Skin problems with my English Bulldog, Lucy

Fairqueenj

New member
Feb 19, 2012
7
0
Georgia
Bulldog(s) Names
Lucy
My Lucy is one and a half years old. She has been on cephalexin 250mg capsule antibiotics for many months now and also benadryl tablets. She takes 3 antibiotics and 3 benadryl every morning and every night. In addition to that, I have to bathe her every other day with Skin Guard B shampoo. Our vet put her on this long term regimen for the spots that she developed on her body. The areas are red spots with a dark crusty scabby looking lesion in middle. They can be scratched off, leaving a raw area. In the beginning, the regimen worked great, for like 4 months. Now the spots are all back and she is still on all the meds. So the regimen is doing nothing now and I feel like I'm giving her meds for nothing. We tried changing her food for awhile but it did nothing. The vet says it is an allergic response. I am lost as to what to do to help her. Can anyone suggest any solutions for me or have any of you ever had this problem with your bulldog? Thanks for any help you can give me. Jane
 

froggz

New member
Mar 30, 2010
193
29
Iowa
Bulldog(s) Names
Sadie
I'm very VERY surprised that it sounds like your vet didn't to any tests to find out WHAT she's allergic to! If they haven't, seek a 2nd opinion and have her tested asap!
 

bubbaisapig

New member
Apr 30, 2011
571
59
Littleton, CO
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
bubba
Totally Agree! Have her allergy tested. At least the guessing game will end!! Being on meds for that long, and now not even working..? Seems like a waste of time. I too would get a second opinion
 

karenben

New member
Apr 18, 2011
1,056
88
uk
Bulldog(s) Names
Hilda
First I would ask the vet why are antibiotics being used when clearly they are not working and they won't do anything for an allergic reaction,also they will be doing harm to her immune system ,if she has an allergy you will need to try and find out what she is allergic to either by eliminating foods and environmental items,try food first ,I do not know anything about kibble as I raw fed my bulldog but someone here will be able to help you in that area,dogs can become allergic to anything they have been eating at anytime in their lives it's the same with the environment,if you decide to stop the antibiotics then give your dog acidophilus you can buy them at health stores they are the human grade,dogs can be allergic to chicken,grains,dairy they are usually the culprits food wise,but honestly this is just my opinion but I would only have my dog on antibiotics as a last option ,my dog had allergies and got spots which went crusty ,the scab would fall off and it would heal but they always came back,it was just the allergies coming out through the skin and I didn't worry about them as nothing would shift them ,if your vet is not very helpfull then try another vet and remember that if a vet doesn't know why a dog has these symptoms then the vet will prescribe antibiotics and only treat the symptoms not the causes,I hope you get sorted,someone here will advise on food if indeed food is the problem,karen
 

Fontanafox

New member
Jan 25, 2011
3,649
315
Fontana, CA
Bulldog(s) Names
Wilson & BabyGirl
As long as she is exposed to what she's allergic to she will have these reactions. Antibiotics only treat the results not the cause. Do a blood allergy test or the skin allergy test. It will tell you what foods, plants, molds or dust she's allergic too. Then you can go from there. I tested my dog and one of the things he was allergic to was lamb and I was feeding him a beef & lamb based dog kibble. He's now on Natures Logic Beef Meal kibble. He no longer gets those bloody scabs and balding patches on his skin. If your current vet doesn't do the test then find one that does. You will eliminate a lot of the problems and save time and money trying to figure it out.
 

Maximus

New member
Community Veteran
Jun 6, 2010
506
13
Toms River, New Jersey
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Maximus
I agree with karenben totally. Vets are notorious for just prescribing antibiotics for everything. But long-term antiobiotic therapy is never recommended. Allergy testing is warranted, and a trip perhaps to a Veternarian Dermatologist.
 

bullmama

Owner/Administrator
Staff member
Community Veteran
Jan 28, 2010
24,756
1,251
Tucson, Arizona
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
The Home of the Desert Sky Pack
I completely agree with above, long term use of antibiotics also kills good bacteria as well as bad and can cause a breeding ground for yeast to develop. Getting an allergy test done and then working with the results for the best food possible, adding salmon oil, probiotics, wash bedding with free and clear detergents, only stainless or ceramic bowls cleaned after each meal, an antibacterial and antifungal shampoo, all of these things will help rebuild the immune system to create antibodies to fight environmental allergies too. What foods have you tried?


