Help Needed! at my wit's end - staph continues...

bulliemommi

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I need advice guys- Mr. D keeps getting these little circles on his sides and back that are crusty, hair loss, no blood, not weepy, not itchy. Vet has said they are staph in the past, gives him the $80 antibiotic shot or pills for 21 days (3x since March) and he's fine for a month and then it's back. I can't keep doing this. He gets 3V omega oils on his food daily, just started Nu vet (the cat version bc it does not contain alfalfa which he is allergic to) last week, and he is on Earthborn Meadowfeast food only - no people food ever, which doesn't contain anything on his allergy report. The underside of his paws are STILL very pink all the time, I think he's licking them anytime he isn't watched, and I have given up on them. (I tried dermapaw but it was so greasy and nasty and the socks he got out of and I worry he will chew the elastic and hurt himself if I leave them on if we aren't home/sleeping, as he is in a crate then. )That was even after a round of antibiotics and an antihistamine script for 3 weeks.
He has a few big spots now, which feel hard under the coat, and a few spots that are smaller in different stages of healing, some almost healed. The new ones have like a hard crust, then hair comes out and he ends up with a bald spot with scaly skin that the edges can get crusty I have to keep cleaning until hair grows back. I bathed him again this week with Malaseb as I did last week, which I read should be done often for this, but I don't know what to do anymore. Some of the scabby came off in the bath today but left raw skin under and I felt horrible for him. But he never scratches. My cat is now diabetic and I have spent over $1000 on him in the last month. I don't want to go to the vet for this again. I am so frustrated. I am ready to do allergy shots possibly, since I already have to give my cat insulin 2x a day now. I don't know what to do. :(
 

Sherry

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My vet prescribes a shampoo called Pyoben and it really dries the staph scab up fast. But you must keep up with it, as soon as a scab appears , apply the shampoo on that area leave on for 10 minutes, just around the scab areas and then take a damp paper towel and wipe off. I also notice since I've been making home made food to add to the kibble, less staph problems no tears, no licking paws. Now Jack is eight years old and he is the only one out of my 5 that really ever gets staph infection. It's important to dry these spots up, I don't use creams, and yes the shampoo does work best if you are using antibiotics also in bad cases only. I wouldn't use antibiotics on a mild case. Please keep me posted.
 
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bulliemommi

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Thanks [MENTION=1714]Sherry[/MENTION], we have talked about this before! How often do you do the shampoo? He was bathed last week and then again today. Always look great after bath with the yuck gone but I am sure it will be back tomorrow. I have Etiderm shampoo also that is a lot like Pyoben if I recall... Then it seems to take a month or more for the hair to come back. :( Usually spots have been nickel sometime quarter sized but he has a few that are quite large now and I am upset. :(
 

Sherry

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Thanks @Sherry, we have talked about this before! How often do you do the shampoo? He was bathed last week and then again today. Always look great after bath with the yuck gone but I am sure it will be back tomorrow. I have Etiderm shampoo also that is a lot like Pyoben if I recall... Then it seems to take a month or more for the hair to come back. :( Usually spots have been nickel sometime quarter sized but he has a few that are quite large now and I am upset. :(

Yes they sure don't take long to come back, when Jack get's those spells of staph, I check him everyday. If a fresh one pops up I attack it. At the same time I do the ones that were there the day before too, until they're gone. It's a constant battle, but it does work. As I'm sitting here thinking about this, I even wonder if a dish soap would work too, like Dawn, or even an antibacterial face soap. I know, I get upset too. I have blamed the grass, the trees everything environmental , the last time I was at the vet for antibiotics for Jack the vet said don't blame the trees, blame it on the breed. He's right.
 
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bulliemommi

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I am about to order some Pyobem now. How often do you put it on the spots? :) Thanks! @Sherry
 
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Sherry

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I am about to order some Pyoderm now. How often do you put it on the spots? :) Thanks! @Sherry

As soon as I find a spot, I attack it. Also any other ones until all of them are dried up, it takes about two weeks chasing spots till they're all gone. But if you let them go until he has two or three fresh spots, they seem to get carried away and spread faster. the sooner you find them the better, I can run through their entire system. Get em quickly. I noticed when Jack starts with them, they start at the belly or just at the hair line of the belly. So I check that area often, almost daily.
If your bully has a different area that they show up first, check that area every day. Keep me posted.
 
