New Bulldog Mama Needs Advice

xtina615

New member
May 31, 2013
50
2
Nashville, TN
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Chunky / Chunk / Chunky Butt
Hello everyone!
This is my first post to reach out for some help and advice.
My husband and I rescued a 2.5 year old English Bully off of Craigslist about 2 weeks ago. He came to us from his previous owners saying that he had absolutely no health problems. I've never owned an EBD, but I've been in rescue long enough to know some general things about the breed, and my husband has owned 2 in the past. My first step was to switch his food (from Ol Roy- poor guy) to Premium Edge Skin and Coat- which is a salmon based diet. Upon doing my research, I have started including glucosamine chondroitin in his morning feeding, and a probiotic & omega 3 in his nightly feeding. I also have been rotating a boiled egg, yogurt, and canned pumpkin every other night for additional nutrition- he is a BIG eater! LOL....

Second step was to get him to the vet for neutering. The vet wasn't able to do his neutering due to an elongated soft palate, which needs to be surgically removed. I was also informed of his inverted tail- which is pretty nasty, and no matter how much I clean it, it seems to just stay pretty gross. The vet says he has a pretty bad case of dermatitis, and probably needs to have the tail amputated. He also had an inter-digital cyst, and has a cherry eye come up (usually only at night- then he wakes up looking all better). The vet has put him on antibiotics, as well as a steroid ointment for his eye. I have been bathing him every other day in a medicated shampoo (ketoconazole), and have ordered some Duoxo shampoo and spray- to help as much as I can with his yeast build up. I also started applying Desitin to his nose fold (which is rather prominent) as well as his poor little tail.

I will do whatever it takes to get this guy healthy. I guess my biggest questions are as follows:
1.) Is going grain-free with their diet the right thing to do, or is that too much protein for the Bulldogs? This is a link to what I'm currently feeding, which I'm able to find at a small pet supply store here in town: http://www.premiumedgepetfood.com/p..._coat_salmon_potatoes_and_vegetables_formula/

2.) Have any of you gone through with an amputation of an imbedded/inverted tail? I have read some horror stories about this, and I'm trying to weigh the options of which is better- surgery, or dealing with this hot mess forever?? I don't mind cleaning him regularly, but sometimes I can barely remember to take my own vitamins- having Chunk is like having a kid right now with all of his maintenance! :confused:

3.) Most things I read about repairing a soft palate sounds positive- any advice here? He is scheduled for surgery on June 12th, along with his tail amputation, and neutering.

I know this was a super long post- I thought it probably required a lot of information. I might still be missing something, but any and all advice on my Chunky would be much appreciated! We adore him, and want to give him the best life possible, and seems as though all we're doing right now is making up for the lack of care by his previous "owners"....jerks.:cursing:
 

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LariP

..........
Aug 4, 2010
8,293
452
Milwaukee, WI
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
(HRH) Her Royal Highness Princess Gracie & Princess Amelia Pond (Amy)
:welcome3: that is a lot to handle all at once! I will tag a couple people who hopefully can respond soon to issues I have no experience with.

Most of us do feed grain free because many bully's are intolerant of them.
Best of luck getting Chunk healthy. I'm sure he is already much happier!
 

izstigspunks

Moderator
Sep 16, 2010
5,939
336
Toronto, Ontario
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
The Stig Racecar Driver and (Sweet Angel) Punkin Brutus
I'm wondering if what you're seeing isn't cherry eye, but rather his third eyelid since its only noticeable when he's half asleep. I know it's the case with my boys. Nonetheless, if its not bothering him, and not there during the day or when he's awake, I would leave it as is. Is that what the antibiotics was for?

And food is always the tricky issue with our babies. Grain free doesn't necessarily mean better. But as long as theyre not allergic to any of the ingredients and they're thriving on it, then continue with the food. But I would suggest to check what rating the food is under. The marketing gurus can be sneaky. Lol. What looks healthy on the outside doesn't necessarily mean its healthy in the inside. :no:

And for the tail amp, if you're able to keep it clean, then I recommend to continue to do so. Tail amps should be the last resort. It's part of the spine and complications may arise from surgery. A recent members bully had to get his done only because his tail pocket was a finger length deep! And they tried everything possible to keep it clean.


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk 2 :D
 

mavsfan4life

Bullshiht-zu
May 10, 2013
2,383
136
Texas
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Mayhem
Welcome to :smileywelcome:! I don't have any experience with these issues, but I know that Gio, @mcraven2 's bully just underwent a tail amputation. Maybe she will chime in and give you some advice.
 

