My dog's pyoderma keeps coming back. What could be causing it?

In most cases these skin infections, called bacterial pyoderma, are allergy-related. The antibiotics will help, but as you've experienced the skin problems will come back if the primary allergic disease isn't controlled. The hydroxyzine Becher took was an antihistamine, and that may have helped control the itchiness, however it sounds to me that he needs something a bit stronger to control the allergies and thus the skin infections. Talk to your vet about using Apoquel or Atopica on him; these are great drugs with minimal side effects that really help allergic dogs.

Deep pyoderma is a bacterial infection which involves the deeper parts/layers of the skin. Usually Gram positive type of bacterial are involved (streptococcus and staphylococcus), but other type of infections are possible.

I would agree that it appears their is an infection on the skin, but I could not say for sure if this is a Staph infection. These are somewhat common to the skin, but without a culture of the affected region we are truly just taking a best guess. If the condition seemed to resolve and is now coming back, the course of antibiotics that was utilized may have been successful but too short. Recommencing the antibiotics should be discussed with the veterinarian. I would also see about getting her on medication for the itchiness, as well as fitting her with a collar to prevent any self-mutilation. Another possibility is that we are simply dealing with a superficial puppy pyoderma. This is a fancy way of saying simply puppy skin irritation. Many times these can be annoying but will eventually resolve on their own as the dog gets older. Since you are seeing erupting lesions, I tend to lean more towards a true, treatable infectious process. Lastly, I would definitely stop using hydrogen peroxide. Although it may have antiseptic properties, this can actually delay healing in some cases. If you want to scrub the area, I would use something like dilute betadine or chlorhexidine solution. Hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. What year did scribing sounds like a bacterial skin infection. It sounds like it had done okay on the prescribed course of treatment. Unfortunately, sometimes infections may require several courses of antibiotics or several different antibiotics before an adequate response is achieved. I would suggest going back in to see your veterinarian who initially prescribed the antibiotics and shampoo. The shampoo that I'm most recommend is duoxo chlorhexidine PS combination and bathe twice weekly until the infection is resolved. You can find this shampoo online if you're vet does not carry it. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available by phone or text baste consultation if needed.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Thanks for the pictures. It appears as though Sparky may have a bacterial skin infection, or puppy pyoderma. A lot of times puppy pyoderma resolves on it's own. If it gets worse than this I would recommend taking Sparky to the Vet to be evaluated and prescribed oral antibiotics. You can try a medicated shampoo: bath every 2-3 days and allow the lather to sit on the affected skin for 10 mins before rinsing. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27306 I hope this helps and I wish Sparky the best!

Skin lesions can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. Logan may indeed have pyoderma, but further testing is needed to help determine if this is the case. Make note of if there is a seasonal recurrence of the lesions, as environmental allergies often cause recurring irritation. I recommend making an appointment to have Logan seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the red areas you’ve noticed and to make sure they are treated appropriately. The vet may want to look at a sample from the area under the microscope to determine if there is an infection and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment.

The fastest way to recovery is to apply the oral medication and sprays just exactly as your veterinarian prescribed. This will take time. The skin needs to heal, there is no way to speed it up beyond the body's ability to heal.