Bumps all over body and red/swollen between toes

[Mochi]

My 1y/o EBT recently started getting bumps all over her body. One bump on her chest that she can reach is now the size of a pencil eraser and looks like a red/swollen bubble- The rest of her torso is just covered in small bumps (not on her belly though)- some are dry and peeling scabs, and others look like little red pimples- (don't seem to be itchy). The vet put her on antibiotics for 2 weeks, along with a shampoo treatment that has cortisone, but it didn't help at all. My dog also has swelling between her toes on her two front paws.

The Vet said pyoderma due to allergies- but he said they could be seasonal or food. He said if she doesn't respond to antibiotics and the shampoo, he wants to do an allergy test- but already warned me that it's very expensive. I've heard that the allergy tests aren't very conclusive and I'm already stretching my budget as it is. Just wanted to know- has anybody seen this? Are there any at home treatments for something like this? This may sound awful, but since she's not scratching at her bumps, if I just waited to see if it's just seasonal allergies, could that make it worse? I'm hoping that it will just clear up, but I don't want to change it if it might cause a secondary infection or something.

 

[mikew012343]

What r u currently feeding , snacks and treats

 

[Mollie's Nana]

Could be a food allergy... if you have your dog on a chicken based kibble, switch to a chicken/grain free kibble. I like Taste of The Wild Pacific Stream, it is a salmon based kibble and is perfect for dogs with food allergies, such as chicken. Who would think dogs would be allergic to chicken, but most grain free kibbles, if they have chicken in them, my dogs didn't do well on. Grain free, but has grain fed chicken in it.

Also, did your vet do a skin scrape for Demodex Mange? If not, have the vet do a skin scrape for Demodex.

What are you cleaning your floors/carpets with? Dogs can have allergies to the chemicals we use to clean our floors. Also, wash your dogs bedding in nothing but warm water and a cup of vinegar, no detergent, no fabric softner, no dryer sheets. That will help if your dog is having a reaction to the detergent you are using for bedding.

Benadryl will help with itchies, give one 25mg pill for ever 25lbs of dog. If your dog weighs 50lbs, you can give 2 Benadryl.

I would switch to a chicken based kibble, use the vinegar only when washing bedding, wipe your dogs feet down when she comes inside from potty time (could be a grass allergy, so don't let your dog lay in the grass, especially fresh cut grass), use a mixture of vinegar and water to clean your floors for the time being, and give it a month to see if there are any changes in the itching.

In the meantime, have your vet do a skin scrape for Demodex. Also, it could be a yeast infection or staph infection, so mention that to your vet to see what he recommends. Let us know what you find out.

 

[aprotopo]

I wonder if this similar to what Sonya and crazybully's Tobi have? I believe we both started zinc supplements to see if that would help. I don't think it's helping Sonya, but I've been giving low doses. Maybe crazybully has more input?

While you're trying to figure it out, hydroxizine twice a day EVERY day keeps Sonya (and me) sane. Otherwise, she has crazy ear infections, skin rashes, bumps, itching, yeasty smelly toes, etc. She still has all of these things on hydroxizine, but at least they're manageable. I tried benedryl and it does absolutely nothing for Sonya. I guess some dogs need something stronger.

 

[catchrcall]

x2 on checking for demodectic mange, also could be a staff infection.

 

[Mochi]

I'm feeding her Wellness- Lamb, Barley and Salmon. I also give her snacks- watermelon, apple, peanut butter... along with her doggie biscuit here and there. I'm worried that it might be a food allergy, so for now I'm going to cut out all snacks except for her food.

I'll definitely try the vinegar for cleaning. I didn't even think that it could be the cleaning products I use around the house! Wow- dogs can be allergic to grass? That would really stink. My dog loves rolling around in the grass. Thanks for all the helpful advice! When I took her to the vet, he did do a scraping of one of the scabs, but all he said was that it was bacterial. He didn't say anything about mange. But then- he also did say that the antibiotics would clear the bumps right up- and they did absolutely nothing!!

