Boudreau

New member
Sep 11, 2015
3
0
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Boudreau
I have often come to this website for advice but this past year's health problems have made me join up so I can post! My husband and I got our dog Boudreau from a breeder when he was two years old, he is now five and up until November 2014 was in perfect health. I would read all the bulldog allergy horror stories and feel relieved that he was so well and healthy! In November he got his first hot spot, we woke up one morning to find that he was red and wet on the side of his head. We thought it was a cut until I did some research and realized it was a hot spot. Off to the vet we went. The vet gave us antibiotics and a cream for it and of course shaved the whole area. He kept getting hot spots over the next few months on and off and eventually we started considering that he had an allergy that was making him itchy. We had been feeding him Royal Canin Bulldog Forumla but research told us this was not a good food. We switched him to Blue Buffalo Basic and then Blue Buffalo Wilderness (Salmon) because our vet said he might have a grain allergy. He seemed better for awhile and then he started getting interdigital cysts, so back to the vet we went. He switched us to a prescription dog food (D/D duck and potato) and gave him antibiotics for the burst interdigital cyst. That's when things really amped up. He had to have a cone on to prevent him from licking his paws while the cyst healed. That was probably two months ago. The cysts healed but the itching didn't stop. It has gotten to the point where we have to leave him with a cone on when we are out of the house, otherwise he will scratch himself/lick his paws until he hurts himself. He seems to be particularly bad in the evenings with hives on his stomach on occasion. It has been horrible. We have tried switching his food now to Wellness Core and this past weekend we noticed hair loss on his back. We rushed back to the vet terrified of mange or ring worm, the vet said it was just the allergies at work. He is now on a omega 3 fatty acid supplement, Wellness Core dog food and benadryl to manage the allergies. It has only been a few days but I am just looking for any and all help. Other factors, the house attached to ours started a huge construction project around when all of this started, and there has been construction dust getting into our house . . . I don't know if that could be the allergy. I feel at this point that we have somehow made everything worse not better and just want my poor pup to be comfortable again! We have also had a full blood panel done and nothing more nefarious is at work. Also his general temperament and energy levels are the same. Sorry for the massive long post, desperate for feed back!
 

Pamperedchefjen

New member
Jan 2, 2015
7
0
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Bosco, Jasmin
We are going through the same thing, just got back from the vet. It has been a year trying to work with food and the vet, our 'little' man is turning 8 this year, so had a few great years too. We have tried limited ingredient diets - duck, pork, salmon, and his stomach has not done well, until we started the Nature's Variety Instinct Limited - Turkey. However, the yeast/allergy periods have become more intense and the treatment cycles have become progressively longer. The vet wants to 'reset' his system so we can keep eliminating things and find out the cause since the tests aren't showing anything. I think it has hurt his natural defence system. We have supplements to boost it, but this cycle is very upsetting and I feel for your guy too. I want a long term solution. Allergies can develop and it could be anything. We are going to get another opinion as I want him to be comfortable. Keep us updated!

If you check my thread from the weekend - Help Needed! Treating a mysterious allergy... Someone mentioned their dog is doing well on Apoquel
 

