# My baby has red bumps on lower belly



## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

It looks like a bacterial skin infection to me - if you want a definitive diagnosis you should take him to a dermatologist, but if you would like, I will look up the name of the skin spray that cured Tangee's ( several PO antibiotics did nothing, but this spray cured her) Meanwhile I would give him daily baths with a mild shampoo.


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## Jax'smommy (Jul 13, 2013)

Oh yes please do! Did it look similar to this? We have switched him to grain free food in case of allergies to see if it helps in the long run. 


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

My toy had that not too long ago. The vet said it was ant bites. 


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

That looks very uncomfortable! He needs to see a vet again.


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## cindyreef (Sep 28, 2012)

My spoo had this too. I thought it was a rash from the heat. I thought perhaps fly bites but he is not outside without us and I monitor him closely so I doubt that. I notice now that it is gone and I wonder if its because I switched his food. He was on Royal Canin Large Breed Puppy but I switched him a month ago to Blue Buffalo Wilderness. Its grain and corn free. Im glad the red pimples are gone. It was irritating him quite a bit.


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## Jax'smommy (Jul 13, 2013)

I felt taken back when the vet didnt seem concerned. I'm wondering now if they wanted me to come back for another vet bill! Lol. He is now fully on grain free dog food, blue wilderness. I've heard by switching, alot of allergies and irritations will clear up. I put vetericyn on it 3 times yesterday an it actually looks a little better. If it doesn't clear up in the next few days, back to the vet we go! Thanks for all of your responses. I love this forum!


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

How recently was the belly shaved?


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Jax'smommy said:


> Oh yes please do! Did it look similar to this? We have switched him to grain free food in case of allergies to see if it helps in the long run.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Well, I am sure that lots of different things could look like that, but yup, that is exactly what it looks like when it starts - but then eventually the wounds can get much bigger and worse.

The name of the spray is Phytovet CK Spray. We were battling this for almost a year - even with daily baths with a medicated shampoo and 3 or 4 rounds of different antibiotics, it was only getting worse. Then, struggling with the fact that I had to bring her into the Vet again, but not wanting to put an elderly dog through yet another round of antibiotics, which I know can be hard on the kidney's, I remembered that I had thrown this spray into the shopping cart when I was buying her shampoo, only because it was made by the same company - I had no clue that it would be helpful, and had not even bothered to use it in the month that it was sitting on my shelf. Anyhow, I sprayed it on her before bed, and by the next morning, there was a marked change - all of these very active looking wounds were drying up and scabbing over, and within a month of use, her skin was clear! 
Now, I have tried to back off using it completely, and that won't work, they will begin to come back - but we have gotten into a routine where she has a bath every 5 - 7 days, then while she is wet I go through all of her skin, spraying any where I see a bump or even pinkness, and then once or twice more during the week, I look and feel around for any bumps starting and give it a little spray (must remember to brush after it dries, or you will wind up with matting at the skin which will ultimately make it worse!

Anyhow, that is what works for Tangee - but you know, the best thing would be to take him to the dermatologist for a definitive diagnosis - but the truth is that I took Tangee to the Derm and the regular Vet about this, and ultimately I was the one who inadvertently found the spray that cured her, so I can't say that it would be a bad idea for you to reverse the process - go directly for the spray, and then if that does not work, back to the Vet...


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Meanwhile, until you get the spray (google it, I only found one place that sells it online), I would give him a daily bath with a mild shampoo - got to keep that bacteria at bay as best you can until you have something to really go after it!


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Oops, nevermind! Now that I am on my computer instead of phone I answered my own question. If the belly had been recently clipped, I was thinking that could have been the cause, but it doesn't look to be the case.

It definitely looks like pyoderma to me, a bacterial infection, which could have many different causes. I have had this happen on my dogs, often it's grooming related or bug bite related. Allergies and other underlying conditions can also predispose a dog to skin infections. With my dogs I use some hydrogen peroxide to clean the bumps and then put some neosporin on and I make sure I keep the dog from licking the bumps. Sometimes this involves a cone of shame! If this doesn't work, a trip to the vet and a course of antibiotics is my next step. The course of antibiotic treatment is usually a month and this helps prevent recurrence.

How old is your dog? Puppy or adult? There is something called "puppy pyoderma", which might be what you are dealing with if you have a puppy.

As far as switching food, that's only going to help if your dog has a food allergy or sensitivity to an ingredient that was in the first food that is not present in the food you switch to. So you'd want to switch to a food that does not share any of the same proteins as the food you were previously feeding. So if your current food has chicken, you would want to switch to a food without any type of chicken.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Jax'smommy said:


> I felt taken back when the vet didnt seem concerned. I'm wondering now if they wanted me to come back for another vet bill! Lol. He is now fully on grain free dog food, blue wilderness. I've heard by switching, alot of allergies and irritations will clear up. I put vetericyn on it 3 times yesterday an it actually looks a little better. If it doesn't clear up in the next few days, back to the vet we go! Thanks for all of your responses. I love this forum!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Honestly, if your Vet was so unconcerned, I would go straight for a Vet Dermatologist - it costs more to start, but I've found that in the end it saves money in regular Vet visits that get you nowhere....


