Recurring Hard, Crusty Scabs On Skin

[brianamac]

After doing some research, I wonder if it may be a staph infection? It certainly doesn't look like many of the photos I've seen online, but who knows. Either way, I guess Bubba should head to the vet, but I wanted to get some opinions here first.

 

When Bubba first came to us in late October, he had a couple of raised, crusty (non circular) scabs on his back. I assumed he just got nicked during his transport with other dogs. Indeed they healed, the scabs fell off with some fur, the fur grew back and he was scab free for a fewweeks.

 

Since then, he seems to develop them randomly on different spots on his back and sides. Usually he only has one or two at a time, always in different random areas. They start as raised, crusty areas (usually irregular shapes, but occasionally circles). Sometimes there are small amounts of pus that seep into the surrounding fur. They then fall off, leaving a bare scale-y pink area. The fur always grows back and the scaliness goes away and everything looks back to normal.

 

He doesn't mind us touching them at any stage. Mostly he doesn't mess with them, but occasionally they must be itchy as he will bite at them and remove the scab (as you will see in the photo). I wash it thoroughly afterwards and am going to pick up some manuka honey to apply.

 

Bubba shows no other symptoms... he is happy, full of energy, eats well, normal stools, etc.

 

Any thoughts? Advice?

 

Here are two photos- I don't have a photo of the 'thick crusty scab stage', but here is one of the wound after he chewed a scab off today, and a photo of an area that is healing and has just flat, flakiness. The wounds are usually about dime-nickel sized.

 

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Sorry for the poor picture quality. I will try and get better shots.

[XTRAWLD]

I vote skin reaction to food allergy. We've experienced the same thing recently, on Kasey's back - primarily focused along his spine. We've known about his allergies for years, and have taken many steps to get ahead, but sometimes, his reactions just keep happening. We switched to a one protein raw not too long ago (he was on a three protein raw and we were aware that the other two proteins were positive for reaction, but that's the joy of food trials), and aha problem solved.

[brianamac]

I vote skin reaction to food allergy. We've experienced the same thing recently, on Kasey's back - primarily focused along his spine. We've known about his allergies for years, and have taken many steps to get ahead, but sometimes, his reactions just keep happening. We switched to a one protein raw not too long ago (he was on a three protein raw and we were aware that the other two proteins were positive for reaction, but that's the joy of food trials), and aha problem solved.

That is interesting and something I hadn't considered.

We fed him his 'foster food' when he was our foster, and he did well on it. We then switched him to the same food as our other dog and the stools got more 'voluminous', so we've switched him back to his foster food.

They are both chicken based foods though, so perhaps we will try him on a different protein and see if that resolves the issue. Thanks for the recommendation! Good thoughts.

[Guest Celestrina]

Natural Balance L.I.D. Is a good single protein food. Wide variety and some are grain free. The venison and sweet potato might be a good choice.

[Guest RMarie]

Sounds similar to James' recurrent staph infections. By the time we'd find them, the raised, crusty areas would be pretty large. We could pull the hair out and the skin would come with it. I don't recall any pus, though.

 

James needed 3 weeks of Simplicef to get rid of the infection.

Edited January 21, 2014 by RMarie

[brianamac]

Sounds similar to James' recurrent staph infections. By the time we'd find them, the raised, crusty areas would be pretty large. We could pull the hair out and the skin would come with it. I don't recall any pus, though.

The pus amounts are very minimal. If we mess with the scab while in the raised crusty stage, there is some sticky seepage into the fur and on our hands that seems like pus to me. It doesn't weep on it's own if we don't touch it.

 

What did you do with James' infections? How did the vet diagnose, and was there an underlying reason for why they would reoccur?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Batmom]

That's not food allergy. That's bacterial or fungal. Off to the vet with you! And good luck.

[brianamac]

That's not food allergy. That's bacterial or fungal. Off to the vet with you! And good luck.

 

I trust you on this. Appointment made!

[Guest annickaandjef]

Sorry to hear that Bubba is not feeling so hot! Penny is having a somewhat similar issue. She came to us three weeks ago with an odd skin infection on her left foreleg that was crusty, raised, and scabbed....she would nip at the area, pull out hair, and essentially tear away skin - and she started to do it on her right hind leg, as well. It looks a little different from Bubba's because it's essentially her whole leg. No pus, though.

 

She's been on Cephalexin for the past three weeks (we took her to the vet a few days after adoption). It's improved a little bit, but not much. Our vet took three biopsies and we're waiting to hear back. We know that it's a bacterial infection on the surface thanks to her nibbling at it, but there's a deeper issue, likely an allergy.

 

She's been a fantastic trooper about not itching (with the exception of a few times when my back is turned), but she still has to wear her cone when we're not around. I'll definitely keep you in the loop about what the diagnosis ultimately is, food switch, treatment or otherwise.

 

I hope Bubba is feeling much better soon!

[Guest RMarie]

The pus amounts are very minimal. If we mess with the scab while in the raised crusty stage, there is some sticky seepage into the fur and on our hands that seems like pus to me. It doesn't weep on it's own if we don't touch it.

 

What did you do with James' infections? How did the vet diagnose, and was there an underlying reason for why they would reoccur?

 

Thanks in advance.

James also had nasty, yellow pustules in his groin area, so the vet just made the diagnosis based on observation only.

 

As for an underlying reason...it's still a mystery. We have recurring poop problems with James, whether it's food allergy or just IBD, we don't know. We were in a terrible cycle of staph infection, antibiotic, then poop problems, which we blamed on the antibiotic killing off good gut bacteria, so meds to treat the poop....then the same cycle all over again. We've gone several months with no skin issues. We did blood work and determined James has a mal-absoprtion issue, so he got a B12 shot and was on Tylan powder for weeks. Poops were great. He's been off Tylan powder now for a couple of weeks and his poops are starting to soften up. We'll probably be back at the vet in another couple of weeks, either for another shot or more Tylan powder, or both!

