A semi sluggy Doodle

[Heather & Brinkley]

Brinkley had been doing well with itching for quite some time until a week and half ago. While I still think he has allergies, this current round of itching was due to an infection that he's had before-- bacterial, I believe, but I always get bacterial and viral confused. This is one that can be treated with antibiotics, which he's been on. His paws get raw first which is how I know it's an infection and not allergies-- it always shows up there first when he has an infection. They also put him on something else for itchy skin due to allergies, which I did not like how he reacted so we took him off-- plus that wouldn't fix the allergies-- it would just cover it up. I have asked for a referral to an allergist for that part. When he first took the allergy meds (for two days before my vet and I took him off) he had terrible diarrhea and he just wasn't himself-- sluggy and out if it. I can't really explain it but he wasn't acting right and his back legs were not moving correctly, almost like he had partial temporary paralysis. Since then, he's been off-- he's normally very hyper. He still gets bursts of wanting to play but they don't last as long as they did. He refuses to eat his regular food. All he will eat is boiled chicken. And he's sleeping a lot more than normal. He's normally very hyper but he's been a lot more docile this past week. Also, he went 3 1/2 days without a bowel movement. We gave him pumpkin and that helped-- his bowel movements aren't as large or as frequent but they are happening. He is still on his antibiotics and I've started him on probiotics.

I'm at a loss. He's isn't showing the same signs as he does when he panceratitis. I'm at a loss. I'm calling the vet again tomorrow, who I've been in touch with every few days.

Here's the med info:

He's currently on Cephalexin 1000mg twice a day with food-
.
The other one he took for two days was Hydroxyzine- 50mg twice a day.

Thoughts?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think that skin scrapings will show if there is an infection. They look at the epithelial cells, if I remember correctly.  It's been so long since JD had an infection from his allergies, I don't even remember. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Raw paws could easily become infected but how and if the vet determined this I don't know. I guess you'd really have to see some pus or something since paws are normally covered in bacteria.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I looked at one of JD's old dermatology invoices from a scraping, and they use a Tzanck preparation, if that tells you anything. 

She always scrapes onto a slide and then goes in back to look at the slides under a microscope. He's never had visible pus on his feet. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

That Tzanck test is mostly looking for viral lesions and for Pemphigus. Did JD have blisters?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

No. But I looked up the Tzanck test last night and it seems maybe that it's used for different things in dogs than in humans? In humans, I found a lot about herpes, lol.

Or maybe used to rule things out? 

[Heather & Brinkley]

Yeah they did a scape and tested it and it came up positive.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Got it, thanks! 

[Lynda Kamrath]

So sorry to hear about all of this.  It is as big of a problem for us as it is for the dogs when one of our babies is sick.  I am no vet, but it sounds like you are doing everything possible for him.  Keep at it.  My dog had liver failure for several years so I have some experience with sick dogs, but not this kind of problem.  When my guy was sick he would only eat routisserie (sp?) chicken.  He could never resist that.