bathe!) Oscar is looking pretty woolly now though, as he's about two months overdue on his shave due to the infections. Jaci, thanks for the tip on the emu oil. I will look into it. Thanks again for the suggestions. Hopefully, this last round of antibiotics will do the trick. Laurie and Oscar |
| We had Kaytee's immunoglobulin tested when she was young. I can't remember what caused us to test it. Her IgA was low... we tested again and it was just within the normal range but then her IgG was low. She wasn't having symptoms, no UTIs, URIs or skin infections so we didn't do any further testing. It had to be something else that was in the DVM Chlorhexiderm shampoo that made it more effective... maybe a way of making it stay there. Did you see that the place in Australia that Gigi had mentioned for the Malaseb also had a 3% chlorohexidine shampoo? Maybe that one would work better better? http://www.canadavet.com/Malaseb-Medica ... 45C54.aspx Quote: http://www.dermcare.com.au/easyweb3/WEB ... ode-Pyohex For primary or secondary Pyoderma caused by bacteria As an adjunct to treatment for demodectic mange and other deep pyodermas As a preventative for recurrent pyodermas German Shephard Furunculosis Does not irritate or dry like a Chlorhexidine scrub SIZES 250mL, 500mL and 1L REGISTERED FOR USE IN Dogs and puppies of an age ACTIVES 3% Chlorhexidine Gluconate * A proven antibacterial with activity against gram positive bacteria ie. Staphylococcus intermedius and gram negative bacteria * Non-toxic, non-irritating, with a 4 day residual activity ACTIONS The Chlorhexidine in PYOHEX works by binding to hair and penetrating the follicle via a wicking action down the hair shaft, to eliminate bacteria in situ. Chlorhexidine kills bacteria by disrupting the cell membrane and precipitating the cell contents. PYOHEX binds strongly to the skin and hair, resulting in a 4 day residual action. As Chlorhexidine is poorly absorbed through the skin, PYOHEX is completely safe. PYOHEX contains an advanced surfactant base that removes abnormal lipids that occur due to bacterial lipases. PYOHEX does not dry or strip the coat of essential lipids needed to prevent transepidermal water loss, a process that promotes infection. PYOHEX is pH neutral, specifically designed for canine skin. DIRECTIONS FOR USE First wet the coat, then sponge PYOHEX onto the animal's coat and allow to stand for 10 minutes then rinse thoroughly. This is the minimum contact time to ensure antimicrobial activity. Bath twice weekly until symptoms abate and then weekly or as directed by your veterinarian. EFFICACY In vivo studies have revealed that a 3% Chlorhexidine solution is the optimum concentration for use as an antibacterial on skin¥. Independent studies have shown that Chlorhexidine is the most efficacious antibacterial, especially against Staphylococcus intermedius, when compared to other commonly used antibacterials such as Ethyl Lactate and Benzoyl Peroxide † ‡. In addition to it’s superior antimicrobial activity, PYOHEX is the treatment of choice above standard Benzoyl Peroxide and Ethyl Lactate shampoos because: * The Chlorhexidine in PYOHEX does not irritate the skin or hair follicle, or cause allergic reactions, nor is it a carcinogen, in contrast to Benzoyl Peroxide § * PYOHEX does not need to undergo activation in the sebaceous gland to work, like Ethyl Lactate * Chlorhexidine does not break down, unlike Benzoyl Peroxide, which is rapidly degraded to Benzoic acid and excreted by the kidneys. The Chlorhexidine in PYOHEX is still bound to skin and hair, and still bactericidal the next day where as Benzoyl Peroxide is degraded. It just seems that with a shorter coat that it's faster to wash/dry them, it requires less shampoo, you can monitor the skin, the air gets at it better, it dries faster on it's own if they get some sprinkles on them, and their isn't as much hair to trap the crud coming off the skin. Just my observations! Even so and just as you said, sometimes there is absolutely no rhyme nor reason to the flares. We're still working on the vinyl allergy theory here... can dogs have a vinyl allergy? Might be yet another fruitless pursuit... |