For wiping her down after going outside, would you just use water? would unscented baby wipes work?

 

[pookie!]

I know some people use baby wipe, I also know other people who will mix apple cider vinegar with a little water and wipe the dogs feet/belly down. I would use the ACV and water as to not further irritate her skin, who knows what using a baby wipe my do to her skin, might make it worse

 

[catchrcall]

Might be a stupid question depending on where you live, but is there any way she could have gotten into some fire ants? They'll leave a little zit looking bite sometimes, she might have them close to her kennel or doghouse if she's outside much. The apple cider vinegar might help out some, I don't know how it could possibly do any damage anyway so you really have nothing to lose by trying it. If that doesn't work you might try some athlete's foot spray, I get the walmart cheap kind and try it on one area of her bumps and see if that helps.

 

[Mochi]

During the day she's at doggie daycare- I'll check with them about any cleaning chemicals they're using and also about any ants or bugs in general. Other than that though, she's an inside dog. I'm going to start wiping her down with a ACV/water solution- sounds like a great idea and limiting her diet to just her dog food. Hopefully it'll go away....

 

[Mollie's Nana]

My very first dog Sheaba (RIP) was very allergic to grass. She had to have shots and the vet gave her pills to keep it under control. She was also allergic to flea bites. I looked at the vet like he was crazy and said, "how can dogs be allergic to grass and flea bites, it's normal everyday life for every dog?" and he said some dogs are allergic to flea bites and/or grass. Mollie is allergic to grass and if she gets in fresh cut grass, she breaks out in huge welts under her skin. I don't have a picture of her when she had a break out, but she looked like an alien. Here is a pic of dog welts/hives... Mollie's was due to grass allergies, but I do not know what this dog had a reaction to, I just googled dogs broken out in hives/welts.

​

 

[Mochi]

That's just what Mochi's bumps look like! Luckily they don't seem to be itchy for her so I'm starting with the diet change and wiping her down after she goes outside. Hopefully it'll clear up. Did you get the allergy testing done to find out your dog was allergic to grass?

 

[Mollie's Nana]

I didn't have an allergy test done, but the vet said she was allergic to grass.. she has bad allergies anyway, and any time she goes out in fresh cut grass, she breaks out. Give your dog Benadryl, one 25mg pill per each 25 pounds of pup. If your dog weighs 50 pounds, you can give 2 Benadryl pills. That will help with the bumps and with time, they will go away. Mollie's usually take a few hours to go away, but as soon as I notice the bumps, I give her Benadryl.

You can have your dog tested, but seriously, if that's what your pups bumps look like, I would try the Benadryl and see how she does. If that doesn't seem to work, take pictures of the hives, and have your vet take a look at her and be sure to show him the pictures.

 

[Bullful]

Apple cider vinegar is added to drinking water and food for internal use. White vinegar is used for the outside of the body. Mix 50/50 with water before using.
Stop all treatsgive baby carrots or apple slices instead of anything with grains. Also some dogs are very allergic to flax seed oil which is often added to prepared raw food diets and many dog treats.
Had my girl on TOTW Salmon and decided to go to lamb for a change... she started to have symptoms again! Back on Pacific Stream and she has cleared back up.

Good Luck!

 

[BullTerrierMama]

My BT had something very similar about a month ago. He had recently been boarded while we were on vacation, and about 2-3 days after, he started getting a red, bumpy, almost "scaley" looking rash on his pink belly. I kept an eye on him and the next day he was broken out in the bumps you are describing all over his body. They were under his fur and you could only see them at certain angles, and also had that dry, peeling look to them. He never itched once. Took him to the vet, they said it was an allergy (we never did the tests to find out, too expensive) or it could have been something he picked up at the boarding facility. He also loves to roll around in the grass, the vet said he could just be sensitive to it. He gets the belly rash often from the grass, but has never had the hives. We also were told they could have been secondary to an infection. Sure enough his ears were checked and he had a yeast infection in his ears. They put our pup on a medicated shampoo and antibiotics, just like your pup, however they also gave him a short dose of steroids. Maybe it was the combo of the antibiotic and the steriods that worked for my pup? He cleared up within just a few days! I know exactly what you are talking about with your dog's toes. My BT constantly licks his toes and makes them raw. The vet said it's allergies!

