Bald Spots on my Bully

Dante · Feb 19, 2012

Hi, my nine month bulldog has two bald spots on his side. They have been there for about 3 months. The vet has treated them with prednisone and simplicef oraly. Also a cream called mupirocin an baths of KetoChlor and ResiCort. None of the medicines have worked. I don't know what to do anymore but want my bully to get better. Any sugestions?

JAKEISGREAT · Feb 19, 2012

let's get someone that might know! [MENTION=2]desertskybulldogs[/MENTION]..[MENTION=2071]Davidh[/MENTION]..[MENTION=2894]2BullyMama[/MENTION]..[MENTION=2291]cowsmom[/MENTION]...and probably many more! Hang in there!

Sarah · Feb 19, 2012

Not sure what any of those medicine are for. Allergies? Did they do a skin scraping to check for mange?

Dante · Feb 19, 2012

Yes, he came back negative to all test

Sarah · Feb 19, 2012

hm. maybe seasonal flank alopecia?

2BullyMama · Feb 19, 2012

It looks to be seasonal flank alopecia which is very common in bulldogs usually brought on by allergies or weak immune system. stop all the meds, they are of no help. Get him on a good food .. see our articles on Dog food ratings and recommendations.

Also, after your baby is off the steroids for 30 days (no less) ask for a full blood screen allergy test to be done. it will tell you what allergies there are that could be weakening his immune system.

Dante · Feb 19, 2012

Currently he is on raw diet. It consist of chicken, liver and eggs.

2BullyMama · Feb 19, 2012

Dante said:
Currently he is on raw diet. It consist of chicken, liver and eggs.

REALLY!!?? I found the below on a DVM website.....

Seasonal flank alopecia is exactly what it sounds like, though it helps to know that alopecia means hair loss. With seasonal flank alopecia, a dog loses hair in the flank area on a seasonal basis. Different dogs seem to choose different seasons to lose their hair (fall and spring are popular) and when the season changes the hair generally grows back. Sometimes a dog will skip a season only to lose hair again the next year. Most affected dogs are Boxers, Airedales, and English bulldogs, though numerous other breeds have been affected.

The hair loss is generally confined to the flanks (area just ahead of the rear legs) though sometimes the bridge of the nose is involved. The skin typically is darkly pigmented in the areas of hair loss. Both flanks are generally affected symmetrically and sometimes there is skin infection in the balding areas. Sometimes the hair re-grows in a different color than the original hair. Some dogs never re-grow their hair.
Why Does this Happen?
At this time no one knows why this occurs. It is felt to be a hormonal problem disrupting hair follicles.
Is there Treatment?
Melatonin, a natural biochemical that is important in the regulation of circadian (daily) rhythms, has been used successfully in many patients. In the U.S. this product is available over the counter as a dietary supplement. A more effective method seems to involve the use of melatonin implants under the skin, but they are not available in the U.S. Melatonin is sometimes used as a sleep aid in people and the only known side effect is drowsiness. Dosing regimens must be obtained from the veterinarian treating the dog in question

cowsmom · Feb 19, 2012

[MENTION=2826]Dante[/MENTION] there is another thread farther down in this section that says seasonal flank alopecia. it has lots of good info about this if you want to read it. several suggestions for some things to use to help the coat grow back in. they say it doesnt bother them at all. i dont know if thats what this is but cant hurt to read it and there are some pics to.

Davidh · Feb 19, 2012

Sounds like you have some good advice above.

Vicaroo1000 · Feb 20, 2012

David's right. Great stuff here. Bea has seasonal alopecia and while she did look downright freakish that first spring/summer, her hair grew back beautifully. I hope this is the "skip a year" year for us....LOL

Dante · Feb 20, 2012

I saw the pics and read the thread, but thoes it look like the spots on Dante?

cowsmom · Feb 20, 2012

well i dunno if it is or isnt but giving him something to help his coat cannot be a bad thing. maybe try some of those things to see if his coat gets bettter. fish oil is good for the coat to and immune system. i so hope he gets better.

Fontanafox · Feb 20, 2012

Sorry, wish I could help. Doesn't look like anything I've seen. My Babygirl occasionally loses some of her coat on her flank side but in a big patch and then grows back in again. She gets a skin supplement that has flaxseed oil. Hopefully someone on the forum has seen this one before. BTW your bully is growing into a very handsome fellow and the camera definitely loves him.

Dante · Feb 22, 2012

Thanks, he's the best. I was talking to a few local breeders in his confirmation class and they told me about Nu-Stock (http://www.nustock.com) and Horseman's Dream (http://www.coronaproducts.com/Product_vet_cream.aspx). They told me they work great on getting hair to grow back. I bought Nu-Stock today to see how ti turns out. I'll keep you guys posted!

P.S. Dante thanks you for all the help.