Thanks for the info on Pyohex, Jaci. I am still trying to find a similar product to Chlorhexiderm Shampoo, with zero success. It lathered beautifully, rinsed out easily, and left Oscar's fur looking great with a simple blow dry. And the scent went so well with eau de sheepdog!  This new one lathers fine, rinses okay, and doesn't smell good at all. If I ever meet someone from DVM, it won't be pretty!!!!! I still have a tiny smidgen of Chlorhexiderm left in the bottle, but the bottle only lists the Chlorhexidine Gluconate, so I have no idea of what comprised the inert ingredients. Whatever was in there was awesome - it adhered to the skin enough to do its job, but also rinsed out easily.I think I might try something with 4% Chlorhexidine in it, just to see of that makes a difference. (We have also tried Sebolux and Pyoben, but neither one seemed to do the trick.) I keep Oscar shaved year-round, except that he hasn't been able to go to the groomer since early August because of all of these infections. He is a woolly beast right now!  Fingers crossed that I will be able to get him in soon.....Thanks again, and I'll keep you posted. Laurie and Oscar, the Dermatologically Challeged |
| Laurie I am extending my search to the vets practicing in other countries. I have my friends in UK, Australia, Canada and Hong Kong check with their vets to see if they carry this magic shampoo. If I find any useful info, I will post it on here immediately! Hugs to you and Oscar |
| I noticed last night that Teva Animal Health had updated their website and that two new products were shown. I called them a few minutes ago and spoke with I think it was Amy in customer service. (It was a long work night and I'm still tired so I may be wrong.) I was told that DVM brand Chlorhexiderm and Malaseb shampoos will be available again. Unfortunately, there is currently no projected availability date but she said they are working hard to get these products back into production because they know they have helped people's pets. She took my name and number and asked about the products of interest. Darn it... I can't remember if it was 2% or 4% Chlorhexiderm shampoo. She said they would put the information into a spreadsheet. I believe she said they would call... mentioned needing the state I live in so they didn't call when people were sleeping.So it's at least encouraging news for all of us who's pets benefited from DVM products. I don't want to flood them with calls or anything but you may wish to also contact them about the product you need. I don't know how they'll go about selecting products to put into production first so maybe a call would help. https://www.tevaanimalhealth.com/Home.aspx Teva Animal Health, Inc. 3915 South 48th Street Terrace Saint Joseph, MO 64503 Toll Free: (800) 759-3664 Gosh, I miss their products. Chlorhexiderm Shampoo, Malaseb Shampoo and pledgetts are the most missed but I also used Relief Shampoo and 3V Caps oil supplements. |
WWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!  Thanks for calling Jaci! I will certainly keep a close eye on their website to see when those products become available. I will be a very happy camper when I have Chlorhexiderm Shampoo in my hot little hands! Laurie and Oscar |
| Dear Oscar, I am reading this thread and have no experience or expertise to share with you. All I have to say is that it is very obvious that your Mommy loves you very much. I'm sure it is emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausting to have chronic skin problems. |
| Thanks for the kind words, Jennie. Yes, it is quite a battle to keep up with Oscar's skin, but I stay on top of it, at the expense of having a life!!! Oscar's fur is so long right now I can only bathe half of him at a time! (The medicated shampoo has to stay on for ten minutes, and it takes me FOREVER to rinse out his fur, let alone dry him. It's about four hours a week I'm not getting back!) Now I'm really glad I didn't have kids! With all of Oscar's maintenance, I wouldn't have time for them! Have a great weekend! Laur |
| Malaseb is still available here thank goodness and still plenty on the shelves mostly sold at Vet practices. I use it to flush Bries yeasty ears when we have a flare-up and it works better then the 2 courses of ear drops when she did flare needed to clear up the yeasty ears.  Way cheaper too the original drops were $75 a bottle so the Malaseb lasts a long time making up a flushing solution for her flare ups. Thank goodness it is still available here  Mim uses it a lot on her Dalmo for his skin conditions and his ear flares too, I think she would be upset too if not available here anymore. |
