Diagnosing Actinomycosis In Dogs
If you suspect your dog has a bacterial infection, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible. Your vet will need to see your dog to make an accurate diagnosis and begin the appropriate treatment.
During the visit to your veterinarians office, recount your dogs recent activities. The veterinarian will perform a complete physical examination. If the site of suspected infection is located, your vet may perform a culture of the wound to microscopically determine the types of bacteria present.
Depending on the severity of the infection, your vet may also perform laboratory tests. Blood chemistry and complete blood count will likely be recommended to assess your dogs organ function, blood cell counts, and overall health. If your vet notes or suspects any internal abnormalities, x-rays may also be recommended.
Prognosis For Dogs With Actinomycosis
Recovery from actinomycosis and other bacterial infections can take weeks to months. Your dog will need to be on a long course of antibiotics. Other medications may be prescribed for pain management. Your dog will need to be hospitalized for several days if surgical treatment is necessary.
Expect to return to the vet frequently for follow-up exams and treatments. It is essential that you comply with your vets instructions if you want your dog to recover. Communicate about any difficulties you are having so your vets office can help you make adjustments.
Most dogs will recover from actinomycosis infections that are identified and treated early, Unfortunately, severe cases are often fatal despite aggressive antibiotic treatment.
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Preventing Fungal Infections In Dogs
Fungal infections in dogs range from localized annoyances to potentially fatal systemic diseases. Prevention is not always possible, but common sense measures can help. If you live in an area where a certain type of fungal infection is endemic, avoid high risk environments. Pets with ringworm should be isolated to limit the spread of the disease to people or other animals. Finally, appropriately manage any underlying health problems that increase your dogs risk for developing a fungal infection.
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Treatment Of Pyoderma In Dogs
Use of an Elizabethan collar is recommended if your pet is licking or biting its skin. This will prevent reinfection and allow the skin to heal.
Medications your veterinarian may recommend include:
- Antibiotics: Commonly used oral antibiotics include cephalexin, Simplicef, Clavamox, and clindamycin.
- Cefovecin is an injectable antibiotic that is administered by a veterinarian and lasts for two weeks. Other antibiotics may be required if your pet has a resistant infection, or a deep infection with rod-shaped bacteria.
If you do not notice an improvement after a few days of treatment, please call your veterinarian. Culture and sensitivity may be needed to determine which antibiotic will be effective.
Topicals your veterinarian may recommend include:
Treatment For Bacterial Infections In Dogs
Skin infections, Leptospirosis, and kennel cough are but a few of the common bacterial infections dog face. Although you may have planned out a healthy lifestyle for your pet, its impossible to prevent germs or infection from reaching him at all times.
The best care practice is being proactive for your pet. For example, dont let your dog drink from stagnant water sources. Maintain fresh, clean water bowls inside and outside, so your dog is never without a nearby source. Feed him a healthy diet free of preservatives or other unnecessary additives. Be aware of any changes in your dogs appearance or behavior and notate them for the veterinarian.
In some cases, bacterial infections will clear up on their own, but for the ones that decide to stick around, its best to be aggressive with treatment and consistent with follow-up care. That way your dog can be back to his fun-loving self and feeling good again in no time.
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Symptoms Of Bacterial Infection Of The Skin In Dogs
Signs can range from mild irritation to severe and painful infection. See your veterinarian if you notice any of the following signs.
- Pimple-like pustules on the skin
- Dry patches of flaking skin
- Seeping of blood or pus
- Swelling or ulcerated skin
Veterinarians use several different terms to define types of pyoderma.
- Simple a one-time response
- Complex infections that are recurrent or associated with an underlying disease
- Focal infection developing in a specific area
- Generalized covering the entire body
- Superficial infection of the epidermis and hair follicles
- Deep more severe infection involving the dermis
Why Is My Dog’s Nail Infected
Dogs’ nails are in constant contact with the ground. Being outside or in an uncontrolled environment makes chances of injury more likely. For this reason, infections on a dog’s paw are relatively common. A dog’s nail infection will almost always be caused by bacteria, but there are many ways said bacteria can be introduced. Here we look at the most common causes of nail infection in dogs:
Since trauma can lead to secondary bacterial infections, we need to be observant of any change to the health of the dog’s paws. Find out more with our article on what to do if a dog has a broken nail.
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Symptoms Of Bacterial Infection In Dogs
Although there are many symptoms of a bacterial infection from Streptococcus canis bacteria, these are the most common ones:
- High body temperature
- Sores and abscesses on the dogs skin
- Obviously infected areas of skin, ears, and eyes.
