Skin infection

Long time no post and unfortunately not great news, my poor little Mia has a skin infection.

2 little bumps came up right under her chin/chops/muzzle about a week ago, they were slightly raised and red but looked like she could have just hit it on something, anyway they didn't go down and over the weekend a few more came up so we took her to the vet last night and they diagnosed a skin infection.

She's on a course of antibiotics twice a day for 2 weeks, and she has to have fuciderm (spelling?) steriod creme applied twice a day for a week and once a day for a further week, then she's back at the vets for a progess check.

The vet did say it could take 6 - 8 weeks of treatment to clear up however the thing that is worrying me is she said it "may be allergy related" but wasn't too concerned with running any tests and the only advice she gave was to have stainless steel food bowls (which she has anyway and they are washed up after every feed) and possible change her food (she's currently on JWB).

Does anyone have any further advice or can recommend a good food for allergies, god knows what is is she is likely to be allergice too, she's had JWB most of her life so I don't think it's that.

I've taken away her chew toys and washed her bedding, I'm also going to book her in for a much needed bath on saturday!

The other final thing thats worrying me is the vet said she's too young for them to want to put her on cortozone (spelling?) which I have a feeling doesn't sound good, ie could be a long term health thing!

Sorry for long post but any advice much appreciated! Thanks guys!

Cortisone injections would be a last ditch thing for me - that's a powerful steroid. I had to have one in my foot when I had nerve problems, and it isn't nice! Avoid if you can!

Vets always think that skin problems are long term, but that doesn't mean that they always are! Most food allergies are caused either by wheat or a specific protein source (eg, Dempsey is chicken intollerant so I can't give him anything with chicken in, including treats). Does JWB have wheat in it? I don't think it does, but I'd have to check.

You could try a fish based food - I think JWB do one - or go the whole hog & do raw.

A food allergy could be for anything. Suki had alot of issues when she was younger and we took her to a dermatologist to see what she was allergic to. Based off the results of the test we found the food she was best able to cope with.

Their allergies can also change as they age so what they are allergic to now may not be an issue for life. An allergy could also be caused from grass or other object in nature as well as a material or laundry detergent. Really just a matter of ruling things out individually and adjusting to what you find.

I'd avoid cortisone injections as much as possible as too many or too frequent injections can cause long term health issues.

If I were you, I'd wait until the antibiotics have run their course, as it might not be an allergy. If the problem persists, you could try switching gradually to a different food.

If the infection was on her facial area, it may be due to something she's stuck her head into. There are a number of possibilities! It could even be a reaction to insect bites. If I were you, I'd rule out one thing at a time.

I agree that cortisone steroids should be a last resort. Also remember that, should you decide to use them, they can have side effects, with the most common being polyuria and polydipsia. Also, these injections shouldn't be used for very prolonged periods of time, as they have been linked to Cushing's Disease due to increased cortisol production.

>< for your dog!

Thanks for info, much appreciated, I'll definitely be trying to avoid the injections, luckily the vet didnt seem keen on doing them anyway so fingers crossed the ABs clear it up!

I'll see how she goes before I change her food, she's already on the fishy flavour, first ingredient listed is rice however, but it's never been a problem before and I'm loathed to change it incase she gets an upset stomach!