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

CharismaticMillie said:


> Oops, nevermind! Now that I am on my computer instead of phone I answered my own question. If the belly had been recently clipped, I was thinking that could have been the cause, but it doesn't look to be the case.
> 
> It definitely looks like pyoderma to me, a bacterial infection, which could have many different causes. I have had this happen on my dogs, often it's grooming related or bug bite related. Allergies and other underlying conditions can also predispose a dog to skin infections. With my dogs I use some hydrogen peroxide to clean the bumps and then put some neosporin on and I make sure I keep the dog from licking the bumps. Sometimes this involves a cone of shame! If this doesn't work, a trip to the vet and a course of antibiotics is my next step. The course of antibiotic treatment is usually a month and this helps prevent recurrence.
> 
> ...


So true - people think that grains are the only things that dogs are allergic to - but they can be allergic to ANY food, inhalants, and things that they contact in the environment - just like people.

I think though that with these bacterial things it's not so much that allergies cause it, but that dogs with not terrific immune systems will tend to have allergies, and will tend to not fight bacteria well.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

I believe it just depends what the underlying cause is. If the underlying cause is addressed and treated, it should help prevent recurrent bacterial infections/pyoderma. In the case of allergies, avoiding the allergen or cause of sensitivity will help, but that involves identifying what the allergen or sensitivity which can be difficult. When they are exposed to something they are allergic to, there is a lot of inflammation happening in the body which can predispose them to bacterial skin infections. Avoid exposure to the allergen, and antibody levels go down. 

I know that vets generally will treat it some topical medications and a round of antibiotics. What has been explained to me is that if it becomes recurrent, and you've done the month long round of antibiotics, that is when you start to explore underlying conditions that need to be addressed.


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## Jax'smommy (Jul 13, 2013)

CharismaticMillie said:


> Oops, nevermind! Now that I am on my computer instead of phone I answered my own question. If the belly had been recently clipped, I was thinking that could have been the cause, but it doesn't look to be the case.
> 
> It definitely looks like pyoderma to me, a bacterial infection, which could have many different causes. I have had this happen on my dogs, often it's grooming related or bug bite related. Allergies and other underlying conditions can also predispose a dog to skin infections. With my dogs I use some hydrogen peroxide to clean the bumps and then put some neosporin on and I make sure I keep the dog from licking the bumps. Sometimes this involves a cone of shame! If this doesn't work, a trip to the vet and a course of antibiotics is my next step. The course of antibiotic treatment is usually a month and this helps prevent recurrence.
> 
> ...


Jax is 6 1/2 months old. The food he is on now has no chicken or grain. The bumps don't seem to be painful. He just licks them sometimes. He was clipped by the groomer Friday. He had some red bumps but they multiplied after being clipped and were extremely red some had puss. This is when I really got worried 


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## Jax'smommy (Jul 13, 2013)

Tiny Poodles said:


> Well, I am sure that lots of different things could look like that, but yup, that is exactly what it looks like when it starts - but then eventually the wounds can get much bigger and worse.
> 
> The name of the spray is Phytovet CK Spray. We were battling this for almost a year - even with daily baths with a medicated shampoo and 3 or 4 rounds of different antibiotics, it was only getting worse. Then, struggling with the fact that I had to bring her into the Vet again, but not wanting to put an elderly dog through yet another round of antibiotics, which I know can be hard on the kidney's, I remembered that I had thrown this spray into the shopping cart when I was buying her shampoo, only because it was made by the same company - I had no clue that it would be helpful, and had not even bothered to use it in the month that it was sitting on my shelf. Anyhow, I sprayed it on her before bed, and by the next morning, there was a marked change - all of these very active looking wounds were drying up and scabbing over, and within a month of use, her skin was clear!
> Now, I have tried to back off using it completely, and that won't work, they will begin to come back - but we have gotten into a routine where she has a bath every 5 - 7 days, then while she is wet I go through all of her skin, spraying any where I see a bump or even pinkness, and then once or twice more during the week, I look and feel around for any bumps starting and give it a little spray (must remember to brush after it dries, or you will wind up with matting at the skin which will ultimately make it worse!
> ...


I just ordered the spray. I hope it works as it did for your baby!! Thanks for everyone's help. I am a first time poodle mommy and it helps to find others that have gone through these things. 