Vikinggirl

Norwegian Rose
Community Veteran
Oct 8, 2012
9,740
597
Burlington, ON Canada
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Bulldozer and Blossom
I have often come to this website for advice but this past year's health problems have made me join up so I can post! My husband and I got our dog Boudreau from a breeder when he was two years old, he is now five and up until November 2014 was in perfect health. I would read all the bulldog allergy horror stories and feel relieved that he was so well and healthy! In November he got his first hot spot, we woke up one morning to find that he was red and wet on the side of his head. We thought it was a cut until I did some research and realized it was a hot spot. Off to the vet we went. The vet gave us antibiotics and a cream for it and of course shaved the whole area. He kept getting hot spots over the next few months on and off and eventually we started considering that he had an allergy that was making him itchy. We had been feeding him Royal Canin Bulldog Forumla but research told us this was not a good food. We switched him to Blue Buffalo Basic and then Blue Buffalo Wilderness (Salmon) because our vet said he might have a grain allergy. He seemed better for awhile and then he started getting interdigital cysts, so back to the vet we went. He switched us to a prescription dog food (D/D duck and potato) and gave him antibiotics for the burst interdigital cyst. That's when things really amped up. He had to have a cone on to prevent him from licking his paws while the cyst healed. That was probably two months ago. The cysts healed but the itching didn't stop. It has gotten to the point where we have to leave him with a cone on when we are out of the house, otherwise he will scratch himself/lick his paws until he hurts himself. He seems to be particularly bad in the evenings with hives on his stomach on occasion. It has been horrible. We have tried switching his food now to Wellness Core and this past weekend we noticed hair loss on his back. We rushed back to the vet terrified of mange or ring worm, the vet said it was just the allergies at work. He is now on a omega 3 fatty acid supplement, Wellness Core dog food and benadryl to manage the allergies. It has only been a few days but I am just looking for any and all help. Other factors, the house attached to ours started a huge construction project around when all of this started, and there has been construction dust getting into our house . . . I don't know if that could be the allergy. I feel at this point that we have somehow made everything worse not better and just want my poor pup to be comfortable again! We have also had a full blood panel done and nothing more nefarious is at work. Also his general temperament and energy levels are the same. Sorry for the massive long post, desperate for feed back!


Hi, welcome to EBN to you and Boudreaux. We are also in the same boat as you with allergy issues and yeasty ears. My male Bulldozer is allergic to chicken, salmon, beef, and now lamb. We have always fed both our guys Fromms, we started with the Fromms Beef Frittata, because they were both allergic to chicken right from the beginning. The breeder was feeding them Royal Canin, and I switched them to the Fromms Beef. They were on this food for 2 years, and then Dozer developed allergy symptoms like excessive licking of his paws, goopy eyes, yeasty ears, and excessive shedding of his coat. We switched then both to Fromms Lamb and Lentil, and they were fine on it for 9 months, but Dozer again started to have allergy symptoms. He was a mess, he had goopy eyes, excessive licking of his paw, until it looked and felt like a soggy sponge, and changed colour, he started getting a bald spot on his chest from scratching, and his ears were red and yeasty. We are feeding him the same brand as you, but we are using the Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Vegan kibble, so we can detoxify him from all proteins, we will feed him this for 1 month, we are starting our third week, and he is doing much better, his chest has cleared up, he isn't licking as much, and his eyes are less goopy. I can only feed him this Vegan food for another week, because he needs protein. His poops are really good, but he has lost weight from the all vegan diet.
Once he's done with this food in another week, I'm starting him on the Natures Variety Limited Ingredient Kangaroo Kibble. The idea is to detoxify him from all proteins and then introduce a protein that he's never had before like Kangaroo or Venison, and hopefully his immune system won't recognize the new protein and he will tolerate it. I hope so. If this doesn't work, I'll try home cooking his food. We have stopped all extras, treats, and supplements until I know if he will tolerate his new food, then I will slowly add one at a time and for a week before adding another one, so I know which one he is allergic to. We were giving him yogurt every morning on his kibble for the Probiotics, he was getting apple cider vinegar in his water everyday, and in the evening he was getting Coconut Oil and Kelp on his kibble. He also got fruits like cut up apples, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, and watermelon for treats, and we gave him cooked carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans. I will slowly add these back in and hopefully he won't be allergic to them. I hope you have good luck and results with your guy, it takes patience and time to figure it out, and it can be a frustrating process. Good luck. Please keep us posted on how he's doing.
 