| Lisa, what brand of Malaseb do you use? Is it the one by Dermcare or are you familiar with this company? http://www.dermcare.com.au/ I tried Mal-A-Ket because it was recommended as a substitute. It also has Ketoconazole in it. But I think it stung... I tried it once on both Panda and Darby when they had one yeast affected foot. I could be wrong but both dogs pulled away when I applied it so I quickly rinsed it off. I have some Malaseb that's outdated. I know... but I am still using it because it WORKS and doesn't hurt when applied.  The Universal Medicated Shampoo doesn't work as well as Malaseb for yeast (in my opinion). |
| I wrote on the forum before about a product line I had used on our bulldog---the website is petsbestrx.com--go on that site and they have an 800 number with live help to direct you with what you need. Wellington had severe allergies and a very severe staph infection over 3 months that my vet at the time (we no longer go to him because of this incident) could not clear up. I found this website scanning the net in the middle of the night crying as a last ditch effort because the vet had basically told me my only alternative was to put Welly on a $250/month medication that was just put out for organ transplant recipients in humans! WTH? Anyway, tried this stuff--it was a shampoo daily for 4 days, a jelly like stuff to put on affected areas, and then a little pump spray you would use over the jelly stuff. Saved Welly's life and I have two other friends, one with a Boxer, one with a Golden Retriever that greatly improved on this. I have nothing to do with this product line but am very passionate about it because I was buying every shampoo and product directed by the vet and nothing worked--he only got worse. I think this whole line ran me $50 and once we got him cleared up we would just put the jelly stuff and spray on if he flared up. He never really had any other skin infections after that that we could not control--we also treated him with Benadryl daily and holistic dog food---Big difference and it literally saved his life--he had lost 13 lbs in the 3 months that he had this infection, which is quite a bit on a 60 lb dog. He was like a new man! |
| Jaci I think you just answered my question. I used the Mal-A-Ket on Kahlua and she shook like a leaf. I didn't leave it on for that 15 mins and had to rinse it off. The CanadaVet website carries Malaseb. I planned to get some from them. Since they also have a facebook page, I somehow have more confidence buying from them. I hope our 4% Chlorhexiderm HP Max shampoo will get here soon....  |
Ouchie. I'm not certain that it stings but my dogs just haven't reacted like that to any other shampoo. Sigh... I'm going to wait until I have a cut and apply it to see if it stings. I don't plan on any in the near future so it may be a while before I post.  Then again, I've been known to break my thumb with a hammer when building a house... I'm putting up door trim on an outside door so I may be posting sooner than I think.  Gigi wrote: The CanadaVet website carries Malaseb. I planned to get some from them. Since they also have a facebook page, I somehow have more confidence buying from them. The Malaseb shampoo you mentioned in Canada is the one from Dermcare that's made in Australia... I was just wondering if Lisa may have heard of the manufacturer. I'd love to get her stamp of approval! Gigi wrote: I hope our 4% Chlorhexiderm HP Max shampoo will get here soon I think you'll really like that product. It's wonderful that she found it!! lovemydogs wrote: I wrote on the forum before about a product line I had used on our bulldog---the website is http://www.petsbestrx.com Thanks for the information, Carrie. I'll print up the info so I can talk to my vet about it. I'm open to any and all ideas. Bumble has Pyoderma which is said to be due to an allergy... eliminate or control the allergen and the pyoderma may go away. It's just trying to figure out what's triggering his response. It's why we've worked through SO many theories and removed almost things. We use only a few cleaning products now. We've even gone to strictly Ivory bar soap and no before or after shave for poor Jim. Poor dude is using witch hazel and alcohol.  It's a darn good thing he loves Bumbie as much as me!  