Blaverell

New member
Feb 7, 2012
2
0
Bulldog(s) Names
Tyson
We had Tyson's tail amputated a year ago. It was the best thing we ever did. It changed his whole personality. It was so infected and inverted he was miserable. I have to tell you the stitches really scared me. I was afraid to take him home. It looked terrible. But a couple weeks of TLC and he was a happy dog. You will need to do the other surgery with his pallet. We had a female who had the same thing. Without the surgery it will cause alot of breathing issues and it is tricky enough for a bully to go into surgery withoout breathing issues. Gingers was so bad that she would pass out running across the room. We have adopted and rescued all of our 6 bullies in the last 20 years. I find it heartbreaking what condition they are in when people discard them. They are high maintence and expensive but oh so loving. Tyson also had cherry eye in both eyes and there was surgery to correct it. Also scarey but worth it. We have alot of experience with many different problems. I had one with cushings, one with cancer and even an Autistic bully. Feel free to email me if you like.
 
OP
xtina615

xtina615

New member
May 31, 2013
50
2
Nashville, TN
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Chunky / Chunk / Chunky Butt
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #6
It's definitely cherry eye- it's just more prominent at night. It's not quite as enlarged during the day- unless he gets excited or plays with the other dogs. I was given a steroid ointment for his eye, but the dogs chewed that up today.....so, a phone call to the vet was just made for more expensive meds!
 
OP
xtina615

xtina615

New member
May 31, 2013
50
2
Nashville, TN
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Chunky / Chunk / Chunky Butt
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
We had Tyson's tail amputated a year ago. It was the best thing we ever did. It changed his whole personality. It was so infected and inverted he was miserable. I have to tell you the stitches really scared me. I was afraid to take him home. It looked terrible. But a couple weeks of TLC and he was a happy dog. You will need to do the other surgery with his pallet. We had a female who had the same thing. Without the surgery it will cause alot of breathing issues and it is tricky enough for a bully to go into surgery withoout breathing issues. Gingers was so bad that she would pass out running across the room. We have adopted and rescued all of our 6 bullies in the last 20 years. I find it heartbreaking what condition they are in when people discard them. They are high maintence and expensive but oh so loving. Tyson also had cherry eye in both eyes and there was surgery to correct it. Also scarey but worth it. We have alot of experience with many different problems. I had one with cushings, one with cancer and even an Autistic bully. Feel free to email me if you like.


Thank you!!! I am terrified to mess this guy up. We have tried rescuing 2 other (very sick) Bullies over the past year, and both of them ended up dying- 1 from Liver Cancer, and the other from heart failure. So, my husband and I are so scared of anything happening to him. I know the palate surgery is the most important, and I wanted to get it all done at the same time, to reduce the use of anesthesia. I am SO ready for him to be neutered- those things have GOT to GO! :barf:

An autistic dog?! That's not something I've ever seen before, but I'm pretty sure if it can happen- it will happen in this breed!! LOL
 
OP
xtina615

xtina615

New member
May 31, 2013
50
2
Nashville, TN
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Chunky / Chunk / Chunky Butt
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #8
I'm wondering if what you're seeing isn't cherry eye, but rather his third eyelid since its only noticeable when he's half asleep. I know it's the case with my boys. Nonetheless, if its not bothering him, and not there during the day or when he's awake, I would leave it as is. Is that what the antibiotics was for?

And food is always the tricky issue with our babies. Grain free doesn't necessarily mean better. But as long as theyre not allergic to any of the ingredients and they're thriving on it, then continue with the food. But I would suggest to check what rating the food is under. The marketing gurus can be sneaky. Lol. What looks healthy on the outside doesn't necessarily mean its healthy in the inside. :no:

And for the tail amp, if you're able to keep it clean, then I recommend to continue to do so. Tail amps should be the last resort. It's part of the spine and complications may arise from surgery. A recent members bully had to get his done only because his tail pocket was a finger length deep! And they tried everything possible to keep it clean.


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk 2 :D


Thank you!!! I am going to keep researching this whole tail issue. So far, nothing I've done for the past 2 weeks has worked well enough. His pocket is very deep- not a full finger length- more like 1/2 - 3/4 finger length. It was shocking to me at first- especially since our Boxer's tail is docked, and our other dog has a normal long tail. Bathing him every other day is a big enough chore, applying diaper rash ointment every night, and cleaning it out with a baby wipe every morning- it's like having a child!! LOL....

He isn't exhibiting any signs of being allergic to the food, and I know it's a good quality food- I believe it received 4 stars on the rating scale (out of 5). Of course, switching to a 5 star rated food would be a grain free diet, which I'm certainly on board with. I think I'm going to have to start shopping at Goodwill for myself, while my dogs get premium everything!!! LOL
 

izstigspunks

Moderator
Sep 16, 2010
5,939
336
Toronto, Ontario
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
The Stig Racecar Driver and (Sweet Angel) Punkin Brutus
I think I'm going to have to start shopping at Goodwill for myself, while my dogs get premium everything!!! LOL

