Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

Why isn't my dog's fungal or bacterial skin infection healing?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | 5 years and 1 month old | 25 lbs

My dog is having skin disease. I have given many drugs recommend by vet but its not giving me postive results.He told me its a kind of fungal or bacterial infection.Please suggest me any good drug by which my pet get relief!

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Published on December 31st, 2019

You will first need to determine the type of infection. A recheck with your veterinarian would be recommended. Samples can be submitted for fungal culture as well as for bacterial culture and sensitivity. If it is a fungal infection, your vet can dispense an antifungal. Some of these infections can take weeks t months to resolve. If it is a bacterial infection, the sensitivity panel should determine the most effective antibiotic to use in treatment.
Allergies should also be ruled out as an underlying cause. They can be frustrating to diagnose since they have multiple causes (food, environmental, parasites). Discuss allergy testing, food elimination trials, hydrolyzed diets and antihistamine use with your veterinarian.
Legally, we are prohibited from recommending a medication in the absence of a physical exam. Any prescription medications will need to come from your vet.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Laura Johnson VMD
Veterinarian
Published on June 12th, 2018
Hi, thanks for using PetCoach!

I treat bacterial skin infections with oral antibiotics, medicated baths that get bacteria (miconazole just gets yeast) and since this is chronic I would recommend a prescription novel protein or hydrolyzed diet to rule out food allergies as the cause. I would also start an oral antihistamine and Omega 3 fish oils. I tell my clients with chronic allergies to expect to be on apoquel, a special diet, an antihisamine and Omega 3 fish oils for the rest of the pets life. If there is a pustule (white head) the Vet can culture that to be sure that the correct antibiotic is chosen. It takes 3 weeks or longer to clear a bacterial skin infection with the correct antibiotic, this requires you to follow up with your vet to be sure the infection is 100% gone before the antibiotic is stopped. The links below are some recommendations for products. I also like Nordic Naturals as an Omega 3 option

I wish Lola Blue the best!

https://www.vrshealth.com/canine-products/omegadog/
https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27306
https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/zyrtec/
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Health & Wellness

Why isn't my dog's fungal skin infection going away with shampoo?

Hello, It would be helpful to know what your veterinarian recommended for the next step of Bella's treatment at her recheck. Fungal infections that are not responding to topical treatment often require a course of oral medications. Skin is the largest organ in the body, so it takes the longest to respond to infection treatments. Many skin infections require a full 6-8 weeks of treatment. Skin infections can also be complicated by allergies, underlying endocrine disease, or associated immune mediated or dermatological disease. This means sometimes an underlying problem may need to be addressed to fully resolve the skin issue. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog's severe skin infection won't heal with vet meds; what now?

Oh my. Poor guy. This infection is severe. I would have cultures taken of this skin immediately if the broad spectrum antibiotics that your vet gave aren't working. I would also consider getting biopsies of this thing. The area may need surgical debridement as well, because there is some diseased and necrotic (dead) tissue there that will prevent this from healing well if it isn't removed. I am so sorry your pet has such an aggressive skin condition. This certainly will need further medical management from your vet for sure. With the suggestions above, you should be able to get a better handle on this thing. Best of luck and take care!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog's paw infection isn't healing. Is it bacterial or fungal?

Usually a veterinarian would perform a cytology to distinguish between a bacterial and fungal skin infection - they would take a sample on a microscope slide and examine for organisms. It's also possible that Bini has a resistant bacterial infection, or she might have another underlying disease process like an autoimmune disorder contributing to her symptoms. In your picture her foot does not appear classic for a fungal infection. You may want to follow up with your vet to discuss further testing and treatment.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Why do my dog's recurring skin infections spread when he licks?

Your dog likely has underlying allergies and typically 2 weeks of antibiotics is not long enough to treat a skin infection. Most require 4-6 weeks. The problem is that if you don't resolve the cause of infection, it will always come back. I would consider trialing a hypoallergenic diet. Make sure he is on flea medication every month and consider allergy testing. Licking creates moisture and damages the skin. This creates an ideal environment for bacteria and yeast to grow, So as long as he is licking, his skin won't heal.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog's skin infection isn't healing after ivermectin. What now?

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection. First of all, you will need to ask the vet to perform a skin scrape (or similar test) - this might reveal an infection. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Why isn't my dog's oozing leg infection healing with ointment?

I am sorry to hear about your dog. If this is not improving with topical medication he may need to be switched to oral/systemic medications as the problem may be deeper under the skin than topical meds can penetrate. I would let your vet know he is not improving. Occasionally we may need to do testing such as cultures or biopsy in some cases that don’t improve with traditional treatments.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Is my dog's skin infected? Antibiotics, cream, or vet? How long?

Hello. It appears that Bruno has a pretty significant & chronic inflammatory reaction going on in his skin. I would suspect that this may require oral medications rather than topical ointments or creams, but knowing how long this might take to clear up really depends on the underlying cause. If he has a bacterial infection, treatment can last 6-8 weeks, a fungal infection, 2-4 months, & if this is due to an allergic reaction, unless you pursue a desensitization protocol, treatment is lifelong. It is best to have your veterinarian examine Bruno to determine the best course of action. If your vet is unable to help, ask for a referral to a veterinary dermatologist. Hopefully with time, Bruno will go great. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share