- Urinary tract or respiratory system infection
- Inflammation and redness
- Refusal to play or exercise
- Excessive sleepiness
- Skin Infection Lesions and abscesses on skin anywhere on the body
- Throat Infection Pain when eating and drinking, refusing food and water
- Urinary Tract Infection Pain with urination, frequent urination, blood in urine
- Respiratory Infection Coughing, vomiting, high fever, breathing difficulty
- Sinus Infection Runny nose and watery eyes
Causes Of Bacterial Infection Of The Skin In Dogs
Pyoderma can be associated with many different conditions and veterinarians often struggle to find the exact cause. The following conditions are often related.
- Any chronic form of dermatitis
- Fungal or yeast infection
- Endocrine imbalance that reduces lymphocyte counts like Cushings disease , and hypothyroidism
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Some Symptoms Include Vomiting Decreased Appetite And Lethargy
- Excessive licking or itching of the skin
- Fever, particularly if it is high or lasts more than three days. If your dog has a fever that lasts for more than two days, contact your veterinarian immediately this is not normal behavior for a dog and could be indicative of something serious. When we see skin infections in our dogs they are usually due to fleas or other parasites. We also see them from trauma from falls off of furniture, injuries from playing with other dogs, bites from other animals, etc. Dogs with diarrhea may also exhibit lethargy as well as vomiting and oral ulcers/sores on their lips and mouth area. Dogs with bacterial infections will often experience weight loss and pain. They may also experience joint pain upon movement such as walking up stairs or jumping up onto beds/furniture.Dogs often lick themselves excessively when they have a bacterial infection…Bacterial infections can cause skin irritation which results in excessive licking on parts of their bodies where they have an infection..The excessive licking can cause sores to form< /section_header
How Long Do Dog Bacterial Infections Last
How long do dog bacterial infections last?
The answer to this question depends on the severity of your dogs bacterial infection and can vary from a few days to a few weeks. Bacterial infections are often recurring problems in dogs, especially if they have been diagnosed with chronic gastritis or an ulcerated stomach lining.
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How To Prevent Yeast Infections In Dogs
Prevention of yeast infections in dogs must include addressing the underlying cause to reduce the likelihood that the infection will reoccur.
Routine bathing with an antifungal shampoo may be beneficial. However, for shampoo treatment to be effective, the lather must sit on a dogs skin for a minimum of 10 minutes before rinsing.
Dogs with skin folds may need to have maintenance treatment to keep these areas from becoming too moist, as yeast thrive in moist, dark places such as skin folds and ears.
Dogs that have had allergy testing and are determined to be allergic to yeast can be desensitized by including yeast as an ingredient in immunotherapy .
If you suspect that your dog has a yeast infection, consult your regular veterinarian for a diagnosis and treatment plan that is appropriate for your pet.
Bacterial Infections In A Dogs Stomach May Require Antibiotics To Clear Up
If you notice that your dog is vomiting, having a decreased appetite, or behaving lethargically, he may be suffering from a bacterial infection in his stomach. These can be treated with antibiotics, but if you dont address the underlying cause of the problem first he could end up with another bout of sickness soon after.
Its important for owners to take these infections seriously because they can easily become fatal if left untreated. If your dog does have an infection and needs medication , make sure he stays hydrated throughout treatment by giving him water at regular intervals each day until all symptoms are gone before discontinuing the use of the antibiotic altogether.
Your dog is clearly not well, and you probably want to know how long it will take for him or her to feel better. In most cases, a bacterial infection of the stomach or intestines will get better within a few days of treatment. Its important that you monitor your dogs symptoms during this time so that if they dont improve, you can act quickly.
If your vet diagnoses your pet with an upset stomach and gives them medication for it, make sure that you administer the medication exactly as directed by the veterinarian. If youre giving medications at home , follow all instructions on how much to give and how often it needs to be administered until relief from vomiting and diarrhea occurs.
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See What Veterinarians And Pet Owners Say About Convenia
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: People with known hypersensitivity to penicillin or cephalosporins should avoid exposure to CONVENIA. Do not use in dogs or cats with a history of allergic reactions to penicillins or cephalosporins. Side effects for both dogs and cats include vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite/anorexia and lethargy. For more information, please refer to the Full Prescribing Information.
Surface Pyoderma In Dogs
Surface pyoderma involves the outermost layers of the skin, but not the hair follicles. This disease can appear in several different ways:
Fold pyoderma . If your dog has folds of skin that remain moist, bacteria can overgrow and cause disease. Look out for excessive itching, red and sore skin folds, a white or yellow discharge, and smelly skin.