 

I have an entirely separate thread about his issues (though it wasn't my thread, originally). The title is something like 'orange, mucousy poop.' There's a couple of interesting responses regarding the relationship between bacterial issues in the gut and skin infections.

 

Good luck!

[Sharpshot]

Hi Briana,

I would guess bacterial or fungal, too. Be sure to let us know what the vet says.

 

If you haven't already, send an email to Corey with the link to this thread. She

may have some ideas for you.

 

Do these spots develop on areas that are under pressure as he's lying down?

 

Mary

[brianamac]

Hi Briana,

I would guess bacterial or fungal, too. Be sure to let us know what the vet says.

 

If you haven't already, send an email to Corey with the link to this thread. She

may have some ideas for you.

 

Do these spots develop on areas that are under pressure as he's lying down?

 

Mary

 

Thanks Mary, I knew you would have some advice. I will update with the vet results. I'm inclined to think you and Batmom are right.

They are definitely not on pressure areas... they seem to occur spontaneously, mostly along his spine and he doesn't roach.

 

Thanks again for your advice. I knew after your years of Greyhounding you would have an idea. Sorry to make you venture out of 'off topic' and peafowl discussions.

[Sharpshot]

Any word from Corey?

[brianamac]

Any word from Corey?

 

Corey said they look like hot spots to her. We've got a vet visit scheduled to figure it out, I will let you know when we find out.

[Guest itsagreytlife]

After we had Selah for a few months, she started developing those same lesions. She came initially from the foster home with red little spots all over her tummy and also seemed to lick and scratch a lot (decided later this was probably a flea allergy she got at the foster home). I posted some pics on this site when the lesions were at her worst and after the regular vet told me to scrub them with benzoyl peroxide. Well it was a horrific bloody mess. She did yelp a few times and seeped blood and pus for a few days (even had to cancel a family get together in another state to stay home with her). When I came to my reg vet due to her initial red spots, scratching & licking, he assumed it was food allergies or something, so i did the usual several wks of plain vet food, no treats, etc. I became too impatient after a while when I discovered the blood test isn't alway correct diagnosing the food allergies. So I took her up to northern Delaware to see an dermatologist. They did a thorough workup (an actual skin testing, not a blood test) and found she did not have any food allergies, but plenty of environmental allergies (fleas, many grasses & weeds to name a few). After the horrific "cleaning of the lesions" episode, the derm was appalled that my vet told me to scrub off the lesions. She said to always leave those things alone and let them heal from the outside in. Selah did recover fully from them (but looked awful for several months), and the derm understood it was some type of infection, but from what, she couldn't say.

 

I then started allergy shots, but eventually stopped them (she would still have a few lesions pop up from time to time), and she's been fine since, with the caveat that she developed a single small lesion on her back this Fall. No others surfaced and since we just moved across the country this summer to Colorado, I assumed she had a reaction and then an infection to something here. Its hardly noticeable now and I am hoping her body/immune system gets used to whatever caused it.

So good luck and leave them alone to prevent further infection and scarring!

[Echobelly1]

Just got back from the vet, Gila has those exact scabs on her back, mostly along her spine. He also diagnosed them as a bacterial skin infection and sent me home with antibiotics and medicated shampoo. They started about a month ago, with what looked like some sap on her fur, then the fur would drop off and leave a red welt that would crust over. It started out she'd get a new one in week or so, but now more frequently, and today when I got home from work she had quite a few more, and they had spread down her sides. I panicked, called the vet and he had me bring her right in. My fears were that they might be some sort of cancer. I'm relieved it's not, but can't figure out what might have triggered it. She doesn't itch at all, but the vet insisted she must be very uncomfortable. He also said not to let them scab over, that the bacteria thrives under the scabs.

[Patrick]

Did anyone ever get a solid diagnosis on the topic of the reoccurring lesions on their dogs’ backs? 

Edited August 1, 2020 by Patrick
I wanted to add a picture

[MerseyGrey]

I don’t know about what caused the other dogs’ scabs but we ours had similar sounding, blistering scabs after a trip on a canal barge here in the U.K., and the vet said it was probably a bacterial infection from dirty water. He hadn’t been in the water and we don’t think we splashed him but we may have touched him with wet hands and this must have been enough. However, Buddy’s scabs looked most like the first picture posted and nowhere near as extensive as the photo you have posted. Presumably you’ve taken yours to the vet; what have they said?

The good news was they cleared up after a week on antibiotics and we got some medicated shampoo to use frequently. I hope you solve your mystery as it looks very sore ☹️

[AlanaChavez]

My dog has these and I just noticed them and I am home freaking out. I’m currently due in a week so I hope it’s not as bad as I’m thinking. I am trying to add photos but I’m definitely calling the vet in the morning and if anyone knows or has seen something like the first picture is it serious and life threatening? 

[macoduck]

2 hours ago, AlanaChavez said:

My dog has these and I just noticed them and I am home freaking out. I’m currently due in a week so I hope it’s not as bad as I’m thinking. I am trying to add photos but I’m definitely calling the vet in the morning and if anyone knows or has seen something like the first picture is it serious and life threatening? 

Where on your dog are these located and for how long?

Although you most likely will have to bring your dog in for an exam, can you take photos and ask your vet if you can email or text them to the office?

[teri_d]

Pemphigus????   Phog had lesions with his - he’s in remission now - he sees allergy vet specialist