# Dermatitis?



## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

I apologize (but also not, because it's gross) for the picture being blurry. 

Ever since I brought my SPOO puppy home (labor day weekend at 11 weeks old) he has had these yellow scabby spots throughout his fur. On his belly/groin area he gets small red spots and bits that look like zits. Both types of spots are always present but are constantly changing--they come and go. I asked the vet when I had Wrex in for his final shots and was told the belly spots are acne. But...I'm thinking my dog has a dermatits issue...

Aside from the spots:

1. He itches All The Time. All over. Scratching or nawing on himself. I know puppies itch a lot, but it seems excessive.

2. The groomer noted that his ears are "sticky". When I swab them out with an alcohol soaked cotton ball, it gets brown and gross, but the skin of his inner ear does not appear red or irritated.

3. His eyes are weepy. I need to wipe the clear gel-like goo out of them twice a day.

He does not have fleas, or ear mites. All of these conditions were present when I first brought him home.

Has anyone had a similar experience? I think my first step will be to switch foods. (I'll post about that in foods). I'm currently feeding him Fromm classic Adult-as did his breeder. Of the first 6 ingredients, 4 are grains (rice/oatmeal/barley/rice) and the other 2 are chicken. 

Is there something other than food I should consider?


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## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

I'd be wanting to see a dermatologist.

Sounds like allergies to me, but I'd want it investigating. It sounds a bit worrying (sorry!) and your vet's reaction didn't seem over concerned. Acne? Maybe, but surely there's something else to be done?

The food thread will probably be more help!


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

I'm not going to freak out just yet. I figure if I go now, they'll send me home and say, change his food, change his soap, ect... So I'll start by all the changes I can think of and attend to regular ear maintenance. His ears are VERY hairy, and perhaps they were never attended to properly. I should see an improvement in a week, I would think, if it's an issue with his food.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Do go grainless! Raw would probably be really good for Wrex. But in any case get as many grains out of his diet as you can and limit or change his protein to a more novel one than chicken or beef (chicken including chicken fat seems to be one that a lot of dogs are sensitive to yet many dogs can handle it 'raw') also any carbs(sugars) will promote yeast growth (ear & skin problems) and if he is chewing his paws, it is another sign of allergies to 'something' which could also be environmental. Grass, dust, etc.
Your best bet is a visit to a dermatologist, which is a bit pricey but in the end you save by not having to make constant visits to your Vet!!! 
Also, it takes at least 4-6 weeks to see a change if you go the diet route! 
Read labels for ingredient contents for sure!!! Good Luck!!!


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

I served Wrex Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy formula for dinner tonight instead of his regular food. He had zero issues gobbling it down quite enthusiastically, then licked his dish and sniffed around for more. It's grain free, as well as chicken/chicken fat/chicken meal free. It contains bison, lamb, venison and beef in various amounts. It's about the same cost-wise and I REALLY like that I can go buy it at my local Pet Supplies Plus (NOT Petco) for less than ordering it online. 

He does nibble on his paws frequently. I won't be quick to judge if it's doing the trick or not.

I swabbed out his ears pretty good today with alcohol and cotton balls. He sat perfectly for me and didn't bat an eyelash as I rubbed brown bits off the skin. In fact, I was interrupted between ears and he followed closely on my heels until I got back to finishing up. Perhaps they've been bothering him more than I knew. I picked up some Vet's Best ear wash today as well, which is alcohol free, so I can keep up with it daily for a few days without drying out his ears. --Wrex has VERY hairy ears.


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## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

First off, it does sound like it could be allergies so I would get a dermatologist referral. The food change is a good idea but there can be a bit of a wait to get an appointment so try for the referral from your vet asap. Additionally the photo you posted looks like a staph infection similar to what one of my dogs gets. The symptoms you describe are accurate as well. In the meantime, if you can't get to a specialist quickly request that your vet or a new vet culture the lesions so that an appropriate antibiotic can be prescribed in the event it is staph. As someone else stated, I'm a bit concerned that the current vet didn't take it more seriously given the additional symptoms. 

Speaking from experience, go ahead & pay for the testing & skin scrapes. I've had a heck of a time getting the allergies under control for my shepherd. His allergies are both food & environmental though. 

Also, I would not pluck ears with a possible infection. Clean like you are doing & trim as much hair as possible from the underside of the ear leather. You can use small ball tipped scissors around the opening & to get any visible hair to help increase the air flow.

Sending positive wishes for a quick fix!


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## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

I meant to also mention any treats that you are giving.....I would temporarily cut them out of the diet & use his kibble until you have some answers 

Currently I make my own treats or use USA sourced treats with novel proteins & few ingredients. I really would wait for any variety in diet until after you've had a chance to see if the food change helps. You are welcome to pm me for more info on my experience if you like


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

*I've Got A Plan*

The food change is going very well, he loves his new Taste of the Wild High Prairie (grain free, bison/lamb/venison). I know Molly said it will take 4-6 weeks to see an effect, so maybe it's just mental, but I really think his eyes were far less gooey this morning. I didn't need to wipe them out last night, and there wasn't much this morning...comparatively. 

