Inter-digital Cysts. . . .

[bulldog family]

Do you wash your carpet with anything?  Could he have an allergy to your carpet/ floor cleaner or laundry detergent?  SOunds to me like allergies because his eyes are red too. If it is something he walks on, allergy medicine won't work until you remove whatever it is he's allergic to . Do you use air freshners.  I have a fiend who's dogs allergies went crazy because of a Glade Plug In.  

 

[bulldog family]

Oh, and could you postpictures? Usually they are in between the pads NOT on the pads.

 

[BabyDuke]

I have Max on Zyrtec daily also....the Benedryl did nothing. He does not go outside at all. The Temps here in North Jersey are just to high right now. So Until the temps come down to 70s, Max has to stay indoors.
I don't want to aggrevate an already bad situation. Yes, the cysts appear to be getting "redder".

HI there.. I do feel for your guy as Duke had these horrible things as well. We went through the cysts a few times along with him getting ear infections and finally went to a vet dermatologist.. I have a few threads on Duke's allergy issues but finally what worked for us was a VERY low dose steriod that we give 1/2 of every other day.. We tried everything with Duke.. anitibiotics, food trials, allergy shots, allergy testing ( both kind) we also were giving the benadryl. Finally we had a one hour consult with the dermatolgist about Duke's quality of life ( constantly being at a vets office or on something ).. he suggested trying the low dose steriod and also switching his food. it has been over a year now.. Not one ear infection, no scratching, cysts have never come back and he is a very happy healthy dog.. we just had him at the vet last week for a stomach bug.. his xrays were " excellent" per the vet and he gets his bloodwork done every 6 months and it has been great..I am only telling you this because I fought tooth and nail because I did not want him on a steriod but I researched til I was blue in the face and I am comfortable with the low dose and he is very comfortable now. I would suggest maybe another opinion to see if you can get these things cleared up.. Hope I didn't confuse things! one last thing .. we had Duke on DVP limited ingredient diet.. about 8 months ago we switched to natures variety instinct as well and Duke's coat is so much better now. ( I see your guy is on that now )

 

[karenben]

start a diary and start elliminating the things he is comming into contact with,perhaps have you considered raw feeding ??then you will know exactly what he is eating,cut out any form of carbs ,do you live near the sea?its just a thought as sea water does great things forcontact allergies,its awful when they have any kind of reaction and very draining trying to find out what it is,karen

 

[BabyDuke]

I agree with all suggestions here but my only concern is he has had these cysts since October with no relief and as others have said.. they could lead to infections and a much bigger problem.. I would not wait and take him to get another opinion.. ( one thing I forgot to mention ) we did the food diary , food trials etc for months and spents so much money.. Finally we got him allergy tested and he was allergic to WOOL who would have ever thought?? We had wool blankets all over the place. just eliminating them helped a ton..

if I had to do it over again I would have had him allergy tested much sooner.. rather than put him through all the infections, cysts and being uncomfortable..
once we finally took Duke to the dermatologist he was on a good program and began to feel so much better within weeks. I am not sure what part of Jersey you are from but we took Duke to the Matthew J Ryan vet hospital and the dermatologist there is Dr. Dan Morris.. he is amazing..

 

[cowsmom]

i do agree with [MENTION=2091]BabyDuke[/MENTION] i would have sarah allergy tested a long time ago and saved myself alot of grief and aggrevation as to what she is allergic to. im thinking some antibiotics maybe needed to clear this up. but you said you were going back to vet so i let it go at that and if you dont like what they say id get another vet. i hope maximus feels better soon. i know how frustrating it is.

 

[Maximus]

Well, I wish I could report that the Interdigital cyst problem was resolved .... but it just is not. Max is still having red, puffy, swollen cysts between his toes. The front paws are worse than the back paws - and he obviously is bothered by them since he is now licking his paws (especially the front Left paw) alot. I clean the area with Mal-a-Ket wipes or Duoxo wipes, and I also purchased a jug of Chlorhexidine solution (which I use on his tail pocket), but also clean his paws with the diluted solution. I don't know of any kind of Paw spray, which was referenced earlier, but if anyone knows of any let me know.