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izstigspunks

Moderator
Sep 16, 2010
5,939
336
Toronto, Ontario
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
The Stig Racecar Driver and (Sweet Angel) Punkin Brutus
Firstly, hiya! Welcome to the forum!

Everyone above gave great advice. Antibiotics will only dampen the immune system. It is a short term solution and will not fix the root cause. May I ask what foods you've tried? There's a few food gurus here that should be of some help. One even knows the ingredients to a tee.

An allergy test will help greatly as well. They do give out false positives, but at least it's something you can work with in the beginning.
 
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Meggs19

New member
Oct 14, 2011
290
16
Madison, WI
Bulldog(s) Names
Tonka
I agree with all of the advice given above! I would definitely look into the blood allergy test or skin allergy testing. Antibiotics definitely weaken the immune system response and I have also heard that they should only be used sparingly. The more you use the antibiotics, the less they work and I am thinking that perhaps your dog developed a resistance to the antibiotics.

After you have testing done and do some food trials, if you find the allergies seem to be mainly environmental there are other options to try such as the allergy shots or Atopica (cyclosporine) or you can even try a new antihistamine. Different brands are in different "classes" and they work differently depending on the dog. Ours is on Hydroxyzine right now and that one works the best for him. Good luck to you! You will get some great help/advice here!
 

pamela

New member
May 15, 2012
90
6
Bulldog(s) Names
Emma and Annie
sometimes being on antibotics starts to give more problems than helps, their system needs to be clean and start fresh. Shampoos and antibotics, benedril did nothing for my Emma. I decided, being a bit of naturalist, to get back to basic and use common sense. Dogs are not suppose to be on this much meds, what do the wild dogs do? I stopped commercial dog food, raw meat and veg, fruit, 2 raw organic eggs a week, same as wild dogs eat, or as close as I could make it, wild animals do not eat commercial, gives the body a chance to cleanse itself and get rid of the build up of meds that is in the system and can do alot of harm to the system. I then did more research, went to holistic type of vitamin to help the system build up a little quicker since it needed it so badly due to commecial dog food. Nuvet Labs and native remedies, I got the ingredients and checked them out individually. Very happy with them, so is my neighbor with her english bull that was having alot of problem with hips and walking. 4 months later her baby goes to doggie daycare 3 times a week, runs and plays, no pain, no limping. Today my emma, 6 months after my big change, coat is thick and shinny, the water runs off of it, coat glistens with natural oils. stool is very good, high energy, no itching, great weight, healthy, healthy healthy. When I took her for a checkup several months I made the change, my vet could not believe it, he was amazed, and is still amazed each time she goes in for her checkup. I know what it feels like you really do not know what to do and see your baby so miserable. I will never use commercial dog food again. the body is amazing and can heal itself, if given the right tools. It is todays science that sometimes interferes. I like my vet, but they do not always do the right thing, pills seem to be their answer all the time, and it is not always right.
 

Twice

My Bully Gave Me Wings
Feb 3, 2012
2,686
311
Woodbridge Township, NJ
Bulldog(s) Names
Abby (my Sweetie Head 10.24.11-11.23.12) and Otis
Welcome to EBN [MENTION=4348]Fairqueenj[/MENTION] :)

I'm going to agree with everyone else here. Too many antibiotics can cause a whole bunch of other problems, a weakened immune system and drug resistances come to the top of my head. Is there a holistic vet near you? I would definitely get a second opinion.
 

kazzy220

..........
Jul 31, 2010
8,556
441
Grafton, OHIO
Country
England
Bulldog(s) Names
Maggie (My Angel Baby 5/31/2012). Daddy (2 years). Linus (1year). Bella (4 years)
I think you need to find out what Lucy is actually allergic to ... to be on antibiotics for that long is just ridiculous. Also, what food is she on now ... and what different foods have you already tried??
 

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