Acute moist dermatitis . Small red, moist patches appear on your dog’s skin. These become painful, become larger and bald, and start oozing if not treated.
Bacterial overgrowth syndrome. Your dog has red areas on their skin, but no boils, visible pus, or crusts. You will notice itching, redness, baldness, and a bad smell.
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What Causes Pyoderma In Dogs
Pyoderma is a bacterial disease. The bacteria most commonly involved in causing pyoderma in dogs are:
- Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, the most frequent cause
- Coagulase-negative staphylococci
- Micrococcus species
Some other bacteria like Proteus and Pseudomonas have been found in pyoderma in dogs. These bacteria probably don’t cause disease on their own.
Your dog’s skin is quite resistant to bacteria when it is dry. Moist areas of their skin allow bacteria to grow and cause an infection.
Types Of Skin Infection In Dogs
Skin infection in dogs can be generally classified into 2 types: bacterial and fungal. Several bacterial and fungal species can invade and penetrate the skin barrier and cause infection in canines. Inflammation and breaks on the skin barrier can increase the risk of these microorganisms taking over, leading to an infection.
Its important to determine what type of skin infection an affected animal has because the treatment for both types is different. Medications that can control and eliminate bacterial organisms will have no effect against fungal infections, and likewise, anti-fungal medications are ineffective against bacterial skin infections.
Proper identification and diagnosis are important to have a specific and targeted treatment for your dogs skin infection.
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How To Prevent Bacterial Skin Infection In Dogs
If you want to prevent bacterial skin infections in your dog, there are a few things you can do.
- Keep your dog clean and dry. One of the best ways to help prevent bacterial skin infections is to keep your pet clean and dry. Make sure that they are well-bathed every week using an effective antibacterial shampoo or soap and then towel them down until they are completely dry.
- Keep their nails trimmed regularly as well as their ears, teeth, and coat free from any kind of debris or dirt buildup that might harbor bacteria on their skin surface . You should also make sure that the bedding for your pets kennel remains clean at all times because this is where many infectious agents live within our homes waiting for an opportunity to infect other animals like ours.
Bacterial skin infection in dog treatment is one of the most common problems we see in our office. The main reason for this is that there are so many different types of bacteria that can live on a dogs skin surface or even inside their body . Many people think that bacterial infections come from outside sources like dirt and grass clippings, but this isnt always true some bacteria can survive inside an animals fur without ever coming into contact with any type
How Veterinarians Diagnose Pyoderma In Dogs
In order to diagnose your dog with pyoderma, your veterinarian will need to start with a physical exam. Based on the presence of certain lesionssuch as pustules the veterinarian may be comfortable diagnosing your pet based on what he or she determines from the physical exam. Diagnostic testing is usually necessary, and may include:
- Skin cytology: A veterinarian will take an impression smear or tape sample of the affected areas of skin and look at it under a microscope. This is a non-invasive test that allows the veterinary staff to look for bacteria and yeast.
- Skin scraping: This can be used to look for mites, such as Sarcoptes scabiei or the Demodex species under the microscope.
- Culture and sensitivity: A swab of the affected skin area may be sent to a diagnostic laboratory for fungal and/or bacterial culture and sensitivity testing. Results typically take several days and enable vets to pinpoint the exact types of bacteria and/or fungus that are the root causes of the infection.
- Your vet will also prescribe the medication that will work best to treat that specific infection. Ringworm culture may be performed in-house at your veterinary clinic. Bacterial culture and susceptibility are recommended if your pet has recurrent skin infections, or the infection is deep and severe.
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Treatment Of Fungal Dermatitis & Staph Infection In Dogs
Yeast dermatitis infections can be treated with oral or topical treatments, or a combination of both based on the severity of your dogs condition. These medications are highly effective, though they must be given for a prolonged period .
These drugs can have potential side effects on the liver that will require close monitoring with routine blood tests.
Staph infections are typically treated with oral antibiotics. Antibacterial shampoo or topical ointments can be used for these types of skin conditions. Depending on the severity of the infection, treatment may take several weeks to have an effect.
Because staph infections can be passed between dogs and from dogs to humans, extra care should be taken when handling and treating your dog.
Discuss any supplements or medications your dog is currently taking with your veterinarian so he or she can choose the best treatment for your pets individual circumstances while helping to reduce the risk of a potential interaction between drugs.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pets condition, please make an appointment with your vet.
Is your dog showing signs of a bacterial or fungal skin infection? Contact our Greensboro vets right away to schedule an appointment for testing. Our vets are experienced in diagnosing a number of conditions and illnesses.
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