Margaret Brown
Post subject: Staph Infection
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 4:46 am

G'day how you going?

I took Oscar to the vet this afternoon thinking that the constant itching and licking of the last 7 days was related to a intolerance to veal. I also muzzle Oscar when the vet was to have a look, I layed him back in my lap in the submissive position so Dr Anne could have a look at his belly, she examined it and told me it was a staph infection. Because it is both greasy and dry and red of course where his lordship has been licking. He has kept me up most nights with the licking. We don't really get any sleep until 3.00 am in the morning. I gave him an Advantix flea treatment the other evening and started him back on his boring Turkey diet at Pamela's suggestion and he spat the food at me. But the vet tells me and I suspected I knew this anyway that it is the hot and humid weather it's anywhere between 100 to 120 Fahreinheit. It's flea season and it starts suddenly raining and them it's hot and steamy again. So it will be a Malaseb bath and Neocort Cream and a cranky little doggy.

Marg

PwD-SD-Awareness
Post subject: Re: Staph Infection
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 2:25 pm

Hi Marg,
Oh my! Sorry to hear about Oscar's issue. And to have to deal with the hot humid weather to boot which doesn't make him feel any better. On a list I am on they were talking about staph infection. I will have to go into their archives and see if there is something there that you may add to help him feel better.

Let's Talk Pet Foods
Post subject: Re: Staph Infection
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:04 pm



Hi Marge,

Wow........so that is what it is ! I bet that is a relief to you knowing that it is not the food and will go away.
Now all you have to do is figure out what he wants to eat <G>

Poor Oscar having to deal with all that humidity. What are they giving him for the staph infection? An anti-biotic?

Margaret Brown
Post subject: Re: Staph Infection
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 3:26 am

Dr Anne - did not offer any antibotics to Oscar, she knows not too - well, the problem is his gut reacts so badly to the drugs that it is just not worth it. Even on a very low dose we have problems. He ends up not eating or vomiting or with runny bowel. So now we just do our best to follow a set routine which we try to manage via food and washing him with malaseb and creaming him with neocort and pawpaw ointment.

Cortisone gives him pancreatitis, ever since he was a baby.

He already has meds for his condition, Congestive Heart Failure, every day. So now we are at the stage where we just try our best to deal with any additional problems as best we can.

I know this is not an ideal way to manage it but feel it is fairer for Oscar. Of course he is very cranky at the moment. I must cream him in the morning and in the evening and try and distract him from licking. He gets cranky about this and must be muzzled for the creaming that is. I don't think he will bite but will thrash around - he is a Alpha male of course. I sing to him - "she'll be coming round the mountain" , could enjoy it - but my singing might be less tolerable than the creaming. Although deep down I think he is pleased he gets some relief. He also has to wear the elizabethan collar when we are not home. Which gives the skin a break. It's so hot, we leave the gate down (toddler gate)so he can wander and lie down in cooler areas of the house.

When I arrived home this afternoon he looked as though he had just arisen from his afternoon siesta. Quite the leisurely lad.

All the best
Marg

Let's Talk Pet Foods
Post subject: Re: Staph Infection
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 10:48 am



Hi Marge,

Oh my, I do not envy you trying to deal with this issue. I know that when Lil-Lea gets ill with anything, it upsets me. She had a little rash on her private area the other day, which I only noticed because she kept licking there and she does not usually do that. I kept putting A&D Ointment on it and then kept her diaper on during the day time for a couple of days and it is all healed up now.

She rarely as to wear her diaper now, during she day time as she sleeps next to me most of the time and I only put one on her when I go out and leave her alone wit Rick. (He forgets to remind her to go potty)

I hope Oscar feels better soon :) It is so hard when our babies are ill. Lil also has tummy issues from time to time and it drives me crazy because I can't do anything to help her really. I just have to wait for it to pass and try to comfort her. Sometimes a day will go by and she just is not hungry. I am OK with that, but if it goes on for another day, then I start to worry, but so far a day and a half has been about the most she has gone without wanting to eat.

It sounds like you do not have A/C at your home? Someone told me that A/C is not a huge thing over there and a lot of people do not have it. Is that true and if so, why not? Perhaps yo all are more frugal over there then we are here? <G>

If i had to live in that kind of heat, I think I would be passing out all the time. I have sensitivity to cold and heat. In the summer, when it reaches 80- degrees I can tell you without a thermometer because my body begins to react to it.

Give hugs to little Oscar for Lil-Lea and I and hugs to you too :) {{{{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}

Margaret Brown
Post subject: Re: Staph Infection
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 6:17 pm

Pamela,

We do have airconditioning but only in the bedrooms, coz that is the hottest part of the house - but we don't leave it on when we are away at work. I put it on when I get home and keep it on for probably 5 or 6 hours and turn it off just before I go to sleep. Most of the old style Federation houses have high ceilings and the Air con has to be installed and the box is either on the wall, the roof or in the side path. During the night I have a ceiling fan on Oscar to keep him cool. The problem with the Air con is that they are expensive plus they are noisy and the next door neighbours can be problematic. They don't mind making the noise they just don't like listening too it.

My sister thinks that if we leave the air con on during the day the house might blow up and we will have a fire if we are not home. I suspect it is the cost of it.

Last Saturday was a really really bad day and I had to stay in the house it was about 42 deg cel and about 100 deg fahreinheit and that was on our verandah. So I can only imagine what it was like in the backyard.

Oscar has passed out now as it had a bath with me ........................................ I nearly burnt the house down just then. I was boiling the kettle for a cup of coffee and I forgot about it. I thought gee what's that smell it smells like burning. So I go to the kitchen and it's the kettle. Have to be careful. My sister says FOCUS.

Marg

Let's Talk Pet Foods
Post subject: Re: Staph Infection
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:56 am




Well, sleeping at night is the most important, so if yo are cool enough without it at night, then you can still sleep well. Having it on when you are home is great tough. I don't know what I would do without mine now.


Poor little Oscar ........ I am glad he is comfortable.

Don't feel bad about forgetting something on the stove! I have discovered this last year that if i am cooking something ......... " I DO NOT LEAVE THE KITCHEN" ! PERIOD!

I have tried to and every time, I will burn something ! So, I never leave the kitchen any more now until I am done cooking, unless it might be t run into the bathroom for a second.but that's it! I just get sidetracked too easy ! ........