[watsonmom]

Hello,
My nearly 3-year-old Watson has been given antibiotics for the fourth(?) time for pyoderma around his belly and genitals and a 7 day course hasn't eliminated it this time. I'm so frustrated and want to get to the bottom of this. We saw a new vet at our clinic and she thinks he has food allergies. Wouln't he be itchy all the time if that was the case? This happens a couple of times a year so when she suggested prescription food and a dermatologist allergy test it seems a bit extreme. His thyroid is normal and he had a blood test for environmental allergies and it came back with allergies to bugs that aren't really in our state. I'm wondering if it's a reaction to these smoked bones I give him occasionally.

My questions are: Have any of you changed your dog's food and eliminated skin infections? If Watson's littermate is sensitive to poultry would Watson be too (I know he is sensitive to chicken, but he gets some turkey?) Have you resolved pyoderma without antibiotics? How?

Thank you! I'm going to give him a bath with Maleseb shampoo now!

 

[gdgli]

I found this, you might find it helpful.
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/pyoderma-in-dogs

 

[CAROLINA MOM]

Sorry Watson's been having skin problems.

If a dog can't tolerate chicken, often times they can't tolerate Turkey as well since it still is poultry. Try feeding a salmon based food.

My boy does not do well on chicken, wheat or soy. I've been feeding him Purina Pro Plan for Sensitive Skin and Stomach for 8 years. It's the salmon formula, the PPP SSS also comes in a lamb formula. My boy had a sensitive stomach and was underweight by 15-20 lbs. and having stomach problems when I adopted him at age 2 from my County Humane Society. Members on the board recommended it after I had tried numerous brands and formulas without success. This worked, I saw a difference within a few days with his stomach issues. His coat was real thin and scraggly too, he gained the needed weight over a 6 month period and his coat came in.

Hope you find a food that will help and he's doing better soon.

 

[diane0905]

That seems like a short course of antibiotics for a bacterial skin infection. My Golden is eight and he has had a few in his lifetime. He was put on antibiotics for a month each time. Cephalexin - 500mg a day. I always thought it was a long time and that worried me, but it was effective.

When Luke was younger for almost six years I was told he had food allergies, so I had him on this expensive dog food for dogs with allergies. I went to a new vet and he said it was definitely environmental allergies. Luke ended up on Apoquel and sometimes in the season of severe allergies (spring and early summer here), Luke has to get Cytopoint injections also. His food went to just regular dog food after that and he has done great on it.