My dog's skin problem won't heal despite antibiotics. Is it yeast?

It looks like Gizmo has pyoderma/a bacterial skin infection characterized by scaly red collarettes and papules. The typical treatment is a 10 day course of an antibiotic called Simplicef (cefpodoxime), a medicated antibacterial/anti-fungal shampoo such as Malaseb (available on petco.com or chewy.com or at your vet’s) and a topical antibiotic/steroid ointment such as Dermavet or an antibiotic/steroid powder such as Neopredef with tetracaine. You always have an option of seeing another veterinarian if you are not comfortable going back to your current vet for a recheck. Good luck!

Unfortunately, we are legally prohibited from recommending such a medication in the absence of a physical exam and a VPCR (Veterinarian-Patient-Client relationship). If current therapy has not helped, consider a recheck with your veterinarian. A biopsy of the area or consult with a veterinary dermatologist may be recommended.

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.

Hi, thank you for using PetCoach. Skin issues can certainly be frustrating. If Mocha isn't responding to the therapy her vet prescribed, please contact them to discuss next steps. It is impossible to diagnose a skin condition from photos alone. Her vet may recommend doing cytology, fungal culture and/or skin scrapes to determine the cause of her infection. In some cases referral to a veterinary dermatologist may be recommended for difficult cases. Sometimes there is underlying endocrine disease or allergies that may require bloodwork to diagnose. In the meantime, a diet for sensitive skin is always a good idea for dogs with recurrent skin infection. I really like Purina ProPlan Salmon for dogs with skin problems. VIP-_-58700003318233982&kwid=p30226684098&device=c&gclid=CKDNtaClntoCFcu0fgodJBgN9A&gclsrc=ds Many times your vet may recommend a medicated shampoo to help with skin infections. I would check with Mocha's vet to see what they recommend based on her condition. Some shampoos can be more irritating than helpful. Though ketohex is usually useful for bacterial and fungal infections https://www.amazon.com/Vet-One-313985007705-Ketohex-Shampoo/product-reviews/B00WAP0M1U/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_199_tr_cr_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1W04Q4164W15DCWTM9HE Good luck, I hope Mocha improves soon.

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!

This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat Rufus with a high quality flea treatment (e.g. advantage), then get him to the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try discovering the cause of the allergy. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). simultaneously you should start him on a prescription hypoallergenic diet for at least 2 months. Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider putting him on a long term allergy treatment (Atopica or Apoquel).

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!