LGD staff infection (gross pics)

[Amy Sylling]

Came home from work this morning and saw my dog was missing a lot of hair on her left thigh. It was red and oozing. Took her straight to the vet. He said that it was caused by irritation from a stick in her hair and because of the heat it turned nasty. He called it a "hot spot" aka staff infection that attacks the skin at an extremely rapid pace. We caught it early but it is still very serious. It looks like the same irritation she had on her foot but that cleared up when the hot temperatures subsided. He said she needs to be kept in the AC for 2 weeks. She's going to go crazy. I put her in the basement and tied her to a post. We aren't ever down there. The poor thing has to wear the cone of shame for a while too. I feel so bad for her. She was perfectly fine yesterday. He said that it can come on really fast... less than 12 hrs. She's on pain meds and antibiotic ointment. Now I'm left wondering how I'm going to keep her meds on a schedule with my crazy work schedule . Please keep a close eye on your dogs in this heat!

[Janet McNally]

same can happen around the collar of dogs with a heavy 'mane' or ruff. I think moisture gets trapped in there and the bacteria grow. Just removing the collar and clipping the hair seems to be enough to heal the skin tho.

Janet

[Amy Sylling]

Yep, the vet warned me to watch her collar and the inside of the legs for more infection sites.

[stockdogranch]

One of my LGDs, Kody, had a similar spot, in almost the same location, last month. One day it just looked like he had sat in some mud or something--just a round, dark, slightly wet-looking patch. The next day the hair was all gone and looked just like that. I keep plenty of antibiotics on hand, so just put him on Cephalexin. It would look like it had cleared, but then another little spot would show up on the edge of the main patch. It took probably 3 weeks for the whole thing to finally clear up, but it is fine now and there is nice smooth hair grown in. I think Kody's was caused initially by the horrible bout of fleas we had here. Usually Frontline works well, but it did nothing this year. Had to switch to Comfortis. Anyway, it should clear up just fine.
A

[Janet McNally]

Amy you were very fortunate to have caught that before the flies did. I worked in a vet clinic once upon a time and we had more than one dog come in with a horrible case of fly strike on the hindquarters. I had the lovely job of clipping and cleaning up the wounds I suppose it gets started from dogs lying in cool damp places in the hot weather?

Also a note to anyone with a bitch whelping in this weather. Best to just clip the hind end, 'crutch' them just like a sheep. So that the birth fluids do not soak into the fur and draw flies. The 'do' might look kind of funky but at least the dog will be healthier for it.

Janet

[lenajo]

This is something we deal with all the time down here. I use a spray called Granulex on any reddened wet area that indicates a problem is starting. The dogs don't like the taste of it so they pretty much leave it alone - which gives you double benefit of no licking plus medication. you're right that the sores can come up over night - sometimes as big as 6 inches in diameter.

Treat it like a burn. Aloe helps too, its just harder to keep the dog from licking that off.

Putting her in the house for 2 weeks sound like an overkill to me - is this a pet vet, or a farm vet? You also have to consider the stress factor and a working dog tied in the basement is not going to do very well for long.

Obviously I can't see your dog in person, and I'm not a vet...my advice is simply the husbandry we use in a hot, moist climate that has works for us over the years. I get a generic of the granulex stuff at Jeffers Vet, but an online search will give you several sources.

Wendy

[denice]

The best thing I have found for Hot Spots after working with vets for 20 years is a powder product called NeoPredef. It has the advantage of having some steroids in it to reduce the pain and a powder to add in drying up the spot. The dogs I have used it on have not been big lickers and have left it alone. Oral antibiotics are needed also. I always clip my hot spots close to the skin and clip out till you have a good couple inches of normal skin around the spot. Then wash with a good shampoo with disinfectent like nolvasan or betadine added in. I use a wash cloth and as little water as possible. Dry it really well, use a hair dryer or whatever it takes. Put the powder on 2 to 3 times a day and you are good to go. IF it gets oozy, yellow yucky wash it again. Clean and open with meds I wouldn't keep the dog inside either as long as you can check it 3 times a day. With all the hair gone you will be surprised how quickly it begins to dry up and look better. Once it stays dry you can stop using the Neopredef.

The pictures look like there is plenty hair there that can come off. A good groomer could take care of that with a 10 blade if you do not have clippers but make sure you clip back to good skin. The hair will only keep moisture there.

Denice

[Brian Dietrich]

Denice,

NeoPredef has not been available from any of my suppliers for several years. I don't think it is in production any more? Do you have a source of it? I've been using similar products in ointment/cream form for hot spots.

[Phil Crome]

Brian,

As a vet's spouse, I know how much the profession likes the words "I was reading on the Internet" but about 15 seconds with Google gives this:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=10024.

Looks like the stuff to me.

Phil Crome

[stockdogranch]

Yup, Phil, that's the stuff. I got some from my small animal vet a few weeks ago,
A

[lovetree]

When that happend to one of my LGDS, I clipped the hair and rubbed the area with tea tree oil...worked slick and healed fast.

[Phil Crome]

Mary,

Since you and I are usually sideways with each other on these issues, I thought I'd surprise you and agree about the tea tree oil. That stuff has some good properties for sure. I still loved antibiotics, but when something is good, it's good.

Phil Crome

[Amy Sylling]

Sweet I have some tea tree oil!! Just got done putting Otomax on her again. I'm supposed to apply it 2x a day. I really wish he would have given me some of that powder stuff everyone's talking about. I think powder it would work a lot better. I'm not to fond of it and would like to avoid opening the 2nd bottle. Especially at $37 for a 30g bottle! It gets matted in the little bit of hair on her butt and then it cakes over. I would love to shave it off but I don't have anything that will cut it and she freaks out from the blow dryer so I'm thinking that would give her a heart attack. The vet thought we should leave some hair because in his experience they heal faster with it. Personally I would have liked it shaved off. I trim off a little more every night that are matted and gross. I am so frustrated keeping her in the house. As soon as she heals up a little bit she's going out at least part time. She is so depressed!! She barely eats anything unless I shove it down her throat with pills. Another couple days of the collar and that's enough. I wouldn't think she would lick at tea tree oil that stuff smells nasty. Thanks for sharing your experiences it's nice to know there are different options.

[lovetree]

Hi Amy,
your vet probably felt it would heal faster with the hair on because it gives some bit of protection from the sun and may help keep the skin from cracking,....but my experience has been that you. really do need to clip that hair off, the tea tree oil wont dry out the skin and it also prevents any opportunistic secondary fungal infections. Once you let her back outside try to keep her out of the full sun until there is a bit of regrowth of hair so she doesnt sun burn.

[Amy Sylling]

I tied her up in the barn for the morning. It's supposed to get hot today AGAIN. I will bring her back in the house when it starts getting uncomfortable out. She seemed happy to be up there. she can go outside a little ways and inside to see her sheep. I didn't give her her meds yet because I want her to enjoy her time up there for a while. She could use some cheering up. I'm planning on cleaning it up again and trying the tea tree oil when I bring her back in. How many times a day would you apply that? Yeah the vet thought that she needed the protection from the sun and any possible allergies that's why he left some hair on. Hey btw do you think I could put some sun block on that spot when she's back outside full time? Might be a dumb idea but I hate to confine her.