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)
Hi, welcome to EBN to you and Boudreaux. We are also in the same boat as you with allergy issues and yeasty ears. My male Bulldozer is allergic to chicken, salmon, beef, and now lamb. We have always fed both our guys Fromms, we started with the Fromms Beef Frittata, because they were both allergic to chicken right from the beginning. The breeder was feeding them Royal Canin, and I switched them to the Fromms Beef. They were on this food for 2 years, and then Dozer developed allergy symptoms like excessive licking of his paws, goopy eyes, yeasty ears, and excessive shedding of his coat. We switched then both to Fromms Lamb and Lentil, and they were fine on it for 9 months, but Dozer again started to have allergy symptoms. He was a mess, he had goopy eyes, excessive licking of his paw, until it looked and felt like a soggy sponge, and changed colour, he started getting a bald spot on his chest from scratching, and his ears were red and yeasty. We are feeding him the same brand as you, but we are using the Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Vegan kibble, so we can detoxify him from all proteins, we will feed him this for 1 month, we are starting our third week, and he is doing much better, his chest has cleared up, he isn't licking as much, and his eyes are less goopy. I can only feed him this Vegan food for another week, because he needs protein. His poops are really good, but he has lost weight from the all vegan diet.
Once he's done with this food in another week, I'm starting him on the Natures Variety Limited Ingredient Kangaroo Kibble. The idea is to detoxify him from all proteins and then introduce a protein that he's never had before like Kangaroo or Venison, and hopefully his immune system won't recognize the new protein and he will tolerate it. I hope so. If this doesn't work, I'll try home cooking his food. We have stopped all extras, treats, and supplements until I know if he will tolerate his new food, then I will slowly add one at a time and for a week before adding another one, so I know which one he is allergic to. We were giving him yogurt every morning on his kibble for the Probiotics, he was getting apple cider vinegar in his water everyday, and in the evening he was getting Coconut Oil and Kelp on his kibble. He also got fruits like cut up apples, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, and watermelon for treats, and we gave him cooked carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans. I will slowly add these back in and hopefully he won't be allergic to them. I hope you have good luck and results with your guy, it takes patience and time to figure it out, and it can be a frustrating process. Good luck. Please keep us posted on how he's doing.

Great advice!

I would also wipe him with a cool wash cloth twice a day to see if it gives any relief
 
OP
Boudreau

Boudreau

New member
Sep 11, 2015
3
0
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Boudreau
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
So a little update on poor Boudreau. The vet recommended we try benadryl and that seems to be helping, but now we are pretty much convinced that what the main issue is yeast. He's started losing fur (just his undercoat you can't see it until the light hits it) so we freaked out and took him to the vet, the vet said it wasn't ringworm or mange, just related to the allergies.
In between his toes is always red and he will literally chew on them if we don't stop him, he's also lost fur on his tail and there is a generally yeasty smell. We still have him on Wellness grain free wild game. But although he isn't as itchy with the benadryl we still can't trust him alone without the cone, he'll end up scratching himself until he bleeds, or making a mess of his paws.
I recently got some skin soother from natural dog company and am putting it in between his toes, I have seen the "pickling" method mentioned on here a few times and think I'm going to start that as well. We were feeding him plain yogurt with his food to try and combat the yeast but stopped when he started losing fur.
I am also wondering if people have Toronto specific vet recommendations for combatting yeast?
 

TyTysmom

Moderator
Nov 4, 2014
5,474
392
Katy, TX
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Tyson aka "Ty-Ty"
Tyson just recently went through yeast, & staph infection caused from allergies. Once the yeast has taken over its hard to get back under control without meds
:( he too was red, inflamed, itchy, lost small patches of hair.

I would talk to your vet about possibly getting him on something - here's a pic of what ours put Tyson on, the Mometamax are for ears, then an anti-fungal, antibiotic & steroid.

d496ed6ae2983f9b4e882f24bea94141.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

TyTysmom

Moderator
Nov 4, 2014
5,474
392
Katy, TX
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Tyson aka "Ty-Ty"
Oh, forgot to ask - what proteins are in the Wellness you are currently feeding? You may need to change up proteins....

We ended up having to put him on The Honest Kitchen base mix & add our own protein to control it.