A while back, we were told we've done about everything possible in trying to figure out Bumble's problem... that if we went to MSU and they repeated all these tests, we could be told this was as good as he'd get. Dermal and RAST allergy testing, multiple skin scrapings, biopsies, a trial with Revolution for mites, a last ditch effort by trying Ketoconazole for yeast for a few weeks because he has yeast between his pads. So many shampoos it's ridiculous. Multiple food trials including home cooking, more protein, less protein, supplements, no supplements (less protein and no supplements seems to be the best balance for Pyoderma). Removing most household cleaners including laundry detergent, covering leather furniture, using only cotton for bedding, different flooring (might go to ceramic), removing area rugs, removing scatter rugs, baths every 3 days to baths every 7 days, etc. So much time spent in researching. Keeping a pretty good diary of when he gets a bath and what we used, when we change food and to what, what things we eliminated from the house in trying to find his triggers and what things are brought in or again added. (It could be titled, "My Visit With Insanity". http://oesusa.com/BumblesSkin-Update07162010.htm) But... since the time I was told this may be as good as you get, Jim and I both believe he's achieved levels of about 75-80% improvement. If this is the best he can be, we will live with it but I still just can't give up trying. I know Laurie has likely felt this way but people who haven't experienced it just don't know how repeated skin flares can bring one to tears. He has never had a good endurance level, early on he always seemed very warm... I joked about him being my hot blooded boy, he breaths hard at time when others aren't, he would get physically hot areas to the touch... the vet called it flushing, and pyoderma which, at it's worst, is red spots and pustules, seborrhea, crusting, scaling. The "vinyl, rubber or plastic" theory... We put down a black 100% vinyl interlocking tiles September 18th for better traction in the shop and his skin started to get progressively worse again with sores on his neck, sides, hips, back and chest, crusting sores, sebborhea. We think scatter rugs with non-slip backing are also a problem. That and a fish kibble are the only things I documented that we did differently. Soooo... he's on chicken kibble and we picked up all the flooring on October 20th and his skin again began to improved... he's not 100% because he's still itchy at times and he's still has a few new bumps daily but he's probably 85-90% better TODAY. I can't tell what tomorrow will bring. Fortunately that vinyl flooring application was easy to pick up. But his outdoor play area as a very young pup was fake grass- http://oesusa.com/BabyBumble.jpg. I don' t know what it was made of. Here we have a lot of vinyl flooring... I had put down that Allure vinyl flooring in his "bedroom". So a vinyl, plastic allergy is the theory we're working through at the moment. I could be posting again in a month with a totally new theory. |
| Yes Jaci it is that One by Dermcare, just looked at the bottle and great stuff Does wonders with yeast, Lists as Topical Keratolytic, antibacterial, antifungal and antipruritic. If you having trouble getting some and want to try that brand of Malaseb PM me. Plenty available here at vet practices and bigger pet supply retailers. Can vouch for it and so can mim too, wonderfull and does not seem to bother the dog when washed init. Or when I dilute it right down to flush bries yeasty ears as shown to me by a vet in replacement of those darn expensive drops we used previously. |
Jaci, your paragraph on all you've done trying to sort out Bumble's skin is an exact replica of everything we've tried with Oscar. They could be "skin twins"! And add to that all we've done to sort out Oscar's tummy as well. It's exhausting. I don't know how you do it with multiple dogs! You have my undying affection and respect!  Oscar is also prone to yeast issues. Malaseb was too harsh for him and caused him to attack his feet, when the yeast itself hadn't even caused that reaction. My vet gave me KetoChlor Shampoo (Virbac?), and it has worked well for Oscar. It's extremely gentle, and it doesn't come with a million "danger, danger" warnings. Plus, it has a very pleasant smell. It is pricier than Malaseb, and doesn't have pledgets or sprays, but it has worked well for us.I am also going to check into Carrie's info, so maybe we can compare notes. Thanks again everyone, for your info and assistance. Laurie and Oscar |
| I know you do the same thing with Oscar, Laurie... my hat's off to you because you're dealing with more serious symptoms. I had a bottle of the KetoChlor on hand but never used it. It expired. I'll check into that again too. Jim was giving the pack apple slices... they were getting carrots out of the garden too. We ended up with two with a nasty yeasty foot and Maggie got a yeasty ear... apples are off the list again. Anytime we add apples, bananas, carrots... the fruits and sweet veggies... we get a yeast flare. I used the Hexadene shampoo on Bumble the other day. I haven't used it in some time. But he started chewing his front feet so I wonder if it dried him out too much? I sprayed him down with that moisturizing spray with emu oil. It's hard finding the right balance. I think he would benefit from the medication at times... other times I'm using the shampoo with emu oil- http://www.jefferspet.com/kalaya-emu-oi ... oo/p/1217/ because I think it helps. He goes to the vet tomorrow so I've got to get a list of questions. |
