** Just to up date - Still having same issues after two rounds of antibiotics so back to the vet last week. This time he did several skin scrapings of the spots to run cultures which came back today. Bogie has a staph skin infection so a new antibiotic for two weeks to see if there is any improvement. If so he will be on it for another four weeks to hopefully totaly clear up this skin issue. He is now on Amoxicillin-Clav 250 mg twice a day for the next two weeks. We have been using the Benzoyl Peroxide which Dr. Doug suggested on the spots and that really helps, plus the weekly medicated baths.**
Original Post: We have a Basset Hound who will be seven in April. Bogie is doing great except for skin issues that started last September. The vet says it is a type of seborrhea, and Bassets can be prone to get it. It tends to erupt with a vengeance, and then gets better. Bogie gets tiny bumps under the skin, that then turn into small scaly circles with irritated center, mostly on his back, rump, and sides. Some times up to 15 to 20 small spots, that heal with treatment, then a few more will appear.
Bogie is on weekly medicated baths with Keratolux Medicated Shampoo. We suds him up and let it sit for the required 10 - 15 miuntes. He is also on Genta Topical Spray for the spots. We switched him to a grain free diet three months ago. We are using Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Canine® with Smoked Salmon and High Prairie Canine with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison. We are also using grain free treats. His coat is beautiful soft, silky and shiny, and his poop is less and much firmer that before, another plus from the diet change!! We don't know what else to do for him.
We do use flea and tick treatment monthly, and our Vet has changed Bogie to Vectra. With camping and the ticks abounding in the woods here, plus fleas are a fact of life since there are feral cats, possums, and raccoons wandering through the neighborhood, doing without would be a real problem. Our vet says Bogie's skin problems should not be related to Vectra. ????
So far we haven't gone the canine dermatologist route and that can only be done with our Vet's referral. It's really big bucks to go that route here in our area. Thankfully the itching doesn't bother him because we stay on top of things and do daily spray treatments. Any ideas on what else we could try would be appreciated.
Thanks
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ClassBGirl, Hubby, and "Bogie" the Basset Hound
2012 Triple E Regency - GT24MB (Grand Touring - 24 ft. - Murphy Bed)
Ford E450 Chassis with 6.8L EFl V-10 Triton
Has your vet run a thyroid level? Often times the dog can also have a staph bacterial hypersensitivity or allergy that causes this type of chronic problem. An Omega oil supplement can act as an anti-inflammatory and will help many of these non-specific skin conditions.
I have no problem with the diet you are feeding, but many people go this diet route and expect the skin to magically clear. In reality, grain (corn, wheat and soy) allergies are much less common than you would suspect given the attention on the internet.
Your vet is doing the same thing I do for these cases, unfortunately the next step is referral to a specialist.
Doug, DVM
Doug & Sandy
Jill (11yr old Golden)& Charmin (16 yr old something)
Henry NOW a camping cat
2008 Southwind
2009 Honda CRV
Doug,
Thanks for your reply. The first thing our vet did was check Bogie's thyroid level, and it was OK. What type of Omega oil supplement would you recommend? Can we use the fish oil capsules that my husband and I take? How many mgs. would a 55 pound Basset need? Thanks!!
Human brands are fine. There is a pretty wide range and different formulations so, most recommend preparations with 250 mg EPA and 167 mg DHA once or twice a day. I've had specialists prescribe 4x that dose for specific inflammatory conditions.
In addition to the fish oil, you might try quercetin/bromelain, which is a combo often used for respiratory allergies but that I've found useful for things ranging from Hally's GS pannus (eye problem related to allergies/dust/dry air aka "living in the desert") to a friend who breaks out in hives for some unknown reason.
I get them from Swanson vitamins and the human dose is 2 capsules 3X/day. I give Hal (57 pounds give or take) 3 once a day and that seems to do the trick. Quercetin and bromelain are both good things in other ways, there is some discussion about quercetin protecting from cancer, so not a bad thing for her to be on long term if it helps.
susan
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a wabbit, Fuzzy Wuzzy had a dandelion habit! RIP little Wuz... don't go far.
We took Bogie back to the vet yesterday. He is somewhat better with his skin issues, but he still gets outbrakes of the tiny bumps under the skin that turn into small scaly round spots. The grain free diet with The Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Salmon food has helped and his coat is so soft and shiny and he seems to shed less. He also poops a lot less!
The vet put him back on an antibiotic and wants us to just continue with the weekly medicated baths and spray treatments with the Genta Spray for the seborreah. Bogie's pyoderma (bacterial folliculitis) on his chin and lips is also back (turns the hair green on his lips where he drools constantly and itches). He switched the antibiotic and will keep him on it longer this time. He said we'll probably be dealing with this from now on and may end up on keeping him on a maintenance antibiotic. Otherwise he was pronounced healthy and fit. He was pleased that Bogie has lost 2 pounds, now 55 pounds, due to the new food and said he looks great!!
After we got home I took some new pictures. The orange pansies are so pretty right now I couldn't resist getting Bogie to pose in the middle of them. You would never know that we are University of Tennessee fans.
Quote: Bogie's pyoderma (bacterial folliculitis) on his chin and lips is also back (turns the hair green on his lips where he drools constantly and itches). He switched the antibiotic and will keep him on it longer this time
The acne on his chin and lip fold dermatitis could be spreading to other areas when he is licking/scratching (as dogs do). I think the long term antibiotics (at least 1 month) is a good plan.
Also, I've found human acne preparations with benzoyl peroxide used to treat the chin daily after eating helps clear that problem. That may also clear the other eruptions too.
what a lovely picture, Bogie poses so nicely!! Our pups have some little rough spots on their backs. I started spraying them with something I got from Petsmart for itching (but they don't itch there, it's just patchy), medspray?...not sure what the name is off hand.
After reading about the omega fish oil, I have a notion to try that on them too. They are small so maybe just a capsule between them a day would be a good idea. Also, I wonder about rubbing it on them?
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