My dog has Cushing's and spreading skin lesions. What treatment?

Dogs with Cushings are more likely to develop skin infections, and it is possible that these crusty lesions are from a bacterial or fungal skin infection. Dogs with allergies can develop similar skin issues. I'd recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian to have Bruiser's skin evaluated and discuss what treatments might be recommended: sometimes shampoos or sprays can help and other times oral medications are necessary.

I am sorry Rylee has not been feeling well. I am unsure by the picture if Rylee is having a drug reaction. Cushings disease is when the body over produces cortisol which is a steroid. Once cushings is being treated a lot of dogs will start to have underlying skin issues due to allergies. The cortisol/steroid being produced by the body will decrease or hide skin allergies. I would recommend taking Rylee to the vet to determine if maybe this is why the skin has changed. It is possible a course of antibiotics or topical shampoos will help with the skin./ I hope this helps and Rylee feels better!

I'm sorry to hear that Cookie is having this problem. From your pictures, it looks like the center of the area is a little raw, but crusted over and the entire area looks a little red. Unfortunately, dogs with Cushing's disease have a suppressed immune system, so they have a harder time healing and are more likely to develop infections. For that reason, I would have Cookie evaluated by your veterinarian before that area get infected. I think you will have a very hard time getting it to heal by itself without some professional help and medication. If the area in the center is oozing, I would have it evaluated sooner rather than later. Please let me know if that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm so sorry that Polly is dealing with so many problems. That can certainly be a challenge. As I'm sure you know, dogs with Cushing's disease are prone to developing secondary bacterial skin infections. If Polly was just started on the Cephalen (which I am presuming is a cephalosporin antibiotic), I would give it a chance to work and just continue with your current topical therapy. If however, she has been on it for more than a week, I would contact your veterinarian about the possibility of changing oral antibiotics. At that time, you can also discuss other topical antibiotics with your veterinarian. One of the most common used here is topical Chlorhexidene which comes in shampoo, spray and wipe formulations. Good luck to you and Polly! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Freckles appears to have secondary skin infections, you could consider medicated shampoos containing chlorhexidine. This is generally good in these type of scenarios. Fish oil is a supplement that may also prove beneficial. Good luck!

One of the things that Cushing's disease affects is the normal metabolism of hair follicles. Normally hair follicles "turn over" or produce hair quickly enough that we don't see areas of hair loss even though dogs (and us) lose hair daily. When a dog has Cushing's disease, the hair follicles are not regrowing hair as quickly as possible. (And often they do not shed the hairs normally.) Cushing's disease also affects their immune system, so it is more likely that dogs will get overgrowth of normal yeast and bacteria that can invade the hair follicles and cause the hair to fall out. So, what I would suspect occurred is that Buttercup had an area of hair where the hair follicles had a yeast or bacterial overgowth that invaded the hair follicles. Instead of shedding normally, those hairs stayed in place and allowed the bacterial/yeast overgrowth to spread until the hairs were mechanically removed with a brush. And since her hair follicles were not regrowing hair normally, the area is now bald. If there is any crusting, itching or redness that develops, I would certainly have your vet examine Buttercup. Otherwise, i would recommend regular bathing and brushing to remove dead undercoat and prevent future skin problems. It will take time, but fur should regrow in that area as long as the skin there is healthy. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Cushings can definitely cause changes to the skin such as symmetric hair loss and black/dirty patches or other color changes. If home care hasn't helped such as the wipes or adhering to diet, it would be a good idea to bring Trixy into your vet for a full exam and bloodwork to see if her condition has progressed and requires additional treatment.