Diet, drug, supplement advice that can help please? (cysts)

So back to the vet for the usual (inter-digital cysts) but a slight change this time.

Loui has been doing less exercise and still eating etc yet has lost over 4kg's. He still seems to have the same 'covering' over his ribs etc and I had noticed his 'second thigh' had changed (less definition) I am thinking he has mainly lost muscle tissue. Anyone have any advice/experience of this? It has happened over the course of roughly a month, maybe two. I have really noticed it more just in the last few weeks and I didn't want to walk him too much when the licking started....

His eyes have been red over the past few days. He is prone to this but they were TOO red, just not him. He has been prescribed Maxitrol drops 3x a day.

Needless to say his paws developed inter-digital cysts, hence vet appointment.

I mentioned that I had noticed his ears hot, eyes red, cysts and that I have already tried all the short term anti-biotics etc in the past and usually it clears but then it isnt long until it reappears. He has already had skin scrapings, the contents of a cyst examined, ruled out mites etc etc.

I explained that I would like their opinion as to whether it is worth trying out long term anti-biotics; After looking around online I had found that some people's dogs didn't seem to have the cyst problems etc after a longer (8 week plus) term of anti-biotics and that Loui has never been on AB's this long. She agreed that it would be worth trying as they sometimes found this with 'skin issues'
He has been prescribed Trimacare. We have enough for four weeks and I have to phone in to discuss how he is doing at that time.

I am also to bathe his paws in Hibiscrub each night.

I also mentioned his allergy and said that we have avoided that and he hasn't had beef.....She did recommend I try fish. I know he is ok on pork but don't have Morrisons and am finding it hard to get pigs liver, kidneys, hearts etc. A diet solely of fish would be very expensive, also I am wondering if fish, without liver (would rather stick to one meat protein source at a time, unless I can have reliable source of pigs liver, which I don't at the moment) would be ok? (or rather not ok)

He is on chicken at the moment.

Also, wondering if I should be more reliant on feeding Orijen rather than his raw diet with raw meat as a sort of supplement rather than his main diet with the above (liver) issue. Also, if I do rely on pet food, should I still be giving him Omega 3 and Vitamin E? even though he is having mostly complete food?

Plus any other advice on this matter appreciated!

sorry for sounding a bit 'grasping at straws' and 'on edge' here but I really don't like him having to go through all this.

ps. So far no reaction to any fish.

phoebe had these cysts between her "toes" alot from over grooming them while we were first dealing with her allergys.

we did the whole anti-biotic and hisiscrub thing went on for about 9 months. soon as anti-biotics finished they were back. was horrible looked like she had cherries between her "toes" really wanted to stop the antibiotics as cant be good to be on them so long and in the end the vet recommended removing the webbing from between her "toes" i was shocked as it seamed drasic but went really well and healed a lot sooner than i thought it would. 2 weeks in bandages and lead walks for about a month and all went well. will post a photo of her web less feet if you want. does make her "toes" spread out when she walks so looks a bit funny as one goes out quite far and turns a bit and she is now very foot shy but that started as soon as the cycts started not just becasue of surgery. Im glad i did it as never had a problem with her feet since. worth atleast talking to your vet about

didnt remove from all "toes" just a few on front feet

If you could post photos that would be great. Must admit its a bit of a scary thought though

This is something no one has mentioned before. When she got the cysts was it just on the webbing as such or also on the sides of the digits?

Just wondering if its the fact that the air gets in there that stops them forming on the sides (have read about short coated dogs being more prone, tight feet etc) OR did she only get them on the actual webbing part that was removed?

Glad all went well for her.

they were in the webbing, she still has one but as she leaves it alone vet left it. Its like a marble inside the webbing. will do you some photos one looks a bit of a mess as phoebe being special as she is has extra bits to the pads on her feet that made stitching one of them back up hard

oh loui gets them on the sides
Right now (dont have camera on me ) they dont look as bad as they have but they give him more grief now than they ever did before and I think that is because they are now coming up where there is scar tissue from previous bouts

Oh heck, I am so sorry to hear that Loui has those dreaded cysts again - you know how much I sympathise.

Re the antibiotics, Jimmi has had four week courses in the past which certainly cleared the problem up for a while, but of course back it comes on a regular basis for no apparent reason. Perhaps the longer course that you are talking about will knock things on the head once and for all; it's worth a try anyway isn't it and I will be very interested to hear how you get on. We did the hibiscrub thing too, and whether it was a factor in keeping the cysts/abscesses at bay for a while we will probably never know.

Jimmi was on Wafcol Salmon & Potato, which suited him well until they changed the blooming recipe ( See Velvet Boxer's thread), he is now on Fish4dogs. The fish diet certainly sorted out his skin troubles etc., but made no difference to his feet which our vet feels is a totally different issue. Still, Loui is a different dog and as such may well benefit paw-wise from a fish diet. The complete fish foods are not cheap, but they are certainly cheaper than buying fish and adding vegetables etc; especially for a big dog.

So sorry again that you are going through this.

http://www.dorwest.com/Top/Common-Pr..._Digital-Cysts

not sure why her feet look bright red in these photos as there not.








webbing was only removed from the outside "toe" of each foot