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

I don't think you need to be overly concerned. I would go ahead and clean the area with hydrogen peroxide (don't do it excessively as it can exacerbate skin irritation) and apply some neosporin. Give it a few days to see if you see improvement. If not, schedule a vet appointment for suspected pyoderma and get a round of antibiotics. Do not let him lick his belly. This will make them worse.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Jax'smommy said:


> Jax is 6 1/2 months old. The food he is on now has no chicken or grain. The bumps don't seem to be painful. He just licks them sometimes. He was clipped by the groomer Friday. He had some red bumps but they multiplied after being clipped and were extremely red some had puss. This is when I really got worried
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


To clarify, just in case, what I meant was, if the original food he was eating had protein X (chicken, fish, duck, lamb or any other protein under the sun), the food you switch to should not have that protein. But, quite frankly, at 6 months I kind of doubt it's a food allergy.

Here's a read on Puppy Pyoderma: http://www.keepthetailwagging.com/puppy-pyoderma/

More on Pyoderma: http://www.vet.utk.edu/dermvet/pyoderma.php


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

The phytovet has chlorhexidine and should be helpful!


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

Vegas had this as a puppy, I wasn't worried, you shouldn't be either, just keep the area disinfected and clean and it'll clear up and go away. Vegas never seemed sensitive to them, and this is a puppy that still screams bloody murder for getting his nails grinded (no, I'm not killing him I swear!)


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

CharismaticMillie said:


> The phytovet has chlorhexidine and should be helpful!


Actually my vet said that it is the new thing that is in it - phytosphinogosine that likely did the trick.
It should also be noted that she said using it daily long term would not be good - cut back to a couple of times a week once things are in hand . I missed what the reason was, but I will ask her next time.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Chlorhexidine is the traditional topical treatment that would be used on Pyoderma, and it is one of the three ingredients in PhytoVet CK. CK stands for Chlorhhexidine and Ketoconazole. If the product you were using was called PhytoVet CK, that means it had both Chlorhexidine and Ketoconazole in it as well as Phytosphingosine. I wouldn't even begin to attempt to say which ingredient (probably all three) helped your dog's recurrent skin issues, but I will say that because Chlorhexidine is routine topical treatment for Pyoderma, it would be a good place for the OP to start with her dog's yet-to-be-treated skin issue and it conveniently happens to be one of the ingredients in the product she has purchased. Not all bacterial skin issues are complicated or recurrent or difficult to eliminate.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

CharismaticMillie said:


> Chlorhexidine is the traditional topical treatment that would be used on Pyoderma, and it is one of the three ingredients in PhytoVet CK. CK stands for Chlorhhexidine and Ketoconazole. If the product you were using was called PhytoVet CK, that means it had both Chlorhexidine and Ketoconazole in it as well as Phytosphingosine. I wouldn't even begin to attempt to say which ingredient (probably all three) helped your dog's recurrent skin issues, but I will say that because Chlorhexidine is routine topical treatment for Pyoderma, it would be a good place for the OP to start with her dog's yet-to-be-treated skin issue and it conveniently happens to be one of the ingredients in the product she has purchased. Not all bacterial skin issues are complicated or recurrent or difficult to eliminate.


I know what the CK is, was just saying that my vet said that the other ingredient is what sets it apart and makes it special from the rest.
And I agree- Tangee's immune system is probably weaker due to age - it should not be as difficult to treat in a younger dog - I am just grateful to have found something topical that works since antibiotics did nothing for her- but I was afraid if what they might be doing to her kidneys!


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

I misunderstood. I thought you were saying it had been reformulated with a new ingredient.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

CharismaticMillie said:


> I misunderstood. I thought you were saying it had been reformulated with a new ingredient.


Now I am not sure I understand you - it has 3 active ingredients - maybe it was around before with just the two in the title , I do not know? The only things I know for sure is that it is a miracle for MY particular dog, and my Vet thinks it is because of the third ingredient. Anyhow, since we do not know the root of the problem for the OP,s dog, if she is gong to do a home treatment, it makes sense to attack it three ways so there it is almost sure to have something in it that will work!


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Tiny Poodles said:


> Now I am not sure I understand you - it has 3 active ingredients - maybe it was around before with just the two in the title , I do not know? The only things I know for sure is that it is a miracle for MY particular dog, and my Vet thinks it is because of the third ingredient. Anyhow, since we do not know the root of the problem for the OP,s dog, if she is gong to do a home treatment, it makes sense to attack it three ways so there it is almost sure to have something in it that will work!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Like I said, I misunderstood what you had said. It sounded like you were saying that they had reformulated it to not have Chlorhexidine or Ketoconazone and it had a "new" ingredient instead. I was clarifying that it still has all three ingredients. But then I realized that I misunderstood...

Moving on...


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