Please Help! - Ollie has a weird rash

[Eva Markiewicz]

Please help - Ollie has a weird rash.  It looks like brown splotches and seems to be getting worse :(  Should I be worried?  Should I take him to the vet?  He's acting normally, although he seems to lick the area a lot - just not sure if it's more than usual - he always licks that area a lot.

Has anyone else had these problems?  It got worse very suddenly - just in the past couple of days.  I think he may have picked it up at the vet, which is the most ironic part of all :(  This feels so unfair!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BG and Gavin]

Looks like fleas excretement.  Wet a paper towel and run it across the brown spots and then check the paper towel.  If is a reddish brown it is flea dirt.

[Eva Markiewicz]

Thanks - I will try that.  The brown spots are pretty large - about the size of a dime and one is the size of a quarter...does that still match the flea excrement description?

[Carol and Banjo]

Banjo had the exact same thing in his groin area a couple of months ago.    I took him to the vet and she used peroxide on cotton balls and gently wipe the brownish/black stuff away....it actually almost left raw spots.  She really had to kind of scrub the stuff off.  She gave us medicated pads the name of them is PhytoVet CK Wipes and told us to clean the area a couple of times a day with the wipes.   I was told it's a yeast type of growth and it's important to keep that area dry.    It all cleared up within 4-5 days.   I was concerned about the raw spots but they healed up nicely.    I was very careful to keeep Banjo away from long wet grassy areas and anywhere his underside might get damp.     The wipes are available online and at your vet's office......maybe even at PetSmart.    Hope this helps.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Wow that is spread all over, hope it's the yeast listed below and not fleas! Keep us posted!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I'd have the vet look at this and I never say that lightly, I just don't know what it is. This is his belly? Let us know what happens.

[Colleen, Jake & Baxter]

Eva

It's hard to tell in the picture but it could be hot spots.  I know another trip to the vet is not something you perhaps want to hear but this is considered a bacterial infection and as you mentioned can get pretty large in a short amount of time.  My Jake has been through this before and I do know alot about vet bills :o(  but he's worth it and more :o).

There is lots of information about hot spots on this site!

 

[Carol and Banjo]

Ohhhh.....I said yeast.....I'm sorry!    It is bacterial!    The pads did work for us.

[Eva Markiewicz]

Thanks guys - we took a wet paper towel last night, but nothing came off.  But we didn't rub very hard.  We're going to try again today.  I guess if it doesn't look like it can come off then I'll take him to the vet. 

I'd be surprised if its fleas - no other sign of them and we give him revolution regularly...but who knows!  I gave him his revolution last night just in case, since it had been about four weeks.

I have insurance for him, so I'm not worried about the vet bills - I'm just irritated because I took him in for a follow-up appt for an ear infection (lot of fun playing in the water this summer) and the timing with the appearance of his rash is highly suspect.  Don't they sanitize between each patient?  For a $70 office visit you think they would take the 5 min to wipe down the floor.

I also feel that he has gone through so many rounds of antibiotics - it just can't be good for him.  I'm really hoping it's yeast or fleas.  

Thank you everyone for getting back to me! =) I really appreciate it.  I wasn't worried until last night when it looked like the rash had doubled in area.  I'll let you guys know how it goes.

Also, check out these photos of Ollie in Tahoe: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100717898786883.2938580....

 

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I would take him in - he is probably very uncomfortable. Keep us posted!

[Eva Markiewicz]

Actually it looks like it is slowly coming off with multiple scrubbings using mild peroxide and paper towel.  Thanks everyone!

[Carol Brand]

Are these spots crusty and rough or are they plain red/purple/brown spots on the skin?   If they are plain spots, it may be bruising and any bruising can be the first sign of Thrombocytopenia, a life threatening condition.  Below is a picture of a Poodle who had Thromobcytopenia.  His owner originally thought that the groomer had clipper burned him.  

 

[Eva Markiewicz]

Hi Carol, fortunately they're very brownish and not at all purple.  =)  That's a relief.

 

They came off completely with a little scrubbing - last night we barely touched the area at all, so this morning we were a little more brave and it came right off.  I think even just putting some mild hydrogen peroxide on them helped them dry up a little and start falling off by themselves - after seeing this - it made it clear that with a little rubbing it came right off.  I'll put another photo up soon to show you all the results.

 

I will keep an eye out for Thromobcytopenia, however - thanks for sharing the image and info on it.