Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 10/11/2008

Question
Advice for Labrador(4year, Male).
*Scrotum is red,occasionally gets swollen and wet and last 4 months, sometimes resulting in bleeding, has not healed uptill now, even after applying Betnovate local ointment.
*Irregular bowel habit, occsionally greenish colour stool, sometimes formed, sometimes loose. 2-3 times blood stained.
*Black scales shed from skin, removable by brushing, also affecting pads on paws, which are very hard and sometimes spilt and bleed, black scales mostly limited to extremities, occsionally found on trunk, non itiching.*Fever with rigor on and off for past 3-4 months.*Severe weight loss over past 1 month.*When he has no fever he eats well and is conscious and interacts with us.*He has also suffered from occasional bouts of vomitting and diarrhea, which sometimes happen simultaleously.
Cefalosporins, Ampicillin and Cloxacillin, intra-musclar, given off and on, may be up to 40 vials of 1 gm intermittently during last 4 months, also given Anitfungal - Grisofelvin for 10 + 10 days.We have consulted our local vet in India who is at a loss to give us any diagonsise.

We would very much appreciate you help in this matter, as our dog is desparateley ill.

Answer
Do you know if your vet has run any blood tests to see if this is an internal problem?  Any skin biopsies to know what type of skin problem is going on? Especially when there is a fever, the dog may not respond to antibiotics if it is viral. Many systemic diseases cause skin diseases.

I am not familiar with the diseases found in India, so I will not be much help.