| Good luck at the vet tomorrow. I know it's as frustrating for my vets as it is for me, as they would love to be able to resolve the skin issues permanently. At this point, we have to be content to just manage everything, and not let any one thing get too far out of control before jumping on top of it. At least I know the root cause for Oscar, Immune Mediated Disease. Unfortunately, there is probably an unidentified trigger out there in the environment that we haven't been able to hone in on. The usual suspects, like seasonal pollen/mold, have not correlated to the timing of his troubles. After 2 1/2 years of this, we still don't have a clue. (sigh) The one thing I always keep in mind though, is to only change one thing at a time. Whether it's meds, shampoo, or food, I don't switch more than one thing, because it's way too hard to determine causation when you are looking at the results. This trial and error stuff is for the birds! No more apples for the crew!!! I wonder what about an apple is troublesome? (My nephew has an allergy to apples, and apparently it is related to birch allergies. Weird, huh?) Good luck tomorrow. (Oscar is also going to the vet for a skin scraping tomorrow.  Hopefully we've killed all of the critters!)Laurie and Oscar |
| Lisa, thank you for sharing your opinion/experience with the Dermcare products!! Laurie, I'm really hoping for good news tomorrow and that the bacteria causing Oscar's problem is gone. The seasonal allergy theory didn't fit here either though we did do the basic intradermal and RAST testing early on. It sometimes seems to be a shot in the dark in finding the triggers. We try to make one addition change at a time here too... otherwise you don't know which change is causing a problem. If we're having a problem, we'll eliminate several things at once hoping one might offer relief. But you eventually need to add them again, on at a time, to see if any are causing the problem. We did this with the scatter rugs with the non-slip backing. We're pretty sure (kind of sure?) it's not a food problem so we rotate Eagle Pack Holistic select varieties but keep track of what we're feeding. I've read that sugars and some starches "feed" yeast but I don't know if that's really true. Whatever the reasoning, it can cause yeast problems here so we tend to stay away from apples, carrots, etc. We can sometimes get away with it in small amounts. But we have to be watchful for any licking. I asked what product my vet recommended for yeast between the pads- http://www.entirelypets.com/douxochlorh ... spads.html (:phew: I had ordered that last week.) As for the vet visit today, she still believes it's an allergy. We talked about how he appeared to have gotten worse after putting down that 100% vinyl interlocking flooring in the shop... he started getting the crusty sores again (pencil eraser size) on his back neck and sides and raised red sores. Also that scatter rugs with non-slip backing seem to cause a problem (there was one in the exam room today that we tried to avoid). How he got real itchy the next day after I steam cleaned the vinyl floor in the kitchen. And how we saw some improved after picking up the flooring and rugs again. She said dogs can be allergic to vinyl, plastics and latex and she said that it could be through contact or inhaling the fumes from it. She has a latex allergy and mentioned how some people can't even be in the same room with balloons without reacting. So... she's going to call Heska and see if there's a blood test that will test for allergies to vinyl (the epoxy resins from what I've read) or if we need to do a patch or dermal test. She said there are ANA and immunoglobulin tests that check the immune system. For now, we're looking at allergens that aren't included in basic pollen/molds testing. We also discussed a patch test I came across online. I called the mfr. a few weeks ago to get more information on it... it hasn't been tested on dogs before but veterinarians can order it. Both my vet and the company said the area would have to be shaved down. You get to the point where you'd let them shave your dog bald if it would make them better. http://truetest.com/commonallergens.aspxSo we wait to hear the best way to test for these allergies... |