I read up some more on canine impetigo (aka puppy acne) and I have to say, I wish my vet had given me some direction on how to treat it, rather than say it will pass. The acne is a form of staph, Poolann, as you indicate, and it seems there are many things at home I can do about it. Wrex is most definitely broken out in "zits" on his belly/groin area. I think what is happening is that they bother him (duh) so he naws on them, breaks them open and spreads the infection to other itchy parts of his body. 

Here's the plan I'm working from. If it is just acne, I should see an improvement fairly soon. If not, we can go back to the doc (or perhaps try out a new vet). 

1. Bathe a couple times a week with a peroxide shampoo. I'll head down to my pet store today and get started right away.
2. Swab his belly/groin and sores with Witch Hazel a few times during the day. It will help reduce itching and disinfect without stinging or drying him out.
3. Wrex has a tendency to pee on himself. I need to wipe him down to keep him cleaner.
4. Change his crate bedding daily, so he isn't reinfecting himself when he naps.


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## Poodlerunner (Jul 4, 2014)

I really feel for what you are going through. When the dog itches, it's maddening for everyone involved. I like your battle plan. One other thing I would consider would be something to take by mouth.

pr


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Consider taking him to a veterinary Dermatologist - they will get to the root of the issue much quicker than the regular vet could.
Meanwhile I will tell you from my years of having an allergic dog, Nizoral Dandruff shampoo (human) does wonders for the itching, and Phytovet CK Spray (veterinary, but you can find it online without a prescription) works miraculously well for healing those pimple like sores - seriously, spray it on and look again in an hour and you will see what looked highly infected drying up and healing already.
For the ears, the only thing that worked was a formula that the dermatologist had compounded for her - and it worked really well!


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

*Off To The Vet Today*

I have been unable to locate a peroxide shampoo locally. The closest I could find was a medicated shampoo that contains tea tree oil and salicylic acid. It makes Wrex smell like a horse. I am seeing no improvement, even when I switched to swabbing with peroxide rather than witch hazel. Plus, despite cleaning his ears daily with Vet's Best ear wash, they are still itchy. Every couple days when I swab them with alcohol, the cotton balls are so brown. 

I really hesitated to take him in because, being an inexperienced puppy owner, you don't feel confident and it's easy to say you are over reacting, acne is normal, it takes more time to get better, ect. But it shouldn't be this hard, right? We go in at 2pm today and will see what happens. If I had caught it early (when we first brought him home) and treated those few tiny reds spots this way, perhaps it would have gotten under control easily. But, I didn't. And now my poor boy has lots of acne on his groin/belly and inside of his back legs. lt's creeping up onto his lower rib cage and is in his front leg arm pits. Too much for his body to heal unaided and for a novice owner to figure out unguided.

On the positive side, the diet change really agrees with Wrex, even though I went cold turkey and didn't mix it with his old food. After a day or so of frequent, softer (not diarrhea) stools, they firmed back up and regulated. His eyes have improved for sure. I wipe a little goo out of them in the morning and they are fine the rest of the day.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

If you use Amazon I highly recommend getting this shampoo. 
Douxo Chlorhexidine PS Shampoo, 6.8 oz. (200 ml) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GLO08Q/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_Xaapub0D30KTH

The calm formula is what the dermatologist told me to get for Killa's allergy issues. It really does help her. Chlorhexidine is what is used to disinfect animals before surgery. That should help with any infection he might have going on. It is pricy but is well worth it. They also have a spray and gel form.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Poodlecrazy must have been reading my mind! Chlorhexidine for sure!!!! You can get it at the drug store.......................it's a topical antibacterial ! Peroxide is not such a good idea as it can kill tissue.


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

Poodlecrazy/Molly: 
I bookmarked this. The vet diagnosed Wrex this afternoon with a staph infection, so I have meds ti clear it up now. However, I have a feeling it may be an ongoing issue. Wrex is fond of peeing all over himself and is on track to be a frequentry bathed dog. Something like this might be a good to use once in a while to keep him clean.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

My spoo was having a lot of various skin and ear and eye issues. He is over them now. What I did was give him omega 3 and cod liver oil and it really helped. BUT it has to be really high quality (I use nordic naturals for both, oil not capsules) Many of the cheaper brands actually are toxic. 

Also, it takes time. It took about 4 months to notice a difference. The same goes for other things like grains, etc. When you remove them from their diet. It won't happen fast and takes a long time to get it all out of their system. Just think how long the problem has been developing, way long before it was noticeable. 

Make sure to use the pet formula's of Nordic Naturals. Human formula's often have flavorings or other oils that may not agree with dogs. If you are interested I'd be glad to give you more information. I had to coax my spoo into eating it, but now he laps it up like desert. He just got groomed today and his groomer is amazed at the difference from last year in his skin.


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