[KaysDuke]

Hi, I'm new to the Boxer Forums, but I'm so glad I joined, I've read a lot of interesting things already.  This is my first time posting and I need a little bit of help.  I noticed some scabbing on the underside of Duke (my boxer) 's neck about 2 weeks ago, and at first, we had thought it was just from him roughhousing with other boxers at the park, and they would go away, and they didn't get any worse, but they weren't getting better either, so we took him to the vet 2 days ago, and the vet told us it was staph and prescribed some medication 3 times a day and instructed us to wash it twice a day with a specially medicated shampoo he gave us.  He also said to try not to let the sores scab up because they need air and for the soap to get to them. However, I wash his neck in the morning before I go to work, and in the evening after he eats dinner, but while he is sleeping overnight and while we are at work, the sores get somewhat of a crusty scab over them, I don't know how I'm supposed to keep them from scabbing.  If anybody has any suggestions, or has experience with this, it'd be very appreciated. Thanks!!

 

[sharonL]

Sorry you are having a hard time with this......I can tell you how I have delt with this situation.....One I normally will have them on Cephalexin by mouth three times a day....keep in mind though that some staph is hard to take care of and sometimes it will clear while on med's and then once off the med's come back....But, generally I have seen it healed with one treatment and then maybe one refill.....The shampoo is usually some sort of anti-fungal or anti-bac type and it is good to wash it 2 to 3 times a day.....Now on the scabs.....Generally I will not let them scab for about the first 4 days, this is so that if there is any pus in the wounds that it will not be trapped on the skin under a scab....after that....well everything should start to look dry (dry skin and scabs) and from that point is okay to let it scab because the truth is it will not heal until it scabs and the longer you pick them off the longer it will take to heal...

Hope that helps some!!!!

 

[KaysDuke]

Sorry you are having a hard time with this......I can tell you how I have delt with this situation.....One I normally will have them on Cephalexin by mouth three times a day....keep in mind though that some staph is hard to take care of and sometimes it will clear while on med's and then once off the med's come back....But, generally I have seen it healed with one treatment and then maybe one refill.....The shampoo is usually some sort of anti-fungal or anti-bac type and it is good to wash it 2 to 3 times a day.....Now on the scabs.....Generally I will not let them scab for about the first 4 days, this is so that if there is any pus in the wounds that it will not be trapped on the skin under a scab....after that....well everything should start to look dry (dry skin and scabs) and from that point is okay to let it scab because the truth is it will not heal until it scabs and the longer you pick them off the longer it will take to heal...

Hope that helps some!!!!

Thanks so much for your help!!  We do have him on Cephalexin right now, and a antimicrobial shampoo the vet gave us, I try to wet the scabs down and take a washcloth and wipe them off, but they're so irritating and painful for him, he doesn't like to stand still, I don't know whether to shave his neck or not, because it's so hard to tell where they are on the back of his neck because of all the fur.  Thanks though, you've been a great help!

-Kristyn

 

[sharonL]

No I would not shave his neck....For no other reason then the clippers would aggrivate the skin....Just make sure he does not wear a collar any more then needed....and honestly is the sores are no longer wet and weepy looking I would stop rubbing them off and let it start healing....The Ceph is what is going to be the most help in the matter...It would heal even if you did nothing but the Ceph....