 

[pookie!]

Apple cider vinegar is added to drinking water and food for internal use. White vinegar is used for the outside of the body. Mix 50/50 with water before using.
Stop all treatsgive baby carrots or apple slices instead of anything with grains. Also some dogs are very allergic to flax seed oil which is often added to prepared raw food diets and many dog treats.
Had my girl on TOTW Salmon and decided to go to lamb for a change... she started to have symptoms again! Back on Pacific Stream and she has cleared back up.

Good Luck!

I have never heard of using white vinegar for topical use. I have been told (and used) ACV for internal and topical use. I will use ACV on my dog after baths to make sure he wont get yeasty, only the ACV with the mother in it. I only feed it if he gets very yeasty and its very bad, I would never put regular white vinegar on him though. ACV works perfectly.

 

[Bullful]

Perhaps I am missing something. I thought the diet change prevents the yeast problem and the use of vinegar helps clear up the symptoms. We don't see the need to use the vinegar when there are no problems existing. Why would you not use the distilled white vinegar diluted half and half with water, topically?

 

[pookie!]

Perhaps I am missing something. I thought the diet change prevents the yeast problem and the use of vinegar helps clear up the symptoms. We don't see the need to use the vinegar when there are no problems existing. Why would you not use the distilled white vinegar diluted half and half with water, topically?

I put ACV in my dogs food weekly to help prevent the yeast, and if he has yeast on his belly I will wipe him down with ACV/water.
The ACV in the food helps keep your dogs body Ph at the normal level to keep the yeast from coming back if you stop giving the ACV the yeast will come back.
Because the ACV with the mother is better and actually fixes the problems I dont think the regular white vinegar does anything. Something about the ACV with the mother fixes all kinds of problems with humans and dogs. I know if you feed ACV not only does it fix the yeast problems all over the dogs body but if prevents fleas. You can also use the ACV topically to prevent fleas.

 

[Bullful]

So then you continue to give the ACV at all times to limit the reoccurance of the yeast overgrowth. Have you tried to find the cause of the initial yeast problem and irradicate it? Perhaps a simple diet change will stop the yeast problem. To often we treat the symptoms to make them disappear for a while instead of removing the cause.
I can assure you that the distilled white vinegar works great on the coat and is used by many.
With some incidences of postules erupting I will wash with a betadine/water mixture mixed to look like dark tea. It is none staining and I let it dry on the skin.
Seems to work well for me.

 

[pookie!]

The cause of the internal yeast over growth is a Ph imbalance, the ACV puts the Ph back in balance and thats fixes it. You act like ACV is horrible for a dog, when its actually very good in many ways.
He is a blue dog I doubt a "diet change" will do anything. He is already on a good quality kibble and some dogs are more prone to having a Ph imbalance that other regardless of what you feed, I am removing the cause of the problem IMBALANCED PH. Yeast is nothing more, nothing less.
Its not like if he had hives on his body or something.

I have never heard of anyone using the white vinegar. Seems to harsh and to processed to get the full benefit.

 

[Bullful]

Pookie,
I'm a firm believer in ACV and all its benefits. And as I said before, I give it occasionally, when a problem exists. Haven't used it in ages.
The Distilled white vinegar is used on the outside of the body, again, mixed 50/50 with water. And many that show their dogs use it to maintain a great coat. You can use what you please wherever you please. All I was sharing is what I have found to be the most common application of each.