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bulliemommi

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Attack it how? Wash it daily? More than once a day? Sorry, just want to do this right. He gets them on his back normally or sides.

[MENTION=1714]Sherry[/MENTION]
 
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linwhite

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If your dog is allergic to alfalfa it may be allergic to lots more grasses and herbs not on the allergy test. Zelda was allergic to the grass in the yard even. the only food I could find without any grasses, herbs or grains has been Tasst of the wild. Flaxseed is a grass. Roasemary is an herb. Most brands contain one, the other or both of them. I stopped having staph problems when I started feeding her Taste and putting ACV in her water.
 

JAKEISGREAT

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I feel your frustration..I don't have any info about Staph..but I do have experience with a diabetic cat. Our George had to have 2 shots a day at the beginning. It's very expensive with all the glucose curves and testing. Just know it gets much better. I was sooo overwhelmed. I hate needles and thought I wouldn't be able to do it. But..in no time at all, it was like second nature. Also..did you cats are the only being that can cure themselves of diabetes? If you control it and are diligent it's very common for their systems to not need insulin anymore. George was almost one of those lucky cats..but he got very I'll and messed up his system. if you have a Costco near you..I found them the cheapest place to get the needles and his insulin. He was on Lantis which is expensive...but works the best on cats. My vet told me this insulin seems to have the best track record of getting cats free of diabetes. Good Luck...you can do this!
 

RiiSi

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So sorry you all have to go through this. I think you should consider home cooking for him or even raw. That is the only way you really know what you're feeding.
 

Sherry

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Attack it how? Wash it daily? More than once a day? Sorry, just want to do this right. He gets them on his back normally or sides.

@Sherry


just the spots, not his entire body. what I mean by attack it , get it early, as soon as one appears small, Jack will let me feel his entire body, the spots are pretty easy to find. You can feel the scab, I peel off the scab and apply the shampoo directly to the skin, wait ten minutes and wipe it off with a damp paper towel.
This way the active ingredients are right on the bare skin. Just once a day. Until they are all gone. You may go months with out any staph. Then the next time one appears, repeat the routine


Also, we found that Jacks staph is seasonal and the vet say's that the older they get the worse it can get at that particular time of year. Which is late summer and fall for us.
We live with trying to clear it up and making them comfortable. My vet and I both agreed we don't want to put Jack on Steroid's it would be our last option.
 
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Sherry

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Attack it how? Wash it daily? More than once a day? Sorry, just want to do this right. He gets them on his back normally or sides.

@Sherry

One important thing I forgot to mention, give Benedryl 25mg per 25 pounds. generic is fine , the pink tabs. you can give them this dose for 2 weeks straight every 6-8 hours, per my bulldog vet.
I prefer twice a day because I do like to see my dogs awake
this will dry them out from the inside out. It's a great med to keep on your shelf at all times.
 

cowsmom

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sherry has you covered for sure but you can also maybe try the duoxo ps shampoo if you cant get what she has suggested from the vet. if he has a breakout maybe bath him twice a week not once. i would also be soaking the paws in the shampoo while bathing as it seems to really help sarah with her redness and itching. maybe try duoxo pads and use those in between the shampoos. you can also buy some hibiclenz at the drug store to use on the spots till you can get something else. i find antifungal powder helps to sooth sarahs paws or you can put some hydrocortisone cream on them to help with itching. well just because the food seems to not have anything they are allergic to does not mean there isnt something else in the food bothering him. could try a bland diet for a few days and see if there is a change. im glad you are going to start using a vitamin and use oil or some kind. you may want to consider a probiotic also. i would look at anything else your feeding such as treats and even the oil you are giving. bullies can be sensitive to lots of things. could be environmental as well.
 
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2BullyMama

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[MENTION=4447]bulliemommi[/MENTION].... [MENTION=1714]Sherry[/MENTION] has you covered. I experienced this with my boy and we kept him on benedryl and you, as you know, find the right food to keep his immune system strong... once it weakens the staph will show up and in come the antibiotics.
 

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