6Girls wrote: Lisa, what brand of Malaseb do you use? Is it the one by Dermcare or are you familiar with this company? http://www.dermcare.com.au/ I tried Mal-A-Ket because it was recommended as a substitute. It also has Ketoconazole in it. But I think it stung... I tried it once on both Panda and Darby when they had one yeast affected foot. I could be wrong but both dogs pulled away when I applied it so I quickly rinsed it off. I have some Malaseb that's outdated. I know... but I am still using it because it WORKS and doesn't hurt when applied. The Universal Medicated Shampoo doesn't work as well as Malaseb for yeast (in my opinion). I have the Malaseb from Dermcare. I sure wouldn't be happy if I couldn't get it anymore. I have to bathe Rastus's feet every 3 or 4 days or he gets to chewing them right off. |
| London and Tony went through the sammme thing earlier - all over their back ugh. It was red, yeasty and looked like it had dirt on it. They keep biting on it raw. We never had this problem in New York -- at first the vet here, in Berkeley insisted it was a flea allergy but I knew it wasn't so after three tests and $$$ - their skin allergies were left undetermined.. She gave us antibiotics and it did help but the infection eventually came back.. I had to shave them both because it was getting more difficult for me to treat them and I knew the hair was keeping the infection damp.. So finally I bought the Sebolux Shampoo and omgosh it worked very well. I used it twice in the three week time frame and it eventually cleared up. I'll never know what the infection was but I'm think it's just environmental allergies -- I know this is nothing compared to what oscar has but maybe the sebulox shampoo will subdue the skin infection a bit? I have a dermatologist friend and he always told me that infections and skin issues (psoriasis, eczema) for humans usually disappear if they get enough heat/sun on it. So I wonder if it's the same for dogs? Just a thought. The sebulox shampoo works beautifully for them anyway. Poor Oscar - hope he gets better sooooon!!! |
| Thanks for the well wishes. I have used Sebolux in the past on our first sheepdog, and it really worked well for him. I have tried it on Oscar and it didn't really seem to help him as much as the Chlorhexiderm. Also tried Pyoben, which was okay as well, not great. We are still waiting on Oscar's skin culture as it takes a week to grow out the cooties. Unfortunately, now his tummy seems to be getting out of whack. If it's not one thing...... Laurie and Oscar |
| Any news on Oscar's skin culture? Bumble got itchy/bumpy again... to the point he's chewing the hair off his feet. He hadn't done that since it all started last fall. I can't figure out what's now different. The furnace maybe?? We ran another RAST test this week to see if something will show up. I wish it was dust mites or SOMETHING we could try to desensitize him to or reduce his exposure to. Getting close to moving out back with him for a couple of weeks to see if improves... |
| Sorry to hear that Bumble is having trouble again. We are right back where we started as Oscar has MRSS again. My vet referred us to a dermatologist, so we have an appt on 11/29. I guess we'll have to wait and see what she wants to do. Meanwhile, Oscar is on Zeniquin. (sigh) Laurie and Oscar |
| Jaci and Laurie: Please pm me with your address. I rec'd the bottle of 4% Chlorhexiderm shampoo. Unfortunately, my friend's vet only allowed her to get the smallest size. This shampoo requires prescription over there in Hong Kong. So we will probably able to get only 3 or 4 baths for our three itchy babies  But still, if this can help bringing down the itchiness for a little while. It is still better than none...Martini |
| Bumble's RAST testing came back... my vet called with the results a few minutes ago. This time around he's allergic to... NOTHING at all. Last time it was wheat and mulberry. Sigh. I guess we'll have to try that patch test. |
| Nothing? Does that mean he is no longer allergic to wheat and mulberry? I hope you will be able to find an answer from the patch test. My vet insisted for me to wait for that 8 weeks (being on grain-free rabbit meat diet) before running any tests. He thinks we should rule out flea bites and grain before running any test. In the meantime, I will try everything I know of to help her feel less miserable. She is now wearing the Comfy Cone, organic cotton turtle neck and socks most of the day. Good thing is that she doesn't seem to mind that much  |
