Red Pimplelike Bumps

[Courtney Hagenbuch]

I have a 1.5 year old goldendoodle. She battled with ear infections  for the first year of her life, and after months of "eliminating" foods, we  finally elimated chicken and her ear infections vanished!! I was so relieved!  Now, she has developed these red, puss-filled, pimplelike bumps all over her  body, and they seem to itch her. I took her to vet, and they said it was some  kind of allergy or irritation, so they gave her an antibiotic and a steroid  shot. That dried up all the bumps, but as soon as the medicine was out of her  system the bumps came back. Has anyone had a doodle with these symptoms? Is it worth getting a skin test? Also, has anyone ever had their dog on an antihistamine allergy medicine? Is there anything I can give her that would help?

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm linking the FG discussion here so we don't get too many duplicate responses: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/red-pim...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Antihistamines like Claritin and Zyrtec can help the itching, especially when used with fish oil or evening primrose oil supplements. Lots of people here use these for itchiness. But it would be best if you could determine the cause. Did the vet do any kind of skin scraping? 

[Courtney Hagenbuch]

No, they haven't done a skin scraping. Should I request that the vet do one?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm not sure that it would show anything at this point, but it's always a good idea to rule out certain things before giving steroids or other medications. I'm wondering how the vet knows there is an infection present, and if there isn't, why give antibiotics? 

[Courtney Hagenbuch]

The bumps were full of puss, (they looked just like pimples) so the vet said they were infected.

[Courtney Hagenbuch]

I don't know if this will help or not, but here are a few pics of what the bumps looked like - it's hard to see in the pics but they has little white heads.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I haven't seen that kind of thing from Atopic Dermatitis before. What part of her body are they on? 

[Courtney Hagenbuch]

They were mostly on her belly and chest, but there were some all over her body. Since she is a doodle and very furry, I only knew the bumps were there if I searched for them. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I found this article that sounds like it might be the problem. A contact dermatitis: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1587&aid=508

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Or pyoderma: http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/ani...

[Courtney Hagenbuch]

This looks like it might be what she has; I guess the antibiotics weren't strong enough or taken long enough since they came back? I'm going to take her back to the vet, but at least I know what to ask the doctor now:) Thank you!!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Honestly, I think this might be a good reason to consult a dermatologist, to be sure you get the most effective diagnosis and treatment. A GP vet just doesn;t have the experience with various skin condition and diseases as a specialist does. Pyoderma can also be secondary to environmental allergies, as mentioned in the article. 

I know a doodle owner whose regular vet has been treating her dog for what he felt were allergies. After many food changes and drugs, with no improvement, she finally consulted a specialist, fully prepared to have skin testing done. The specialist examined the dog, and based on what she saw, took 5 biopsies instead. She also prescribed two new meds that the GP vet had never suggested. They are waiting for results, but it looks like her dog may have a condition called malassezia, which the GP vet never even mentioned.