my girl Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 patches Anyone ever here of this? My four month Border collie pup went to vet because i thought bugs had gotten to her tummy.Vet said she had puppy pimples and they are very common he gave her a spray and a antiobtic. Never heard of this before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 My Bute gets these and that's precisely what the vet called them. We also got an antibiotic (I believe the pimples are a form of staph infection, but that's just my opinion) and a spray. However, Bute gets them whenever he gets a bite (like a flea bite) or a scratch or other abrasion on his belly, and he is certainly no longer a puppy. Since the first time, I have not bothered taking him to the vet for these. If he only has a very few and they are reasonably small, I leave them alone and they dry up within a couple of days. If he has gotten scratched and they are more extensive or deeper in the skin layers, I use the spray twice a day for a few applications, which seems to help dry them up a bit more quickly. He does not seem to be irritated by these infections and doesn't fuss at them, either. I have begun to believe that this is not significant, at least in small spots and quantities. As I am concerned about the overuse of antibiotics, and since they dry up without problems on their own relatively quickly, I just keep an eye on things and do not treat except as mentioned above. My vet is willing to give me a refill on the spray when I need it without an additional appointment or without wanting to prescribe the antibiotics. Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my girl Posted November 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 My Bute gets these and that's precisely what the vet called them. We also got an antibiotic (I believe the pimples are a form of staph infection, but that's just my opinion) and a spray. However, Bute gets them whenever he gets a bite (like a flea bite) or a scratch or other abrasion on his belly, and he is certainly no longer a puppy. Since the first time, I have not bothered taking him to the vet for these. If he only has a very few and they are reasonably small, I leave them alone and they dry up within a couple of days. If he has gotten scratched and they are more extensive or deeper in the skin layers, I use the spray twice a day for a few applications, which seems to help dry them up a bit more quickly. He does not seem to be irritated by these infections and doesn't fuss at them, either. I have begun to believe that this is not significant, at least in small spots and quantities. As I am concerned about the overuse of antibiotics, and since they dry up without problems on their own relatively quickly, I just keep an eye on things and do not treat except as mentioned above. My vet is willing to give me a refill on the spray when I need it without an additional appointment or without wanting to prescribe the antibiotics. Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailrider Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 Many years ago a vet explained that they were staph, often due to hormone changes or maturity, and to not be concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SincereArtisan Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 Yep, often called ''puppy acne'' its a staph infection and more common than you would think among puppies. Bathing your pup once every two weeks or so with a soap-free shampoo will help keep her skin clean, too, and lower the risk she'll be afflicted with this in the future. Keep an eye out, could be a sign that your pup is more prone to seasonal allergies, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Cressa Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 Many years ago a vet explained that they were staph, often due to hormone changes or maturity, and to not be concerned. Is it contagious to other dogs? Are they itchy? Cressa my 3.5yo has red bumps(looks like pimples) on her. I thought it was bug bites especially since if you itch it her leg goes thump thump thump. Stella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 In my limited experience, they are not itchy at all. My Bute never fusses at any of his, and he sometimes has them quite extensively or in "patches" where he has been scraped by something in the fields. I have touched them (don't forget to wash your hands well afterwards) and put spray on them, and had no reaction from him. These are actual pustules (like whiteheads) but not just red spots. They are the same thing that, years ago when we had dairy goats, our milkers would get each year when they freshened and their udders were stretched tight with milk and the skin was under stress. It would clear up in a couple of weeks (except in one animal that seemed more susceptable, who would also get it along her belly and legs, and it would take some more weeks to clear). If you have an itching situation, I think it could be one of two things: either it is simply some form of bite or it is a bite and your dog also has the staph, which shows up as a infection at the bite site. We had fleas this summer for the first time in years, and I found that flea bites on Bute's belly would become pustules. I think that, when a dog has a "resident" staph population and is susceptible, wounds or other skin damage will result in pustules. While I think it is very reasonable to check with your vet, in my experience, it is not a serious problem. It can be dealt with by monitoring, cleaning if recommended, keeping the area dry (also recommended by my vet, and not an option in a working dog and in some situations - it doesn't seem to make a difference for my dog), and spraying with a suitable product (our vet prescribes one for Bute) that will help dry and heal the spots, if the spots are deeper or more extensive (which can happen if they occur on a scraped or similarly damaged area of skin). I would guess that all dogs (and people, too) might have staph present - it is when wounds occur and particularly in more susceptable individuals, that an actual infection is seen. JMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 I believe the proper name is puppy pyoderma. Lots of puppies get them and do fine without treatment. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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