| Oh no!!! I've got a note started but got side tracked with work, my dogs and rescue stuff. I put it in an email to compose and forgot to finish it. Please forgive me!! I guess that is what it means.  Maybe eliminating some of the other things over the year reduced his sensitivity to these things?? I honestly just don't know. I really need the reason for him chewing off the hair on his front feet the week of the 8th. Sigh... at least I no longer have to remove him from the house when vacuuming and then air it out with the attic fan before bring him back in... both RAST tests and the dermal test were all negative for dust and dust mites. Hoping that eliminating the grain may be helpful for Kahlua. I'd feel very comfortable following this advice before attempting pursing expensive tests. I think they say to do a food trial for 10 weeks or so. We were home cooking pork loin roasts along with broccoli, cauliflower and green beans when we did the food trial for Bumble... also tried z/d ultra (would home cook before trying that again). Thank goodness she leaves her clothes on!! I don't know what I'd do if a dog was forever taking them off. I just started using a topical called Allercaine to help with the itching. Probably similar to Dermacool. He's been scratching the heck out of the top of his head. It soothes the itch for a while. Don't try anything though without first running it past your vet. http://www.jefferspet.com/allercaine-an ... T/cp/2541/ An holistic vet once said that these dogs are often made even more special by the health conditions they have. They require more handling, seem to know we're trying to help. I know during Darby's allergy season we seem to have a closer bond. Probably just the extra treats she gets. Hoping you'll get Kahlua's skin condition under control soon!Quote: My vet referred us to a dermatologist, so we have an appt on 11/29 Laurie, has Oscar been to a dermatologist before? You mentioned he again has MRSS... did you mean MRSA or is it something else? I tried to search for info on it earlier. Hoping the appointment with the dermatologist will help get Oscar feeling better. Please let us know how things go? |
Quote: Laurie, has Oscar been to a dermatologist before? You mentioned he again has MRSS... did you mean MRSA or is it something else? I tried to search for info on it earlier. Hoping the appointment with the dermatologist will help get Oscar feeling better. Please let us know how things go? There are variations of the bacteria, MRSA and MRSI are ones I'm aware of, differentiated partly by the glycopeptides. Now there's also vancomycin resistant staph, which was one of the only drugs staph infections relaibly responded to. |
| MRSS is Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Schleiferi (coagulans positive), a different sub-species than Aureus (MRSA) or Intermedius (MRSI). MRSS is not a zoonotic at this time, which means that it isn't transferred from animal to human, or human to animal. Until fairly recently, this particular strain of staph used to come up as MRSI in the lab, until someone did research, figured out it was something different, and discovered how to test for it. This is Oscar's first visit to the dermatologist. I'm not sure what she can do other than allergy testing, but we'll hope for the best. I will keep you posted on our visit. Hope to hear that Bumble and Kahlua are doing better. Laurie and Oscar |
| Well...things have taken a new turn. I think it may not be food allergy at all, I think Kahlua is having something that is contagious. My three other dogs have started scratching over the past week and have escalated too excessively scratching the past few days. Clayden the shaggy one has chunk of hair coming off with bald spots  I know Kahlua had fleas when I took her home but she had been on frontline since day one and I put flea collar on all the furry ones (dogs and cats) for a month. I have not found any fleas since then. We closely examinate Khalua each time we bath her. So...it might means that something else that is contagious causing the itchiness...made another vet appointment with all four of them tomorrow morning. I hope this will actually give the vet a better idea what we are dealing with. I followed Jaci's advice and used the gold listerine on them before bed and it really helped them sleep through the night but it wore off around 5am. My dear hubby was so sweet, he got out of the warm bed to sit with Kahlua, gently pat her itchy spot to sooth her back to sleep. I have taken advantage of Cyber Monday and ordered all medicated shampoo, topical spray...etc I have ever heard of, read about Unfortunately, I still have not found any shampoo that helps Kahlua at all. She actually gets way more itchy right after bath, every time.  I wonder what I did wrong??  Oh dear...  By the way, Laurie, I have tried sending you pm for about 4 times, you probably have received 4 identical messages or none... I have no idea if it is sent, I got a confirmation saying the message was sent but then I also found the message sitting in the outbox instead of sent box |
