Neosporin and/or Cortisone Cream okay?

Realize that Neosporin  and hydrocortisone are different medications. Neo is a triple antibiotic and hydrocortisone is an anti itch/anti inflammatory steroid. What are you trying to accomplish; reduction of itch or combating infection?

 

Paula 

Sunshinegirl

My Shih tzu has what appears to be a couple of either flea or red ant bites above her left eye which she has scratched bloody. I cleaned it up with some warm water and wonder if it's okay to put Hydrocortisone or Neosporin cream on the area? I gave her Benadryl last night and this morning and she is on Frontline Plus. I don't know where these "bites" are coming from. My other dog doesn't have them, ever. Any ideas??????

 

 

My vet recommended Neosporin for a minor rash, to inhibit infection, till I could get in to see him.   

Paula - I want to accomplish both.......right now, since it just appeared after she left the groomer yesterday, I want to inhibit the itch so she doesn't make it worse, which is why I'm also giving the Benadryl and will continue to until I get her to the vet. Then, depending on how it looks tomorrow, start the antibiotic cream. I think my daughter can take her to the vet tomorrow. I just wish I knew where the bumps/bites were coming from????? She has had them on her chest area, on her leg and a couple of times on her head. I feel so bad for her!!!! My girls are so spoiled in every way, and yet, I feel like I can't prevent this skin irritation. Why doesn't my other dog have these bites????? If it were red ants, which are very prevalent here in Florida, my other girl would have them too.............BYW, it takes forever for them to heal, like a red ant bite, I'm just at a loss!!! :(

 You can use cortisone cream also!

Sunshinegirl

Paula - I want to accomplish both.......right now, since it just appeared after she left the groomer yesterday, I want to inhibit the itch so she doesn't make it worse, which is why I'm also giving the Benadryl and will continue to until I get her to the vet. Then, depending on how it looks tomorrow, start the antibiotic cream. I think my daughter can take her to the vet tomorrow. I just wish I knew where the bumps/bites were coming from????? She has had them on her chest area, on her leg and a couple of times on her head. I feel so bad for her!!!! My girls are so spoiled in every way, and yet, I feel like I can't prevent this skin irritation. Why doesn't my other dog have these bites????? If it were red ants, which are very prevalent here in Florida, my other girl would have them too.............BYW, it takes forever for them to heal, like a red ant bite, I'm just at a loss!!! :(

My first question HAS to be how old is this dog??  If it's a puppy there is a chance that this is demodex, in which case you do *not* want to use cortisone.

I'm in Florida also -- and I hate red ants with a passion.  But, if a red ant got caught in her air she'd have more than just a bite or two -- she'd probably have tons.  Maybe not both -- because unless she was near an ant-hill (in which case there would be a ton of them and the dog would literally be in mortal danger from anaphylactic reaction) there could have been one ant.

Ifyou are giving Benedryl -- give 1-2 mg/lb body weight.  If you think this is an ant or spider bite give the full 2 mg dose. 

A spider bite mite be possible as well -- is she acting at all lethargic, or like it is sore/hurtful for her to move?  IF SO, get her to a vet Monday, she will need antibiotics.  (darned brown spiders)

However, this sounds more like an atopic allergy since you say she's had them in other places. 

Can you tell if it's a papule (no puss inside - just hard/sore red bump) or a pustule (there's actually puss or white junk inside the bump)??  If it's a papule (which it sounds like) that truly makes me think it's an allergy thing -- and likely not food allergy. 

Something to think about -- you may want to consider adding a holistic vet -- particularly I would recommend one that does "TCVM" - or traditional Chinese veterinary medicine.  We're blessed in Florida with several really good ones.  A number up towards Gainesville, a couple of super good ones near Tampa/Tarpon Springs, and then two super good ones here in the Orlando area. 

Allergies can respond really well to TCVM and additionally, there are Chinese herbs that help a whole lot with exactly such red, inflamed bumps (which my Billy gets ALL the time unless I keep after it). 

Try http://www.tcvm.com -- that's the Chi Institute and they have a really good locator on the left side of the front page of the site.  You can plug in your zip code or just look at a list of all the vets in the state.

Good luck. (I know a lot of these vets - Billy's been treated so many places and I know several of the vets from UF who have gone elsewhere in the state -- so holler if I can help.)

 Callie

 

If the bites are close to her eye or if she has fur that hangs down near her eye, do not use any type of cream with a steroid in it. If creams with steroids get into the eye, you can end up with big eye issues. Of course if a little gets in, it wouldn't be that bad.

Thanks Callie - She is a year old, but these bumps have been appearing for a while now. She hasn't experienced any hair loss, but they itch a lot and then scab and take forever to go away. They aren't pus filled. Usually there are several in an area - 3 to 5 normally, which is why I suspected red ants. She hasn't been itching them today, probably due to the Benadryl and cortisone cream, which I was very careful to use sparingly. We do have a holistic vet in Sarasota, I'll call her tomorrow. I'm just stumped because my other dog doesn't get these bumps, ever! It's just wierd, I would think that she would since they are together constantly and go outside to the same areas, etc. Could it be an allergy to dust mites maybe???? I mean, we have a nice clean house, but I think everyone has them, not matter how clean they are. She does seem to have real sensitive skin. I dunno.........

In honesty, that sounds a lot like demodex -- the only thing that causes 'hair loss' in demodex is when the mites kick the hair out of the follicles.  They CAN however, make a nasty sore and are really prone to staph infection.  Definitely should have the vet take a look -- steroids are NOT the thing to use. 

Ants wouldn't stay local like that - they'd go further.  And dogs typically do NOT get a bump from a flea bite.  We do, they don't. 

I suggested the TCVM because the herbals are completely different.  Dr. Juday is right in Sarasota, but I'm not familiar with her.  Good luck!

 If it is demodex email me and I'll send you more information -- it's not hard to treat once you know what you're dealing with but I sure wouldn't want to go on what you've got now.