As for the Epsom Salts soaks -- how much and how long does he have to Soak in the tub ???

Thanks to all.

- PATRICK

 

[BabyDuke]

I used to soak Dukes paws for about ten minutes then dry really well. I would make almost a paste in my hand and rub it in between .. feel bad for your guy
Duke would get these often until we finally took him to the dermatologist.. he is allergic to wool, so out went the blankets .. he also is on a regimin designed by his vet that has really helped.. good Luck to you

 

[2BullyMama]

As for the Epsom Salts soaks -- how much and how long does he have to Soak in the tub ???Thanks to all.- PATRICK

Warm water, enough to cover the paw... read the bag for amount, but I usually do a full cup. Let soak for about 5 - 10 mins and then dry really good.

Have you gotten a full screen blood allergy test done? It will really eliminate a lot of the questions.

 

[Davidh]

Our Lucy used to get them until we switched her food to FROMM and she has not not had one since.

 

[BabyDuke]

just realized you are in NJ we go to Dr. Dan Morris at the Penn Vet hospital.. ( he is awesome and came highly recommended) we had both allergy test done and they were not nearly as expensive as I thought they would be.. We paid around $300 for both.. AND he works with bulldogs.. he had two techs help them so they don't have to be put to sleep.. Duke LOVES him..

http://www.vet.upenn.edu/FacultyandDepartments/Faculty/tabid/362/Default.aspx?faculty_id=6427802

 

[kazzy220]

I know you've been having a lot of problems with Maximus ... did you get an allergy test done?

 

[Maximus]

Hi,
Thanks for all the input. No, I haven't had allergy testing done right now because I am unemployed and finances are at a real minimum, so that will have to wait.
As for diet - Maximus is on a Raw Diet - INSTINCT RAW FROZEN medallions. And he loves it. He is also on the INSTINCT LID dry kibble. Potatoes were the culprit
for Max, so I had to eliminate all dog foods that had any potatoes.

Ok, I will do the Epsom Salt soaks. I Hope I have the strength to carry him up the stairs -- he is 72-lbs. He doesn't do stairs!

Thanks everyone, I'll keep you posted .

- PATRICK

 

[2BullyMama]

Hi, Thanks for all the input. No, I haven't had allergy testing done right now because I am unemployed and finances are at a real minimum, so that will have to wait.
As for diet - Maximus is on a Raw Diet - INSTINCT RAW FROZEN medallions. And he loves it. He is also on the INSTINCT LID dry kibble. Potatoes were the culprit
for Max, so I had to eliminate all dog foods that had any potatoes. Ok, I will do the Epsom Salt soaks. I Hope I have the strength to carry him up the stairs -- he is 72-lbs. He doesn't do stairs! Thanks

[MENTION=701]Maximus[/MENTION]... you do not have to do this in a tub... do you have a dish pan or a small container that can cover two paws at once? That is what we do, I bought a dish pan that we use just for this for just the reason you state... carrying 60lbs up a flight of stairs is tough on the back. Also, are you by chance feeding chicken? It tends to be a allergen with bullies --my Banks is highly allergic.

Sorry about your loss of employment -- I hope you are able to find something soon.

 

[Maximus]

Hi -
Thank you for all of your support and suggestions. I have actually tried the dish pan thing, on the kitchen floor, but it is a tile floor, and Max (and the dish pan) went whoooooooshing across the floor and saturated the floor with water all over the place. So, I figured the best place for this treatment was the bathtub.

As for food, No, Maximus does not get Chicken. He is on INSTINCT RAW FROZEN DIET - and I alternate between BISON and VENISON formula, and the dry kibble I give him is INSTINCT LID DIET, Lamb Meal.

Again, Thank you for your kind words of support and concern ....

- PATRICK