Expert: Delores Beck - 3/6/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I have a 1 yr old cocker spaniel that has developed some kind of allergy on her belly, under arm, under her paw and her tail. It looks like little bumps like a mosquito bite, but she is constantly scratching herself. Its agonizing to see her running around trying to at least relief the itching. I have spent over thousands of dollars with vets and I even went to tufts university vet clinic and they did not do anything different. Every vet that sees her puts her on antibiotics for a while and then as soon as she is done with the antibiotic, the rashes come back as strong as it was before. I have asked them to do an allergy test on her to see that it might be something around the house but instead they put her on allergy medication and decided not to do the testes because they would have to put her on general anesthesia.  They also have tried to change her food and stop with the regular dog treats. I was feeding her with HA PURINA and HP ROYAL CANIN 19. Didn’t work either. They told me to give her a bath every week with DOUXO CHLORHEXIDINE shampoo, and didn’t make a difference on her skin. I have cut her hair shorter, changed her routine around the house to see if it was some cleaning product that I was using and stop letting her go outside for too long.
I am getting a little frustrated with vets that cannot find her problem. I cant keep seeing my dog suffering and scratching herself anymore. Can you please help me and advise what I could do to help my dog???
Thank you
Silvia

ANSWER: I'd like to know how her skin was diagnosed.  The first vet should have taken some skin cells either using tape or a light skin scrape.  This is analyzed in a few minutes and it's either bacterial or yeast.  Then the proper antibiotic is prescribed.

Did that happen?

Another mistake constantly made is they don't give enough antibiotic or for long enough.
A month is the usual course.

So to help you I need an answer to that and I want to know what antibiotic she was on - what was the dosage and for how long she was on it.

Purina and Royal Canin aren't terrific foods...actually Purina is crap.  I'd get her onto a premium no grains dog food like Innova EVO red bites or Orijen.  Even better would be the newer raw, dehydrated foods like Sojo's Complete or Addiction. (Can be ordered online..and you must transition slowly).

They could have started with a blood allergy test..not as reliable as intradermal testing but it might have indicated a strong allergy.

Silvia, my instincts are telling me she's been undermedicated..perhaps even with the incorrect antibiotic and the wrong shampoo.  Did you see a Dermatologist at Tufts?

The fact that this keeps coming back is a big clue.  If she's been under treated (and that's so common I can't tell you) then it's like you put out the forest fire but left one lit match.
The forest dries out..the match then flares....and you're back at the vet for yet another round of bills and meds.

Also with skin infections you should have been instructed to bath minimum 2x weekly.  The correct shampoo would be key.  Is her coat dry/flaky or oily?  Any odor?
Delores

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for such a fast answer.
Yes they took a microcopic slide and looked at it. Then the vet said it was a bacterial and fungal infection. Also that she had a ear infection. The ear infection was all set after a couple of days.

At tufts I saw was the dermatologist. She was the one that prescribed all these medications and special foods. Right now i have changed her back to her regular food from before, because we saw that there were no changes so the problem is not her diet. She is on Beneful right now.

Here is the list of antibiotics:

Octuber - cephalexin 250 mg - 4 weeks and Ketoconazole 200 mg

November - Ciprofloxacin 250 mg - 4 weeks and change advantix to revolution every two weeks.

December - Cephalexin 250mg and ketoconazole 200 mg - for 4 weeks After those 4 weeks start Atopica50 mg

January - same as december but only for 3 weeks.


I noticed that as soon as we finished the antibiotics, the allergy came right back, so i believe the medications were not strong enough like you said, she is not beeing treated enough for the allergy.

The vet also gave me a special shampoo for her. The naome of the shampoo is Chlorhexidine PS.

Please let me know if you have any more suggestions for me.
I accually have an appointment for her at tufts this coming wednesday.

Thanks You
Silvia

Answer
As I thought - it should have been 500mg. of Cephalexin 2x daily.

The Revolution every two weeks should only have been done once.  It's something a Dermatologist would do to rule out mites.  So you'd put Revolution on - again two weeks later.  No more.

Silvia, if you'll write me personally I have some suggestions.
DeeBeck7765@aol.com