2nd season same bacterial infection

[e49735]

Hi,
I have a 21/2 year old setter that ran into this same problem last year around this time....He's contracted some type of bacterial infection, that apparently comes from him getting into muck and stagnant water...when working him in warmer weather, he's attracted to the muck to cool down....rolls around in it til I discover what he's up to and freak out.
His symptoms start with goopy eyes (gray, stringy goop, mostly in morning) , coupled with a skin irritation, and itchy ears. Ive been treating him with cephalexin and eyedrops and anti itching allergy stuff (Temaril P) , I'm getting a little frustrated, and he's still not 100%...still scratching a lot. He's eating fine but stools are soft...and seems to be down a pound or two from normal.
The vet wants me to try Baytril next.
any similar experiences? I know there are lots of different bacterias that live in stagnant water. Also, he's on frontline for fleas so I'm confident it's not a flea problem. I've been applying the frontline once a month as directed.
any input apprectiated...I just wish he was healthier, and I give him only top of the line foods supplemented with enzyme powders to maximize absorption of nutrients, plus give him ground meat supplements fortified with vitamins.
Terry

[claybuster_aa]

and I give him only top of the line foods supplemented with enzyme powders to maximize absorption of nutrients, plus give him ground meat supplements fortified with vitamins.

Could you be more specific? What are the top of the line foods? Why the digestive enzymes...all the time? If your transition food (upgrading the protein), digestive enzymes will ease that transition (help prevent the pending diarrhea),
but once your dog system is producing the stronger enzymes to break down the better food, I wouldn't think you would keep needing the digestive powders? I think the usefulness is just during that transition time (a week or so) and after that I would question the merit.

I would look elsewhere than the standing water causing the problems, the dogs have been lopping around and drinking since...they've been dogs. I think some puppy shots are for that as well, illness associated with dirty water.

[h20fwlkillr]

Is your dog wet a lot? I have had problems with bacterial infections in the past with dogs that stayed in the water too much. It seemed like the muzzle was the place it would manifest itself the most. Vet had me go with Baytril topical and would clear up in a week or so. I started limiting time in the water towards late summer(seemed to always be when they would pick it up) and the infections went away.

[e49735]

Hi,
Thanks for your repsonses...and more specifics on feed ...I switched over to Nature's Variety,Instinct... Venison formula, and he does really well on it...I only gave him the enzymes recently to try to boost his absorption because he's not feeling well.
I do give often, especially when I run him a lot, suppplemental beef, chicken, fat, etc....he's pretty thin, but except for this recent bout has tons of energy and eats well....I call him the Kevin Garnett of the dog world.
As far as the 2nd post, he does not spend a lot of time in the water...in warmer weather, I run him near the local lake and he likes to swim, but never gets sick from swimming there...just from the dirty,crappy, stagnant muck he seems to find in the woods low lying areas.
I guess I will get him the Baytril, and this will be the 3rd medication....1st was cephalexin, 2nd temaril P...and the vet suggests taking the baytril with the temaril P.
I notice the Baytril is way more expensive than the cephalexin...almost $2 per 68 mg pill online....is this because it's better, newer???
will keep posting...let me know any other ideas or questions...
thanks again,
Terry

[big steve46]

It never hurts to use extra enzymes to improve digestion. You might also give him a serving of live yogurt every day, or give hin a Lactobacillus tablet every day to retore the normal gut flora, which will be depleted anyway by the antibiotics. Another consideration is that you may be dealing with a fungus infection which requires another medication.

[dog dr]

if this is happeneing only in the fall, could it be a seasonal allergy?? i see alot of dogs this time of year that start itching, runny eyes, and secondary skin infections, and it only happenes in the fall. an allergy shot clears it up till next fall rolls around.

[claybuster_aa]

The puppy shot I was thinking of is considered a non-core vaccine, so I think that means at the discretion of the breeder?
Anyway, I just looked it up and it is a Leptospirosis vaccine. This can be associated with the water:

Leptospirosis is transmitted between animals through contact with infected urine; venereal and placental transfer; bite wounds; or the ingestion of infected tissue. Crowding, as found in a kennel, can increase the spread of infection. Indirect transmission occurs through exposure of susceptible animals to contaminated water sources, food, or even bedding. Stagnant or slow moving water provides a suitable habitat for Leptospira. As a result, disease outbreaks often increase during periods of flooding. In dry areas infections are more common around water sources.

Freezing greatly reduces the survival of the organism in the environment. This explains why infections are more common in summer and fall and why the infection is more prevalent in temperate areas.

fosters&smith

I'm pretty sure my breeder opts to give this shot, because I recall the thing about the stagnant water. If you have your puppy shot records you could check. Now, whether or not this has anything to do with your situation (probably not), but you sound confident it has something to do with water...who knows maybe there is something. Not my intent to play vet, just an idea to toss around. I guess for hunting dogs the shot isn't a bad idea. I know my dog won't hesitant to take a quick drink off still ground water or romp threw it without a second thought. We hunt in the forest mostly.

Charlie

[claybuster_aa]

The shot is only good for about 6-8 months it says, seems like pretty much a waste, unless you did it every year. Looks like pretty serious stuff with a lot of vomitting. If your dog is having problems associated with the water, be thankful it aint
Leptospirosis!

[e49735]

Hi all,
thanks again for all the great input....and I think with 3, 68mg baytril tabs in him so far, they are killing the infections. Itching has stopped , skin looks less irritated, eyes are clearer....he's acting normal...
Something in the baytril that works better than the cephalexin for this particular strain.
I will continue to boost his digestion with yogurt and totalzymes powder...and supplement with other meats...
by the way, do any of you use meat market scraps? I can get lots of free chicken and beef scraps (mostly fat)..
Finally I think I will get the blood work, so on an annual basis I can monitor...just not sure what types of blood tests there are that would be appropriate to help avoid this stuff in future..I'll check with Vet and post.
thanks again,
Terry

[ezzy333]

I would be careful about supplementing your dogs diet. The main result is you unbalance the diet and not improve it. The same problems that has caused people tonot feed table scraps or other single ingredients. Dod feeds are carefully balanced to provide for all of a dogs needs and the old theory if a little is good then a lot is better doesn't work in feeding any better than it does in other cases. A good feed will provide all the dog needs as is proven everyday by the thousands upon thousands of performing dogs that eat a balanced commercial diet and perform at the highest levels.

Ezzy