How to treat dog skin infection when antibiotics cause stomach upset?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It sounds as though Pachu is not tolerating the antibiotics. I would contact the veterinarian to discuss other options for treating the skin infection. If the skin infection is not bad, then the use of oral antibiotics may not be needed. I always try to treat mild skin infections with topical therapy alone and get very good success in doing so. If Pachu is dehydrated from the vomiting / diarrhea he may need hydration therapy to help with that. I hope this helps!

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.

Hello. In such a young dog, I am not necessarily concerned about an internal issue such as a metabolic disease or cancer, but more so a still maturing immune system. This might just be a simple issue of boosting immunity, especially gut immunity with added probiotics. Gut-associated lymphoid tissue ( GALT ) has been getting more attention lately, both in animals & people to improve overall health. Adding a probiotic like Fortiflora may be a great idea. And to reduce skin bacteria, bathing Remy in an antibacterial shampoo, one with 4% chlorhexidine once or twice a week is recommended. It goes against convention to bathe a dog this frequently, but it is sometimes needed & it definitely cuts back on the need for oral antibiotics. Try this for a couple of months & see if the lesions stop. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor girl. This is what appears to be a skin allergy which can be to something in the environment or something in her food. The top food allergens are chicken, turkey, beef or lamb. I would suggest a prescription diet which is controlled and proven effective for food allergies. My top picks are Royal Canin Ultamino, Royal Canin skin support, or Hill’s Z/D ultra. California natural by Natura can also be tried without a prescription card. Here is a website link with more info on food trials in pets to rule out a food allergy. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2499 For immediate relief I would recommend a topical shampoo (Duoxo calm shampoo) and allergy medicine (ie Apoquel) from your local vet. It can take anywhere from 6-12 months on average for allergy shots to start becoming effective in pets and usually around 75% of pets respond to these. I hope this helps and best of luck getting Simba relief from her allergies. Take care.

This could be due to a fungal infection, resistant bacterial infection, zinc responsive dermatitis, an autoimmune disease, seborrhetic dermatitis or even allergies. Sometimes a shampoo that is meant for doggy dandruff (seborrhea) is helpful as well as omega 3 fatty acids. Depending on the cause an antifungal may be needed as well as sometimes steroids. Some of these possible causes require a biopsy to diagnose, others a fungal culture and others are based on eliminating every other cause. I recommend discussing these potential causes with your veterinarian in order to get Ari's skin better managed.

I actually recommend taking Atlas back to the veterinarian. I would recommend oral antibiotics and a shampoo that you lather and let sit on his skin. Unfortunately, antibiotics are prescription, so your veterinarian has to prescribe it. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Those spots on Jimmy could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with a oral medication like Simparica. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they are unlikely to address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Jimmy wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.