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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Dog with unexplained itching cured by antibiotics and vaccine

By Miller, W H·Published in The Cornell veterinarian·1991·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Antibiotic-responsive generalized nonlesional pruritus in a dog.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A 15-year-old dog had severe itching all over its body for five months that didn't respond to standard treatments. After various tests, the vet discovered the dog had a sensitivity to bacteria. The itching was successfully treated with antibiotics, and the dog remained itch-free for three years by using lower doses of antibiotics along with a special vaccine for staphylococcal bacteria.

People also search for: dog itching treatment · antibiotic for dog skin problems · staphylococcal vaccine for dogs

Abstract

A 15-year-old dog was evaluated for a nonresponsive generalized pruritic condition of 5 months duration. Routine diagnostic testing, including intradermal testing with 63 inhaled allergens and the feeding of a home-cooked hypoallergenic diet, failed to define the cause of the pruritus. An intradermal skin test with a staphylococcal cell wall/toxoid mixture and a skin biopsy of the skin test site suggested that the dog had a bacterial hypersensitivity. Antibiotic therapy eliminated the pruritus and the dog's pruritus was successfully managed for 3 years with the combined use of subtherapeutic dosages of antibiotics and a commercial staphylococcal vaccine.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1954743/