forgot to add phoebe is 5 and has had 28 courses of antibiotics

Next time I call I will need to ask about how many courses of AB's he has had because I would not be surprised at double figures with him, after going through a whole notes section in a diary I gave up on keeping his 'medical care journal' so to speak. He is about your girls age too.

my fear with something like surgery there would be joint issues in the paws (from splaying out as dobes have 'high, tight feet') secondary infection risk and also the fear that they may re-appear somewhere else.

Don't suppose your vet mentioned the 'cons' to the surgery?
Seems so good that she has had no bother since

its so hard isnt it, i keep the letter the insurance sends to keep track of hers. peopple say im unlucky with phoebe but i dont think so, shes lucky she got me as im sure shed be dead if some yob got her as she would never of got the care shes needed. But my skin specialist has put phoebes skin and ear problems down to the fact she has had so many ab's so trying not to give them now, so have to keep a very close eye for any cuts ect so can hibiscrub them ect to avoid needing abs.

does your guy have skin and ear problems aswell?

no he didnt, just about restitching due to her extra pads. but if yours isnt in the webbing that shouldnt be removed just go inside and remove the actual cyst as they are meant to be like little bags that refill with fluid for whatever reason. phoebes was due to being sore from allergys so she groomed them to the point she created the cysts. something about blocking the pores. vet described to me as if it was a huge zit that would keep refilling and only way to get rid was to remove

he has only started getting the skin and ear problems recently and I'm fearing its the same thing tbh. Once this longterm trial of AB's has been done I am hoping to avoid them!

Well Loui has given himself a granuloma (I think its called?) which is a lump from licking before but mainly his cysts are just that, full blown actual cysts

For one part where he left a hole in his leg as he bit at it he was given a steroid gel which worked really well and I am thinking if this does not work that will be the next thing I ask about, however the side effects list did say that it can also cause irreversible damage to skin so this is not without risk!

I am also trying to avoid longterm steroids for him as long as possible.

Today his eyes and ears are a lot better

Well, since I have been on here things have changed a bit.
Not for the better.

He is peeing by the gallon and does not seem to be able to wait long, a few hours at most and then pee's a gallon. Yet he is not drinking more than usual and is still eating chicken. I havent changed his food yet.

I have taken him back to the vet as I was concerned about this and his breathing.

He has had his AB's changed to Clavaseptin, and his chest is "noisy", he goes back mid week as I'm told it could turn to Pneumonia pretty easily. Lets hope not. There is no coughing. So he is on these AB's now and his eye drops and is not to be exercised/walked too much.

Please send him some good dogsey vibes, I'd hate for this to turn to something worse, but I don't have a good feeling about this at the moment. I'm pretty worried about him now!

aww poor him and you

i would wonder if he has a compromised immune system

as far as the cysts go... your vet will tell u if surgery is an option...if there is enough skin to perform the procedure,ab's used solidly can become ineffective so often a 'pulse' system is operated...

i would also try an exclusion diet.....once he has got over his chest infection.

vibes woo's n hugs winging their way from here to u guys xxx

thanks for your reply Tupacs, I think that all these AB's etc over time has comprimised his system where he lready had a food intolerance, he now has this...

I am not sure what to do diet wise now though. I didn't really want to change his food when they said chest infection but at the same time I cant keep feeding chicken without the chicken livers (that I cant get locally) especially when he is ill as he will need his b-vits and I am not sure whether to feed the lambs liver now

PS thanks for the vibes, I think he really needs them this time He is not himself.