Epsom salt soaks work well too to soothe the itch - also Aveeno Oatmeal soaks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

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)
So a little update on poor Boudreau. The vet recommended we try benadryl and that seems to be helping, but now we are pretty much convinced that what the main issue is yeast. He's started losing fur (just his undercoat you can't see it until the light hits it) so we freaked out and took him to the vet, the vet said it wasn't ringworm or mange, just related to the allergies.
In between his toes is always red and he will literally chew on them if we don't stop him, he's also lost fur on his tail and there is a generally yeasty smell. We still have him on Wellness grain free wild game. But although he isn't as itchy with the benadryl we still can't trust him alone without the cone, he'll end up scratching himself until he bleeds, or making a mess of his paws.
I recently got some skin soother from natural dog company and am putting it in between his toes, I have seen the "pickling" method mentioned on here a few times and think I'm going to start that as well. We were feeding him plain yogurt with his food to try and combat the yeast but stopped when he started losing fur.
I am also wondering if people have Toronto specific vet recommendations for combatting yeast?

Here is a list of member recommended Vets..... are any near you?

~CANADA~

Brookville Veterinary Clinic
11280 Guelph Line RR 1
Campbellville, Ontario
L0P 1B0
905-854-2216
www.brookvillevet.com

The Animal Clinic
106 Mutal Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5B 2R7
416-868-1545
www.theanimalclinic.ca

Guelph Animal Hospital
110 Gordon St
Guelph, ON
519-836-2782
http://guelphvet.ca/contact-guelph-v....rEVzcweH.dpuf


Dr. Jim Standish
ALPINE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
10H KEENLEYSIDE ST
WINNIPEG, MB R2L 2B9
Canada
204-661-9090
www.alpineanimal.vetsuite.com

Algonquin East Animal Clinic
19162 Highway 60, RR2
Barry,s Bay
Ontario, Canada
K0J 1B0
PH 1-613-756-1984
Emergency ONLY PH 1-613-7173873
Fax 1-613-756-4038


Healing Paws Vet Clinic
Port Moody, B.C, Canada
http://www.healingpawsvet.ca/


Staples Animal Hospital, 377 Commissioners Road W
London, ON N6J 1Y4
(519) 472-9301
 
OP
Boudreau

Boudreau

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Sep 11, 2015
3
0
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Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Boudreau
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #9
He's been doing better, still itchy and yeasty but much more manageable (if that makes sense!). The problem isn't solved yet but the food he's on isn't making it worse like the prescription dog food was. I had been reading about the benefits of a raw diet, any advice there? It looks very expensive to buy it and I am concerned about feeding him raw myself and not giving him enough nutrients. Advice?
 

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)
He's been doing better, still itchy and yeasty but much more manageable (if that makes sense!). The problem isn't solved yet but the food he's on isn't making it worse like the prescription dog food was. I had been reading about the benefits of a raw diet, any advice there? It looks very expensive to buy it and I am concerned about feeding him raw myself and not giving him enough nutrients. Advice?

I tagged a few members that feed raw.... they can provide some insight
 

RiiSi

Well-known member
Community Veteran
Sep 30, 2011
5,014
535
Sysmä
Country
Finland
Bulldog(s) Names
Taisto, Kylli, Salli, Angel-Usko and Angel-Voitto
I don't know what is awailable in your area, so it's hard to give exact advice, but in my opinion raw is the way to go. You should not worry about all nutrients in the beginning, but that you really find out what is the cause of this reaction. I would start with one type of protein only and tripe and fresh sauerkraut, nothing else until you see a real improvement and the symptoms go away. The raw protein should preferably be something that he hasn't eaten before, but since he's been on kibble it's not so important. A lot of times dogs react to the protein in kibble and when it's raw.
Then one ingredient at the time start giving him other types of protein and wait until you see if there is a turn for worse or not and go from there. I know of a mastiff that eats only raw turkey, since he can't handle anything else, he gets his vitamins as a supplement.
 

aprilemari

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Community Veteran
Sep 11, 2011
1,853
101
Boston, MA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Lola & Fox
Hello there, I have been in your position (ironically I was also living in Toronto at the time). Lola has a mess of allergies that for the most part weren't food related but for sure changing her food has helped immensely. I'll talk about the raw diet first, which you are right can be expensive, but it, combined with a low dose of vanactyl-P (called temaril-P in the states), has saved Lola's quality of life.