| Thanks Stacey and Laurie for explaining the the differences in staph bacteria to me. Hoping Oscar's visit with the dermatologist was helpful today. I know this is very frustrating for you. Laurie. Quote: I think it may not be food allergy at all, I think Kahlua is having something that is contagious. Oh, NO! If it were me, I'd ask the vet about putting everyone on Revolution. Not that it will necessarily correct the problem but it might be used to rule out a problem. Verify it if you do but I think it protects against heartworm, fleas, ticks... but also sarcoptic mites and ear mites. https://www.revolution4dogs.com/default ... c=Overview Contagious can mean other things besides parasites. The skin swab for a culture as Laurie has mentioned before may be a good route to take too. The thing is, if it's contagious, you may have a better chance of clearing things up all together rather than dealing with the allergy thing! While it may not seem like it right now, it might be good news in the long run. I'd take that over allergies any day! That was so kind of your husband to tend to Kahlua's itchies. We keep a couple of spray bottles filled with gold colored Listerine on the counter... it does offer some relief for a while here.Sometimes washing can take the natural oils out of their skin... I wonder to if it sometimes just irritates the skin. I was washing every 7 days... trying to wait 14 this time. His coat would get gunky by 7 days... it's not too bad this time and we're at day 9. But he continues to itch. You might try a topical spray to see if it helps at all... see what the vet advises. I use this but don't know if it would be appropriate for Kahlua- http://www.jefferspet.com/kalaya-emu-oi ... /cp/G7-K3/ But you really need to determine the cause of the problem in order to try to fix it or find ways to live with it. Hoping you will get some answers tomorrow... |
| Thanks Jaci I will mention "Revolultion" to the vet tomorrow. You are very right about it is not such a bad thing if it is really parasite problems, so much easier to deal with than the forever search and trials to find out what she is allergic to. I have also wondered if my too frequent bath might wash out Kahlua's oil since it is really dry here in the desert, so I have been giving her a final rinse of coconut oil http://www.amazon.com/Nutiva-Organic-Vi ... 447&sr=8-1 I used it for myself during winters but wondered if it actually contributed to her problem instead As for the emu oil products from Jefferspet. Yup, I ordered the shampoo, the spray and even the cream!!! Any thing that might have a slight chance to help making them feel better, I am more than willing to try! I also ordered the Vet Solutions - Universal Medicated Shampoo, Cortisoothe shampoo by Virbac, Isle of Dogs No 12 EPO Vet Grade Shampoo,....Chris Christensen - Peace & Kindness Spray, the Allercaine™ Antiseptic Spray that you mentioned... |
| Oh, my... please tell me you ordered little bottles? I hope something in that list of things will help. If you find something that seems to be working for Kahlua, please let me know? I can always add to my dog shampoo collection (This coming from the crazy lady that's now washing her own hair with the Kalaya emu shampoo to be certain her own shampoo isn't causing her dog a problem. ) |
6Girls wrote: (This coming from the crazy lady that's now washing her own hair with the Kalaya emu shampoo to be certain her own shampoo isn't causing her dog a problem. )Hahahaa Jaci I can totally relay to that. I also did a test on myself on my dry itchy spots with the listerine before applying it on the dog I am inspired by how organized you are with all your lists and tables. I am going to put together a list to record her body's responses to all these shampoo and sprays and I will definitely share it with you!!  |
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