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Old August 15th, 2014, 10:52 AM
blakean blakean is offline
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Licking of Paws and Blisters on Lips = Allergy?

Hello!

I am hoping to get some sort of input considering an issue my border collie mix has been having recently.
It started with an excessive licking of the paws for apparently no reason. After a short while I noticed some discoloration on his lips that have turned into blisters, which look quite like cold sores. Although no blood is visible when I look, I do sometimes find his paw fur pink with it and the carpet where he licks his paws gets some transference of blood too. But I can't see the source.

I saw a vet a few days ago, and she was ignorant; she didn't know what the blisters were. I assumed this was some sort of textbook condition, so her ignorance surprised me.

It is perhaps not a coincidence that this started happening at around the time I bought him a different food. It was not a drastic change--merely a step up from his normal food to one specifically targeting larger breeds (specifically PC Extra Meaty Chicken and Rice to PC Nutrition Plus Chicken and Rice, "formulated with Glucosamine and Chondroitin"). Same manufacturer, same main ingredients, but with some added things.

With his licking behaviour in mind, and looking at the included pics of the blisters, is it possible that it's an allergic reaction to the new food? This is what I went into the vet thinking, and all she did was agree that it's a possibility and suggest Sudafed (which I bought and administered, but which only seemed to make him sleepy).

Has anyone else seen this blistery reaction with a food allergy? Needless to say, I have tossed the new food and have gone back to his original food. I was told that allergies can take up to 6 weeks to clear up.

By the way, my dog eats normally, although he does yelp occasionally, which makes me think that the blisters are painful if he touches or scratches them roughly. He licks his lips and moves his jaws a lot.

Six weeks is a long time to wait, so I'm hoping to hear from someone who has experienced something similar.

Please see the pics below. Thanks!
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  #2  
Old August 15th, 2014, 05:46 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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This looks more like some sort of infection than an allergy, though I'm no expert... What did your vet say about the nasal discharge? That doesn't look normal to me, either.

Any chance you can get a second opinion and/or maybe have some cultures run?
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Old August 15th, 2014, 06:27 PM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
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Did you bring your dog to a new place to walk or did he walk in a pond and drink some water out of it? I agree it would be good idea to see another vet and to see if there been any recall on the dog food you brought.
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Old August 15th, 2014, 08:18 PM
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Looks like an infection.
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Old August 15th, 2014, 11:53 PM
blakean blakean is offline
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Thanks for the responses...

I took him to a dog park that we go to occasionally at around the time I changed his food. There were no ponds...it is a municipally run forested area. The vet said nothing about the discharge (and I didn't notice it myself until I looked at these pics...it was gone when I went to get a closer look).

This vet did not inspire confidence, although she did claim that she would consult with others using some pics she took. If this doesn't improve soon I will have to head off somewhere else. I got nothing in return for my money this time around.
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Old August 16th, 2014, 10:26 AM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
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I asked about a pond b/c I know of a dog that swan in one and he got this weird rash all over his belly from the water being so polluted . How does the your dog paws look , do they have blisters too or infected looking ? Poor puppy .
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Old August 16th, 2014, 12:37 PM
blakean blakean is offline
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No, his paws look normal. The occassional blood seems to be originating from his mouth. Because these sores/blisters are on and perhaps in his mouth, they're almost constantly being licked, which most likely isn't helping the healing process.
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Old August 16th, 2014, 02:45 PM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
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I think you should bring your dog to another vet to find out actually what he has , he may need to be on some meds.
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Old August 16th, 2014, 04:03 PM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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I would see an internal medicine vet. It looks infection to me too (maybe related to the stuff in the nose), but you need someone on this that won't be dismissive.

http://www.acvim.org/PetOwners/FindaSpecialist.aspx (search for SAIM)

Not sure if this should be referred to a Derm though? https://www.acvd.org/tools/locator/locator.asp?id=16
(looks like there is a Canada link there too) You might send a pic to a derm or call and ask if you should set up an appt, if there is one by you.