We tried many different kibbles, and during that time Lola had zero interest in food, but was also getting huge bald spots on her flanks (not alopecia). We ended up removing chicken, beef, venison and turkey from her diet, and started her on raw foods...Tollden farms in particular was made in canada and sold at global pet foods (less than a block from our home) and has a variety of proteins. Now Lola is on NVI raw duck frozen food since we moved to Boston and could not get the canadian food there. We do however, feed her Canisource as a snack, which is a freeze dried kibble made in canada and is excellent. They have many more varieties now, but back in the day it was beef/pork mix. We keep her on raw to keep itchies at bay, and also because she actually eats it, unlike kibble. SHe's a stinker.

Now onto the itchies themselves, Lola was scratching herself raw and licking her paws nonstop. We had to get it in check, so a round of steroid/anti inflammatories was in order. Vanactyl P is given at a very high dose, and decreases over two weeks so an immediate relief was seen! There are side effects to taking 6pills/day...increased hunger/thirst, possible accidents in the house due to overdrinking, slight aggressiveness (with food). But these also go away as you wean them off. We changed Lola's food during this first round of vanactylP, and when she was done, itchies were better but not gone. We found that 1 pill per day was perfect to keep them at bay. That was over 2 years ago. We were able wean her down to zero again one season, but once the weather changed, back on to 1 pill per day. Now we are down to 1 pill every other day.

Other options for immunosuppression are apoquel and cyclosporine. Both are expensive, and apoquel is hard to get because it works very very well (so i hear). If you can get your pup on a full round of vanactyl P and then maybe maintain on a low dose of vanactyl P while you figure out the food situation that would provide some MAJOR relief! Downtown toronto - The animal clinic on Mutual street, Dr, Richardson, was our vet and he was great. Metronidazole (anti fungal) is also a huge help for yeast and an immediate stopper of diarrhea for Lola at least.
 

izstigspunks

Moderator
Sep 16, 2010
5,939
336
Toronto, Ontario
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
The Stig Racecar Driver and (Sweet Angel) Punkin Brutus
My two also have allergies to something in kibble, and after a long and exhaustive search, we were lucky to find out that they do extremely well with raw. It's not cheap, but it's not too expensive either. I would compare it to feeding high quality kibble such as Fromm. We purchase everything from a local raw supplier and ethnic grocery stores. To save us trips and money, we try to buy in bulk and when they are on sale.

Whereabouts do you live? We can try and see if there's a supplier close to your area.
 

Momma2Bullies

New member
Aug 2, 2012
356
26
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Layla and Wilbur
Hi there and welcome!

I went through horrendous trial and error with my two. I tried every food out there and every possible protein combination. Our next step was kangaroo if prescription food didn't work.

Finally, when they were just over 2yrs, we put them on vet prescription food - Its by royal canin and it is the vet-exclusive HP hypoallergenic food. My female had awful ear infections and yeast infections in her nose fold no matter what I did. My male had bad chin pyoderma and interdigital cysts like crazy. Once they got on this food I have never looked back. It is a hydrolyzed (already sort of digested) plant-based protein (I guess they are vegan!). I know it is an "engineered" food and yes it is pricier than the high end natural foods (we tried them all, Fromms and Nature's Way, etc) but the money I save on antibiotics, panalog and vet visits is substantial.

I suppose we have figured out that they can't have any animal protein whatsoever and no grains. They only get the HP kibble and there is a canned version that is a special treat. I also give them hypoallergenic cookies from the vet.

Don't get me wrong, in summer (ragweed) my boy will get interdigital cysts and I know this is when he needs to start a round of vanectyl-p, and I need to keep on top of keeping them clean and Layla needs her nasal fold cleaned all the time. But this food was a saviour.

If you are ever in East Ontario, the vet I go to is in Russell and I trust her with my EBs 100%.
 
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