Pyoderma

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Lou_2010
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Pyoderma

Post by Lou_2010 »

Hi Guys,

I was wondering if any of your chows have suffered from pyoderma as mine did back in the summer and we went through an awful time, reason asking is before Jed had pyoderma I bathed him and I've always wondered if that what caused it the vet seems to think it was his harness but I'm not convinced, Jed's going to the groomers tomo for the first time I'm a bit nervous giving him a bath as I don't want him to get the skin infection again.

Louise :)
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Merlin
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Re: Pyoderma

Post by Merlin »

Hi Louise

I'm just replying to this. I see so far no one else has.
Pyoderma is a really broad spectrum word to cover all kinds of conditions or illnesses, and it came come from a variety of sources, such as, if you notice it happens only in the Summer, it could be allergy related.

You have to ask yourself all kinds of thing as well such as
- Did we change something major in our lives and was the dog under stress?
- Did we recently have shots at the vet ( this is a prime factor sometimes)?
- Did we spend time on a farm with livestock or in a an area totally foreign to us?
- Are you feeding a high quality dog food or low quality? ( low quality dog foods are too high in carboydrates and often contribute to skin issues) the scratching then infects the hotspots

Usually there is a causative reason, and if the pyoderma keeps re-occuring then you have to take a look at your environment and your chow's immune system.
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Ursa's daddy
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Re: Pyoderma

Post by Ursa's daddy »

Below is the link to the Merck Vet Manual on pyoderma.

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index ... /70900.htm

I am commenting because my little girl, Ursa, has had various skin issues. Her underlying problem is Pemphigus Foliaceus and thyroid issues. We are managing these, although I suspect the thyroid medication may need adjustment. Over the past several months, she has had scabbing on her back. We went through a course of antibiotics which may have stabilized the situation. I am not real sure it was that beneficial. We also switched her feed to Iams lamb and rice after reviewing some posts on the forum. Our vet also gave us some antifungal/antibacterial shampoo. I would first wash her with a shampoo containing salicylic acid and sodium thiosulfate. I have found that this helps to clean the scabs and flaking from the skin, and have used it for years with many animals. (I have even used myself). We also added vitamin E and Omega 3 oil to their diet. I am using flax oil rather than fish oil, since the fish oil makes the dogs smell.
The scabbing has cleared up, and now that the weather has improved, I will bath her more often and work with her grooming.
In the past, I have had German shepherds, Australian shepherds, and Siberian Huskies, and I have found that Chow Chows have much greater skin sensitivities.
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Merlin
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Re: Pyoderma

Post by Merlin »

We also added vitamin E and Omega 3 oil to their diet. I am using flax oil rather than fish oil, since the fish oil makes the dogs smell.
I've been a raw feeder for more than 15 years now, and fish oil is high on the menu of any raw feeder and I've never, ever heard a claim that it makes a dog smell.
Because the dog in question has skin and possibly allergy issues, flax seed ( which is now a very proven, identified allergen to dogs), should be avoided. If your own dog is doing well on it, that's great, but flax is not species specific food and therefore will not offer the same constituents as fish oil, which is an animal oil and not a plant oil.

Just so you know, dogs only require Omega 3 + 6. Not 9. Flax seed is high in #9, and often manifests itself as a hotspot in dogs.
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Ursa's daddy
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Re: Pyoderma

Post by Ursa's daddy »

We have been giving Ursa the flaxseed oil for a couple of months now, and her skin seems to have improved. She does have allergy issues, so I try to be careful with her. Two years ago, my male had hot spots, and we gave him fish oil to help him out. I did not notice any odor, but my son complained about it, and my vet did say that the fish oil could give them an odor. Since Ursa's skin seems to be better, I can cut back on the flaxseed oil and see how she progresses. In case anyone is wondering, these are NOT a breeding pair. It just happens that I adopted first a female and later a male from the humane society.
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