Infected Hair Folicle?

[Duke's Mom]

OMG, this is gross. And, not sure where to put it, or if there are other threads - not even sure what to look up.

Duke had a "bump" like an enlarged lymph node or maybe a fatty tumor on the middle of his back just to his right of his spine. I noticed it a few days ago. It struck me as very odd right from the beginning as I didn't notice it small and growing. One day it was just there.

So, I spoke to my vet and she said the next time he was in we would just do a needle draw and see what was in there but her suspicion was also a fatty tumor. If it grew or changed at all, get him in sooner. (he goes in quite often for his anal glands anyway)

So, last night I noticed that I could actually see it while he was walking. I checked it and it had grown from a nickel size in the morning to a quarter/half dollar in one day!!!!! Freaked me out. I was rolling it in between my fingers to see if it was attached or just free moving. I squeezed under the "mass" to expose his skin to see if it was discolored or anything and "splat, pop" it popped! OMG, it was so gross!!! I didn't have to apply any pressure to it at all for it to pop.

It is not bothering him at all, he could get to it to lick it if he wanted to but he's absolutely leaving it alone. I clipped all the hair around it and the hole is about 1/8" in diameter and very visably deep. The skin is red about 1/2 dollar size and is still raised and you can tell it's still full of puss and blood or something. I squeezed what I could, but now it's just bleeding. I put Betadine on it and am keeping it open. It didn't close up during the night which I'm imagining is good. It doesn't smell at all but is draining - well, not really draining, but like I said open.

I'm so glad it opened, I think. I was really concerned it was more than a fatty tumor but just not wanting to go there.

Has anyone experienced this before?

I'm calling the vet this morning. Not sure when they can get in to see him. I'm wondering if they are going to put a wick in it to keep it open and draining. So wierd!

And, right on the heels of trying to get him off his antehistamines and changing food, etc. Coincidence? He's indoors about 95% of the time. Leave it to my boy to be "unique" :woofpup

[Tom]

Wow. The way you describe it, it does sound like it was probably an infected follicle. You might put an antibiotic like neosporin on it and the vet may or may not prescribe a prophalaxis round of antibiotics, but it sounds like you've probably got it under control now. Yuck.

Lacey's got some fleshy bumps about 1/8" across and 1/4" long coming off the front of her lower jaw. I just noticed them this weekend. I'm not sure what they are (it doesn't look like juvenile canine acne) so we're going to see the vet on Friday.

[Tom]

I assume that Duke has not had a shot recently?

Researching Lacey's bumps, I came across this page which I'm finding interesting:
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1593&articleid=424

[Duke's Mom]

Hi, Tom. Thanks for replying. Now, I'm a little concerned. I actually didn't "squeeze" the lump on purpose. However, now that I've got action from it, I squeezed a little this morning and actually got some more out from a new wound - same proximity as where I shaved him last night.

I hope I've not done anything wrong. This does not bother him in the slightest. His appt. is this afternoon at 4:00. I'll know then and will let you know what she says.

Oh, and no, no shots. HOWEVER, it is around the area where they would give him a shot in his back, you know the area? Thanks for the link - VERY informative.

What do you think Lacey's bumps are? Are they actually on her lips or on her "chin"? I hope you get answers soon. Thanks again.

[Tom]

If the cyst was that easy to open, then I can't imagine that you did anything that wouldn't have happened anyway.

I haven't a clue as to what the bumps are on Lacey's chin - that's where they are, in the fur on the point of her chin. Perhaps it's some sort of virus or something. They're fleshy but solid, perhaps the teeniest bit crusty. It's probably nothing - I'm probably just being a worried dad, you know? I hope to find out more on Friday.

[Duke's Mom]

Infected Subcutaneous Cyst. 4 different bacterias in it. She saw the white cells working overtime to devour them.

Course of action - clean 3 times a day with antibacterial soap AFTER squeezing and reopening to allow for drainage.

So, I didn't do anything wrong. It already looks better with 2 antibiotics in him. 2 pills 2X daily.

I hope Lacey's is as easily remedied, Tom. Thanks again.

[Tailer'sFolks]

Glad you know what the bump...goo...is and you did the right thing....keep it clean & keep the anti's going...

I was trying to remember a remedy I used once for a boil...small glass medicine bottle (here is where I forget, so I did not post yesterday...Tom will know...I should...daaa...) get the bottle hot with tap water, put the open end over the boil, then get a cold wash cloth and surround the bottle...the action should suck the goo out. But is it hot bottle cold wash cloth or cold bottle warm wash cloth...

[Tom]

Gosh TF, I never heard of that remedy.... Makes sense to me, though, to warm the skin site with a warm wash cloth (to open the pores and to bring fluid to the area so the pus is more runny, cool the bottle (to make it smaller), put the bottle over the site, and then put a warm wash cloth around the bottle (to expand it and to create a vacuum). However, I can't imagine that the vacuum that would be created could be that much so as to draw anything out of the boil.

Like I said, I really don't know.

DM, glad that it's an easy thing to take care of. I'm hoping that whatever Lacey's got, it can be taken care of really easily as these little things on her chin feel really wierd when I rub her muzzle....

[Tom]

Warts. The vet thinks she's got warts from looking at it. She even brought in another vet in the group for a look-see and an opinion. No biopsy, though. The options, as I've heard them (my wife took Lacey in this morning and I've not had a chance to call with questions) are to leave them and let them run their course (presumably they'll fall off, I don't know - I've never had them myself), or to freeze them which, since she's got about a half dozen of them that suddenly appeared, would entail about half her chin. The vet asked if Lacey had been in close contact with other dogs but, honestly, the last time she was it was back in late July when she was kenneled during our San Diego trip. I'm not sure, given how fast these things popped up that this timeline would make sense.

Right now, I feel like I have more questions than answers.

[Tom]

Once again, TGRS comes through! This link:
http://www.topgoldenretrieversites.net/forums/showthread.php?t=890&highlight=papil%2A

taught me a little bit about viarl papillomas (warts) and, it appears that, the incubation period is 1-2 months which is precisely the time period when Lacey was at the kennel not once, but twice!

I'll keep reading, but it seems like something we'll just live with for a few months. It really does feel weird to scratch her chin - something I do every morning and every night with my hand draping over the side of the bed. I guess I'll keep doing that - she loves it after all - but I'll be missing her smooth chin until the day it returns!

[Duke's Mom]

Well, Tom, I guess that's good news, right?

Are you sure she wasn't playing with the toads in Ginger's yard? See training forum. Old wives tale when I was growing up in Nebraska. I'm sure it was my mom trying to get me to be a little girl instead of such a "Tom" boy (no pun intended)

I know what it's like having the pet feel different. Just with Duke's cyst (which is getting better, btw) when I pet his back, I hate the feel of the thing.

bonex1 bonex1 bonex1 Here, Lacey, these are for you - this is Duke your friend. Don't play with the toadz no more, okay? Cuz if they pee on you, you get the worts.

Oh, TF, I haven't tried your home remedy, yet, but might. I'm such a ditz. When I read it I thought, "how am I going to get the bottle over the cyst with all the hot water in it? " rofl3 Like I said . . . . .

Thanks guys. Give Lacey and Tailer big wet smooches on their noses and that furry place between their nose and top lip for me and then a big sniff of their fuzzy paws.

[Tom]

Yes, DukesMom, I do remember the old wives tale about toads causing warts. I caught 'em anyway. What can I say? :)