Am I being a worry-wart or do you think this is serious?

[Rachel]

First I want to say that we do have an appointment with the vet for next saturday Oct. 8th but I wanted to see if you guys think she should be seen earlier then that.

I called the vet a couple months ago about bumps on sophie's chin and they said it was probably just acne/irritation and that is was normal for them to bleed so I didn't really worry about it.  Well in the last week or so the bumps have seemed to spread.  She now has some on her jowels and near her nose.    I've attached some pictures... It actually looks a lot worse in person.   They feel like a hard bump but they do not really seem to bother her.  She doesn't care if I touch or mess with them but she does scratch them every once in a while.

Has anyone seen this before? Should I worry? It just weird that it has spread.  Should I get her into the vet earlier then next week?  Let me know your thoughts.  Thanks!

[mck]

Puppy pimples!  Really, its called juvenile acne.  It's caused by a staph infection and you can help you dog with this by cleaning her chin and jowls after eating and playing and using benzoyl peroxide on them....same stuff kids with acne use.

[Rachel]

I've tried cleaning them with dial soap but it didn't really seem to help.

[sarnewfie]

hmmmm
i have never seen puppy pimples that severe before?
did you have the vet look at that?
there is also a wart virus going around that is contagious.

[Icerotti]

I had a female rotti Shaste who had something that looked very similar almost exactly to that. It was a form of dog acne. The vet gave us a cream to put on it it took a few weeks and it went away. The odd time after she would get a break out and we would just apply the cream again. Some would bleed. You would go to pet her and a big streak of blood would be on your hand. She did scratch at it once and a while. I squeezed a few of ers and it would be pussy and sometimes have a white core to it. Just like acne does in humans. Her was mainly under her chin. 
Good luck and hope all is well.

[Rachel]

hmmmm
i have never seen puppy pimples that severe before?
did you have the vet look at that?
there is also a wart virus going around that is contagious.

The vet is going to look at it next saturday

Icerotti:  Yeah hers bleed sometimes (which is very embarassing when company is over and they get a big ol' blood smear on their pants...)  but i've never seen them puss or have a core... but i'll check again when i get home tonight..

[GR8DAME]

Merlin had that in his adolescence, and pretty severely as well. Our vet suggested we switch him to metal food and water bowls and run them through the dishwasher daily for water and after every meal for food bowls. He suggested non-alcohol hpyo-allergenic baby wipes for frequent clean-ups after meals and also the benzoyl peroxide cream twice a day. It will clear up, then flare up, and eventually clear up altogether on it's own as they get older, but it is unsightly and messy until then. I actually have been waiting fo it to show up on Strider, but knock on wood, it hasn't yet.
Good luck!
Stella

[Rachel]

hmmm...  she's supposedly 2 years old... I wonder if thats too old for 'puppy acne'?  It sounds like most of your guys storys are about more adolecent dogs.. 

Thanks everyone for the advise!   I guess I will just wait to see what the vet says but it sounds like its probably not an emergancy so I wont try and make and earlier appointment.

[Rachel]

Tina:  I wish hers would just clear up on its own  but its been at least a month now 
even with cleaning it.. 

LaurelGrove:   oh yeah, that is true.. 

[ZooCrew]

Yup, looks like puppy acne to me.   

Stainless steel bowls are best.  Not sure about the ceramic.  Plastic bowls tend to breed more bacteria, which gets on their nose and chin after eating, causing the acne to break out.  It's nothing serious, and some dogs are more prone to it than others.  Gunther has not yet had an outbreak, but he has had a pimple here and there.

I also would suggest washing the bowls after eating.  It should help cut down the outbreaks.  I've heard of people using acne medicine on them before, although I've never tried it myself.

[Icerotti]

hmmm...  she's supposedly 2 years old... I wonder if thats too old for 'puppy acne'?  It sounds like most of your guys storys are about more adolecent dogs.. 

Thanks everyone for the advise!   I guess I will just wait to see what the vet says but it sounds like its probably not an emergancy so I wont try and make and earlier appointment.

Shaste was older when she got hers . I can't remember but around  3-4 years old.