That a girl ... :clap2: Welcome to bully parenthood! Seriously, most bullies here eat better than their owners! :lmaogirl:
 

dolphin

Pooper scooper
Nov 5, 2012
10,936
962
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
7
Hello everyone!
This is my first post to reach out for some help and advice.
My husband and I rescued a 2.5 year old English Bully off of Craigslist about 2 weeks ago. He came to us from his previous owners saying that he had absolutely no health problems. I've never owned an EBD, but I've been in rescue long enough to know some general things about the breed, and my husband has owned 2 in the past. My first step was to switch his food (from Ol Roy- poor guy) to Premium Edge Skin and Coat- which is a salmon based diet. Upon doing my research, I have started including glucosamine chondroitin in his morning feeding, and a probiotic & omega 3 in his nightly feeding. I also have been rotating a boiled egg, yogurt, and canned pumpkin every other night for additional nutrition- he is a BIG eater! LOL....

Second step was to get him to the vet for neutering. The vet wasn't able to do his neutering due to an elongated soft palate, which needs to be surgically removed. I was also informed of his inverted tail- which is pretty nasty, and no matter how much I clean it, it seems to just stay pretty gross. The vet says he has a pretty bad case of dermatitis, and probably needs to have the tail amputated. He also had an inter-digital cyst, and has a cherry eye come up (usually only at night- then he wakes up looking all better). The vet has put him on antibiotics, as well as a steroid ointment for his eye. I have been bathing him every other day in a medicated shampoo (ketoconazole), and have ordered some Duoxo shampoo and spray- to help as much as I can with his yeast build up. I also started applying Desitin to his nose fold (which is rather prominent) as well as his poor little tail.

I will do whatever it takes to get this guy healthy. I guess my biggest questions are as follows:
1.) Is going grain-free with their diet the right thing to do, or is that too much protein for the Bulldogs? This is a link to what I'm currently feeding, which I'm able to find at a small pet supply store here in town: http://www.premiumedgepetfood.com/p..._coat_salmon_potatoes_and_vegetables_formula/

2.) Have any of you gone through with an amputation of an imbedded/inverted tail? I have read some horror stories about this, and I'm trying to weigh the options of which is better- surgery, or dealing with this hot mess forever?? I don't mind cleaning him regularly, but sometimes I can barely remember to take my own vitamins- having Chunk is like having a kid right now with all of his maintenance! :confused:

3.) Most things I read about repairing a soft palate sounds positive- any advice here? He is scheduled for surgery on June 12th, along with his tail amputation, and neutering.

I know this was a super long post- I thought it probably required a lot of information. I might still be missing something, but any and all advice on my Chunky would be much appreciated! We adore him, and want to give him the best life possible, and seems as though all we're doing right now is making up for the lack of care by his previous "owners"....jerks.:cursing:

I just have to tell you how cute Chunky is!!! What a great picture that is!
 

Valentine215

New member
Community Veteran
Nov 10, 2012
1,048
68
Kyle, TX
Country
U.S.A.
Bulldog(s) Names
Not sure what I will name my new bullddog
attachment.php
Awwww....what a handsome guy! Wish I had answers but it seems that you are getting great advice from others! SO glad you are taking good care of your Chunky!
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
Staff member
Community Veteran
Jul 28, 2011
48,580
3,672
Gilbertsville, PA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Chelios (Frenchie), Nitschke (2004-2011) Banks (2005-2014) and Lambeau (2014-2024)
WOW... talk about when it rains it pours.... poor Chunky and Momma!!


1.) Grain free is a great way to go and if you are chaining, find something that is grain free and even better chicken free as many bullies have issues with chicken.

2.) I have not had to experience the tail amputation, but my girl has had lots of tail issue, but placing her on Fromm Pork and Peas has helped immensely Also, a big fan of Witch Hazel on cotton pads to clean tail pockets, folds and ears.

3.) I have experience with two palate surgeries.... about 6yrs ago my boy Nitschke needs about 4 procedures done to his air ways... nares, palate, and two other things. And, just last week my boy Chelios (Frenchie) had his done. The best and biggest thing you have to do is keep them settled and feed soft food. Both my boys needed it very badly their apnea was beyond bad... they would stop breathing a few times a night.

I think it is great that you are getting it all done at once, less stress on Chunky and you. hugs and prayers for a successful procedure and quick recovery
 

Libra926

Pistol Packing Bullyagrapher
Staff member
May 5, 2010
7,482
734
Washington
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Vegas and Orion
I'm all for keeping it clean if it's manageable. Vegas's tail pocket was extremely deep and very tight. I had a hard time keeping it clean and he was just plain miserable. So...at about 7 months old we had the tail pocket closed. We were uneducated at the time...not realizing that it was a pretty serious surgery and that his entire tail would be removed. This was way before EBN and FB, so I really didn't have anyone to ask.

Now that it's all said and done....it is probably one of the best things we could have done for him. It itched him something fierce and he was miserable. Now he is a happy boy!
 

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