I am dealing with that very same problem as I type! My precious
Little Man (Little Bit's Best Man, age 12 yrs) has been being treated for what was originally diagnosed as 3 bacterial skin infections after a skin scrape:
pseudomonas aeruginosa, enterococcus aeruginosa, and staphylococcus intermedius (spellings?) since Thanksgiving. He was never had fleas, but was treated for them!! - Also given Depomedrol, Gentocin, & Azium Injections, 2 Chlorohexadine dips, a 2-wk course of Antirobe capsules, and Nolvasan Salve. This was $300+. Then returned 1 wk later - he was worse! Another Depo inj., more Antirobe Capsules, and Epi-Sooth Oatmeal shampoo and more salve = $100. I bathed him 2xs daily with Chlorhexidine solution, debrided his skin as instructed for 3 days after each bath. Now Christmas week and he is worse and feverish all the time. He is covered head to toe with red, sticky, smelly, fevered skin and had to be shaved. He became severly dehydrated and lethargic. I had to force feed him fluids with a syringe and hand feed him. Vet did another deeper skin scrape and diagnosed RED MANGE! I had been telling him for weeks that I thought it smelled like mange, but he ignored me! Now, he has received
Chlorahexidine and Mitaban Dip and
changed from Chloromycetin tablets back to Antirobe. I have literally been holding this precious pooch for 3 days now - 24/7 just to be sure he is breathing!! The vet assured me he gave him the lowest possible dosage in the Mitaban Dip for his 4 lbs., but he is still wobbly, dis-interested in us, food, surroundings, etc. This is slowly improving some. Have to bring him back after Christmas for re-check, then another dip the next week, and every 2 wks after till 2 scrapings come back with dead mites. ($400-700 more??)
I would change vets, but that would be another $400+ to start the cultures all over again - not to mention the additional stress to Little Man - and
stress makes this condition worse!
I believe this all occured because we lost his mom (
Little Bit of N-No-Cents) in Jan. to heart disease, then his Grandmom (
Sweet N-No-Cents)in mid-Nov. from old age. Plus in Sept. he was boarded at this vet for 8 days during Labor Day when we went out of town to return to 2 hurricanes, 8 days of power outage parish-wide, and thunderstorms daily. Little Man was only 30' from 2 massive pecan trees that fell while at the vets and I am sure that scared the poop out of him. The trees blocked the vets entrance road, phones were down, no electricity - so he was there without us for 8 days! Plus, he had his teeth cleaned while there and they were HORRIBLE! Probably released lots of bacteria into his system.
I have searched the internet thoroughly and do find that the treatment he is
finally getting now IS THE CORRECT ONE - but, why did it take my vet so long to get to this stage?? I think a simple deep skin scrape a month ago would have made the correct diagnosis and my precious Little Man would not be so ill now. I am terrified of losing him.
Sorry this is so long and detailed - I don't know how to state it differently!
He is peacefully asleep in my lap as I type. He has been hand fed, hand watered, lightly sprayed with Tea Tree Oil (my idea) and lovingly wrapped burito style in a warm towel! - What a life!
I pray your little friend is doing well by now. Any comments welcomed!
