[pierce09]

Okay so i need everybodys help here.. i have a 4 month old yellow lab and pitbull. His name is dozer, the vet doent know whats going on.. he has been there 5 times. 1st time said might be the food so put him on meds, then 2nd change his food to the exclusive lamb and rice(the one you and the vet suggested) then the 3rd time dozers itching hadnt stopped and his staph was back and this time the vet said ohh well lamb and rice is overrated alot labs are allergic, so i change is food to taste of the wild-venison and bison. Gave the food 4 days and his staph is now back and still itching, oh and he is also on 1000mg of fish oil everyday. Called the vet and they told me he doesnt know what is going on and there is nothing he can do....so they told me to call the dermatologist at cornell.. which just to meet them is $100 ...really ughhh there has to be something to avoid going there but helping dozer at the same time. PLEASE HELPPP!

[reeskujo]

Well my question is this..If the vet says it's Staph which is an infection then why does he not have your dog on antibiotics?..Changing his food won't get rid of a staph infection..it will only help if he's allergic to an ingredient in the food.

Has your vet done blood work or skin scrapings?..JMO,but if it were me I'd a 2nd opinion..I hope this helps some and please keep us informed!!

[lange]

Jt sounds like you need a new vet or you just take your dog to the dermatologist. I would def not go back to the one you've been seeing.

You need to treat the staph infection and work on keeping it away with preventative measures. You also need to figure out what is causing the scratching/reaction to begin with. How do you know with certainty he is allergic to food? Had the vet checked for anything else? What tests were run? Are you still giving treats? Could your dog be getting into something when you're not around? Lots of questions you need to ask yourself and try to figure out with the vet.

I'm not a vet, just a dog owner, & this is what I'd do:

treatment & preventative to staph:
Get your dog to a new Vet or Dermo. Get it antibiotic for the staph. Give your dog ORGANIC apple cider vinegar in it's food daily. Shampoo your dog with medicated shampoo. Give your dog good quality fish oil daily. Give it some relief with a topical spray on it's itchy/staph spots. You can either ask your vet for an anti fungal spray (pricey) or look online for a holistic one you can make at home. try a search on "tea tree oil spray for dogs".

Also, give your dog natural, unflavored yogurt to offset the antibiotics. Mix in a little with it's food.


(Figuring out underlining cause:
IF your dog is allergic to certain food stick with the TOTW Venision and give it a few weeks before determining whether it's helping or not. You need to give your dog time to properly heal before blaming the current food. You and the vet/dermo should ALSO be looking into whether something else could be causing the problems. Fleas, mange, contact, inhalant, ect. Any testing done?..Your dog may even be allergic to the actual staph which could cause it to keep reoccurring. This is where you and vet need to both help eachother IMO.

I'd also read up on allergies& staph so that you're not so confused. that way your prepared and ready to contribute at your dogs next dr visit as well.

I know it can be frustrating..good luck to you & Dozer!!

[threenorns]

if your dog is allergic to commercial foods, just give it raw food diet - my dog's been on it for most of his life with full success.

if your dog has staph, it needs antibiotics.

did the vet test for mange or skin parasites?

what about fleas? does your dog have a flea collar or do you use anti-flea preparations?

where, exactly, is the dog itching? is he just scratching and oh well or is he actually tearing his hair and skin off?