Advice on Tail Surgery/neutering and odd mouth sores

k1ngEr0s

New member
Nov 23, 2013
10
0
North Carolina
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United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Sir Diesel Bon Robbins (Diesel)
Hello all, I am totally a newb at the bully scene. I rescued an english bulldog who we have dubbed Sir Diesel Bon Robbins (the first). This little guy was given to me at 3months of age by a good friend who knew I had been holding out for a rescue. My friend came across this little guy due to the fact that breeders down here can be sort of careless. If the puppy will not make the breeder money then it is dropped off somewhere out in the country or worse. I've waited at least 7 years for Diesel. He was given to me due to the fact that he was diagnosed with a stage 4 heart murmur and she explained that he might not live that long. I didn't care because I fell in love the moment I laid eyes on him. I've trained dogs, hundreds of dogs, but nothing compares to what I have gone through for my lil man. Having an English Bulldog is like having a toddler/baby. You have to watch them like a hawk. He has a corkscrew tail so everywhere we go, even when it's to grandma's he has a bookbag filled with treats, chew toys, and baby wipes to wipe his butt after he poops. He's extremely frustrating at times, especially when it comes to trying to clip his nails or clean his ears...(if anyone has any times on that PLEASE let me know...I've tried everything. I've spent hours upon hours reading food labels to researching home cooked meals only to end up going down the raw food diet route. (hopefully that was the right choice) Blue buffalo was giving him bad skin infections and making him sick to his stomach and my home cooked meals weren't giving him the nutrients he needed and making him all yeasty. Now I'm at a bit of a cross roads. I have three major concerns and two a lot bigger than the one so I'll start with those.

Diesel has a stage 4 heart murmer. It is very loud. He doesn't act like it a lot but I do my best to let him live but to keep him calm as well. I want to get him fixed but after a lot of research I decided to wait until the 9 month mark to be safe. I read that doing 9months to a year old helps prevent a lot of cancers. After numerous check ups two vets have told me that he needs to have tail surgery. I explained to both I wanted him to be fixed at the same time as getting the tail done due to his condition and both stated that he would be lightly sedated so they did not see having any complications. Both are great vets but not bulldog specific vets. This still makes me nervous. I'm scared I will lose him after all this time waiting for him. He has not had any infections but my vet informed me that you want to get it done before there is one because once there is an infection, it's hard to come back from. I'm nervous about after the surgery because Diesel acts like superman. I don't know what has to be done and if I can keep him calm enough.

Lastly, my third thing is these mouth sores he has been getting when he chews a bully stick or his horn. I pick on him and say he has the "herps". That's really the only way I know how to describe what it may look like. I've used malaket wipes and it is way better but I don't know if it's from chewing these certain things. Maybe it could be splinters? Any info and advice would be great.

Thank you,
Christopher and Diesel
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
Staff member
Community Veteran
Jul 28, 2011
48,580
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Gilbertsville, PA
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Bulldog(s) Names
Chelios (Frenchie), Nitschke (2004-2011) Banks (2005-2014) and Lambeau (2014-2024)
Well, you are one GREAT Bully Dad! I would stop with the bully sticks, they are not good for them and can splinter and cause choking hazards. Use deer antlers, marrow bones, Nylabones, Kong toys - all are safe and will not cause mouth sores.
@kim n the guys has two bully babies with heart murmurs and she can give some advice there.
@Libra926 her Vegas had his tail amputated so she has experience
@desertskybulldogs can give some info on the heart murmur and the sedation process -- there is a specific drug that is better used on bullies and I can not remember the name of it

Can you give us more info around the food you are feeding... brand and protein? [MENTION=7457]Blueberrys Mom[/MENTION] may be able to help you find a better food to help Sir Diesel

And, many more member will be along to help as well.

thank you for saving this little guy and giving him a wonderful home
 
Last edited:

Libra926

Pistol Packing Bullyagrapher
Staff member
May 5, 2010
7,482
734
Washington
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United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Vegas and Orion
:pics:

I just had to get that out of the way! Congrats on your baby! I don't know why your story surprises me....about some breeders dumping sick or non-money makers out on the road just cause they are careless and heartless animals. Thank you for saving him! Vegas had his tail amputated when he was 7 months old. He had a tail pocket that went past the vets 2nd knuckle. It was very tight and he was miserable. He was down for a day and a half.....in a lot of pain. The dr gave him tramadol to add to the meds they originally gave him and he started to perk up. By the second day he was climbing on furniture. The important thing is to keep your furniture covered with sheets and blankets because the wound will seep. Seep. And seep. If I had the choice of doing it over again for him.....I honestly think I would. At the time I made the choice, I was naive. There was no FB and there was no EBN. I didn't have all these wonderful people to ask questions about. When I picked him up I was shocked. I didn't realize closing the tail pocket would actually result in removing all but 1/4 inch of the tail vertebrae. This is a very serious surgery. They are messing with the spine. So make sure the Dr that you choose is aware of the breed problems with anesthesia.

I have photos...that are kinda gross. If you want to see them, let me know I will post them!
 

kim n the guys

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Community Veteran
Apr 3, 2011
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Holt, MI
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United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Oliver, Sebastian, Remy, Gracie, and Tonka (10-21-07 to 05-29-14 RIP)
The anesthesia that should be used is Isoflourine, NOT ACE!!! Please make sure you vet is fully aware of that, you have the right to request (demand) what gas they use. Also Remy and Sebastian are my two with grade 4 pulmonic stenosis. With your baby, have you had an echo done on his heart yet? That would be the first step. Remy was neutered at 8 months because his urethra prolapsed so I had him neutered at the same time. Sebastian was neutered at 2 years old and my vet would not even consider putting him under for surgery until he had an echo done and was given the all clear by his cardiologist. So if neither of the vets you have talked to have not referred you to a cardiologist for an echo, I would def find another vet. Both Remy and Sebastian have echos done every year to monitor their heart. Remy's is not as severe as Sebastian's but both boys are healthy and very happy. Remy just turned 2 and Sebastian will be 3 in December. Neither one were expected to live long, yet here they are!
 
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k1ngEr0s

k1ngEr0s

New member
Nov 23, 2013
10
0
North Carolina
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Sir Diesel Bon Robbins (Diesel)
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My vet reccommended it but she did not push for it...She made it seem like the surgery was not that big of a deal. The echo they quoted would be around 400. The neuter and screw tail surgery would be 239. Glad I didn't make that appointment yet for the surgery. I figured she would have said I needed to get the echo first before the surgery. I told them about the murmur. She agreed it was bad but said it sounds like it could be in an area that could be fixed...and sent me a quote from the vet school for the echo and surgery if possible. She did say the longer I wait for surgery the worst things could be depending on if it became infected...and was stating he has more of a chance pulling out of it when he's younger than if I would wait til he was older.
 

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