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Florence has been suffering with vulva dermatitis for about 6 months now. We have tried antibiotics for both bacterial vaginitis and uti and it did not help. We also are bathing with medicated shampoo every 2-3 weeks. Still no help. She is living in a cone because otherwise she bites at it until the vulva is bleeding. I need help. We have tried new food as well, still no improvement. We have tried environmental allergy medications and no relief with that either. Any suggestions?
Updated On December 7th, 2023
Pet's info: Dog | German Shorthaired Pointer | Female | spayed | 9 years and 1 month old | 56 lbs
Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM 105
Veterinarian
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Hello thank you for using PetCoach. I'm sorry that Florence is having this issue. Has a skin scraping/cytology been done in that area? Has a urinalysis/urine culture been done or was she just prescribed antibiotics? Any radiographs (X-rays)? Is there discharge coming from the vulva? Bloodwork? Culture of the skin - maybe there is resistant bacteria there. It may not be bacterial, it may be yeast/fungal so antibiotics would not treat that - she would need antifungals (like oral ketoconazole). Also, this may not be a skin issue. The skin manifestation could be secondary and not the primary problem. Like she could have a urinary issue (like bladder stones) or even an autoimmune issue. Have her anal glands be checked? More testing needs to be done. If nothing can be found with the urinary system then I would recommend a skin biopsy and then treatment can be tailored based on those results. I'm sorry but I don't really have enough information to be that helpful. All I can recommend is more testing if you really want an answer. Otherwise you can keep changing and trying things with no resolution. You may also want to consult with a veterinary dermatologist if there is one in your area. In my opinion you are not bathing often enough. It should be done twice weekly and you need to be sure you are leaving the shampoo on for 10 minutes before rinsing. While waiting to get her back to your vet for more testing I would recommend the following: 1. Start her on an immune system support supplement: ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=133838 ) 2. On the days you are not bathing you can apply this medicated mousse to the area. You do not rinse it. Do it once daily. ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=145608 ) I hope this helps. Best wishes.
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