My husky's itchy foot infection returns after antibiotics. What to do?

Oh my, poor Storm! His skin certainly looks irritated and uncomfortable. Since his skin lesions have not responded to several different antibiotics, either this is unlikely to be a bacterial driven skin infection or it is a highly antibiotic resistant infection. Consider asking your vet if diagnostic testing has been performed to rule out contagious causes of hair loss, itching and scaling, such as ringworm or mange. If these possibilities have been ruled out, bigger concerns at this time would be a zinc-responsive dermatosis (most prevalent in Siberian Huskies), immune system skin disorders (such as pemphigus foliaceous), or cutaneous lymphoma. Consider discussing either a skin biopsy with Storm's vet or referral to a veterinary dermatologist as some of the next diagnostic steps. I hope this helps and that he is on the mend soon!

Poor girl. I do feel that culturing this area would be best, that way we know what antibiotic is needed to rid the bacteria present for sure. Especially after being on the same antibiotic for 28 days already. Re-infection of an area is also likely if the pet continues to lick at it. Therefore, if the infection is completely gone, you have to then treat the pets itch. If we are licking our feet due to allergies, then the underlying allergy should be addressed by keeping her on allergy medication. Discuss with your vet about the options of either Cytopoint injections or Apoquel to help manage her allergies. Also soaking her paws in Chlorhexidine solution 3% diluted 1:10 with water daily can help soothe her paws and remove any allergens she picks up on her feet from outside. Chlorhexidine wipes can also be purchase and used to help with this. In the meantime, I would opt to go with a stronger antibiotic prescribed by your vet, perhaps Simplicef should be tried, until you can decide on further testing/treatment. I would also highly recommend having Bini tested for thyroid disease, which can cause chronic skin infections, lethargy and weight gain in dogs. I hope that this helps and best of luck with your pet Bini and her apparent allergies. Take care! : )

It looks like it could be an infected interdigital cyst, and if it’s happening in the same place it could be a resistant bacteria. There also might be foreign material like a stick in the area, or it could even be an infected tumor. Tabby might need a culture, or she might need to have this lesion removed. You may need to travel to see a different veterinarian if you feel like you’re not getting the care Tabby needs.

Oh goodness! That does look uncomfortable! It could be just infection, but if it keeps returning then I agree there could likely be an underlying problem such as thyroid disorder, zinc deficiency, pemphigus, or lupus. If I were in charge of his care I would check a thyroid panel and if that came back normal then I would do straight to a skin biopsy. This is the fastest route to a diagnosis. Best of luck and I hope you find an answer and a resolution soon! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Its possible this is a skin infection versus the typical lesions Pheobe gets with her allergies. It could be related to her allergies (they can get worse over time) but they can also be more common in thick coated breeds like huskies. I recommend to call your veterinarian. They may want to examine her again or they may recommend a medicated shampoo or other topical therapy. Then again, since she has thick hair, they may also recommend systemic medications. Ask your vet about any additional supplements, diet changes or antihistamines which may also help. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Shake! Itchy skin can be very difficult to figure out the underlying cause and can be really tough to manage, so I understand your frustration. I would discuss a plan with the vet you feel most comfortable with for long term management of Shake's skin. Most dogs that have underlying allergies are managed, not cured. I would also plan to do recheck appointments to make sure he is improving and you are seeing results. You may want to consider taking Shake to a veterinary dermatologist, if one is available in your area, as they are specialists and only deal with skin issues. First and foremost, I would make sure that Shake is on good flea and tick control to make sure that is not contributing to his itching. Many dogs that have underlying allergies that will often have severe allergies to flea bites as well. Although it is difficult to see what is going on by the pictures alone, I do suspect he has a secondary infection from chewing/itching, that may need to be addressed with oral medication. I would also recommend having the vet do skin scrapes on him to look for mites if this was not done already, and possibly put him on mite treatment just to rule it out as a possibility. Many dogs with itchy skin need multi-modal therapy, including medicated shampoo, omega 3 fatty acids, and oral antibiotics and/or antifungal medication to get itchy skin under control. There are some medications available through your vet for allergic dogs that may help, such as apoquel or atopica. The most important thing to do is follow up with the vet or discuss referral to a veterinary dermatologist to make sure adjustments don't need to be made in the treatment plan.