Last edited by MaxaLisa; August 16th, 2014 at 04:07 PM. Reason: added the Derm stuff
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Old August 16th, 2014, 06:39 PM
blakean blakean is offline
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Thanks, I'll be moving forward with this ASAP.
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Old August 17th, 2014, 03:29 PM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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Best of luck getting this nailed down - keep us posted!
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  #12  
Old August 18th, 2014, 10:53 PM
blakean blakean is offline
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The vet did a swab today and said she saw lots of bacteria. He's currently on a round of antibiotics and steroids. Time will tell. Where this originated is still a mystery.
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Old August 19th, 2014, 06:36 AM
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hopefully this will fix dooger up quickly
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Old August 19th, 2014, 03:43 PM
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One of our dogs came down with a nasty case of folliculitis that presented as blisters. We never figured out exactly where she got it, either, but one of the theories was that she picked up a staph infection from grass blades in the yard (she's a 'grazer' )

I hope the antibiotics and steroids do that trick! If it's something like what Ridge had, it might take a few days to a week before you notice any improvement so be prepared to give it some time. Hope your boy is feeling better quickly!
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Old August 19th, 2014, 06:53 PM
blakean blakean is offline
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Thanks for the kind wishes, everyone.

Unless my eyes deceive me, the meds are already drying the blisters out. I thought this was too soon to be possible, but I was told by the vet in a follow up call that some dogs respond right away to antibiotics whereas others only start to see improvement towards the end of the bottle. I'll post another pic if and when the healing is done.

I am assuming this could have been happening a week ago if only the first vet I saw was competent and did something more productive than merely plead ignorance and hope for the best (a brand new grad, I learned recently).
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Old August 19th, 2014, 08:01 PM
blakean blakean is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hazelrunpack View Post
One of our dogs came down with a nasty case of folliculitis that presented as blisters. We never figured out exactly where she got it, either, but one of the theories was that she picked up a staph infection from grass blades in the yard (she's a 'grazer' )

I hope the antibiotics and steroids do that trick! If it's something like what Ridge had, it might take a few days to a week before you notice any improvement so be prepared to give it some time. Hope your boy is feeling better quickly!
In reference to your experience with grass as a possible source of disease, I should say that this is a possibility with my dog too. He is always nosing around in bushes and grass and sometimes takes up and gobbles mystery items before I have a chance to pull or whack it out of his mouth. Perhaps these sores originated during one of these encounters.
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Old August 19th, 2014, 11:16 PM
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Awesome that the meds seem to be working already!

As I understand it, staph can grow naturally on grass, and grass is full of silicates, which are sharp and can abrade the skin if a dog is grazing. Once the skin is broken, even microscopically, the staph can set up housekeeping. So it's not necessarily something that you could have easily prevented. We supplement Ridge with omega-3 and omega-6 oils now to boost her immune system a bit and have had no recurrences. (Of course we can't prove the oils helped, but at least they didn't hurt and may have had some benefit.)
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Old August 20th, 2014, 01:00 AM
blakean blakean is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hazelrunpack View Post
Awesome that the meds seem to be working already!

As I understand it, staph can grow naturally on grass, and grass is full of silicates, which are sharp and can abrade the skin if a dog is grazing. Once the skin is broken, even microscopically, the staph can set up housekeeping. So it's not necessarily something that you could have easily prevented. We supplement Ridge with omega-3 and omega-6 oils now to boost her immune system a bit and have had no recurrences. (Of course we can't prove the oils helped, but at least they didn't hurt and may have had some benefit.)
This is the first I have heard of bacteria naturally occurring on grass. I assumed you meant that it was a kind of transference from things moving on top or through it. In any event, now is a good time to add the omega oils to my dog's diet too... and no more mystery meals!
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Old August 20th, 2014, 04:55 AM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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I would have wanted to try the abx without the steroids, as the steroids make it harder to clear infection, and also you don't know what the dog is responding to, the abx or the steroid. But it seems to be working, and I hope for a speedy and complete recovery!
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Old August 20th, 2014, 06:56 AM
Longblades Longblades is offline
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What kind of bowl are you feeding him from? Plastic is notorious for holding bacteria and you could get infection that looks like that in a susceptible dog. Try glass, ceramic or stainless steel if you aren't already. Meds may clear him up only to have it come back. It is quite possible he transferred infection from wiping his muzzle to his paws.

I just skimmed the other replies, if I missed someone saying this already, sorry. Good luck.
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Old August 20th, 2014, 10:02 AM
blakean blakean is offline
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I was hoping to try the antibiotics alone as well, but the steroids were added in case it was an auto-immune (the steroids being used to hold off his system while the antibiotics fight the infection). I am guessing she doubled up in order to cover her bases more quickly. But it seems to be working.

I have used stainless steel bowls since the start, but thanks for that practical suggestion!
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Old August 20th, 2014, 10:53 AM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
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I thought it could been cause by bacteria, dogs are always poking their noses in the dirtiest places. After your dog face is all healed up it may help to wash is face off after taking him for a walk b/c you are not sure where the bacteria came from. It might be a good idea to wipe his paws off too if you think this was the cause of the infection on his lips.
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