Maximus has SKIN problems .......

Maximus

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Jun 6, 2010
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Toms River, New Jersey
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Maximus
It doesn't seem to ever end. Raw, irritated wrinkles, now he has other skin problems .....'scabs' on his skin, mainly his back, dried scabby things. The Vet saw him initially, shaved the coat to visualize, and treated him with antibiotics. Now I see there are more ....

I just started him on a "Food trial" diet, since his red, raw irritated wrinkles wouldn't heal. I finally decided it just HAD to be food allergies.
So I removed the poultry and have him strictly on Lamb, plus I've added Omega-3-6 supplements and of course keep him on probiotics.

I've also eliminated dairy. Max likes cheese. No more. I'm hoping with a rather limited and restricted diet, plus supplements, his skin will
improve ...

Anyone else had skin problems with their Bully ... ?

- Patrick
 

Telly03

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Mar 31, 2010
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[MENTION=701]Maximus[/MENTION] Did the vet rule out Derm Mange? That is the only skin condition we have encountered so far
 

LucysMum

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Mar 26, 2011
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Some advice I have gotten with allergies I will pass on to you. I would start a food journal. Enter everything. Brand of food, when you give heat worm meds etc. Lucy is allergic to beef, chicken, bison,egg and I think cheese and possibly peanut butter. We found out all of this by elimination diet. The journal helped us identify that the flavor in heartgard would give her hives.
Also, be careful with treats. Lots of us make the mistake of restricting the food but give a milk bone that is filled with who knows what. You also need to be on the watch for toys and bones with any flavor. Take all of that stuff away and slowly reintroduce to see if the dog has a reaction. You may want to start a limited ingredient diet formula at first. DVP Natural Balance has a good LID line that has one carb and one protein. Once you get the dog stabilized on one protein you can add another, and so on.

Don't underestimate the importance of wiping your pups paws. Environmental allergies are just as nasty as food allergies. Get in the habit of wiping and drying the feet once or twice a day. Be sure to dry. Wipe the body and chest and dry if he laid in the grass that day.

Be aware of products you use in the home. Start to use dye free fragrance free products on dog bedding. If he is in bed with you lay a clean bed sheet over your bedding. If you have tile floors or wood floors are the chemicals you use to clean irritating him? All of this can be logged in the journal. It seems like a daunting task but you have to act like a detective to try to find what is bothering the dog. Food, environmental or both.

I didn't have Lucy testes for food allergies. Many say that it is a waste of money. I had her under control by elimination diet so I felt like I had a handle on the food allergies. I did have her tested for environmental and she is allergic to dust mold and fungus.

Lucy also failed allergy shots. She had more reactions than relief so we discontinued after 8 months. This year thank the bulldog gods she is doing great.

Good luck. I am sure you will more advice here...this is just my story!
 

TessaAndSamson

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May 7, 2010
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I know you feed good food so I won't get into that. The only thing I can suggest for raw, irritated wrinkles is neo-predef powder. Not sure if you have ever used it, it's by prescription only. Last time I went to the vet Samson's wrinkles didn't look too good (bad reaction to a new food combined with a high pollen count wrecking havoc on his allergies) and the vet I say sweared by this stuff. It's a bit pricey ($35 from my vet but only $15 from Dr Fosters & Smith) but it worked REALLY well on Samson's wrinkles. So sorry you are going thru all this, I hope things get better.
 

izstigspunks

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Sep 16, 2010
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The Stig Racecar Driver and (Sweet Angel) Punkin Brutus
Oh man, sorry you and Maximus have to go through this. I've been following all your threads mainly because Stig showed the exact same symptoms. First it was a small hot spot which got bigger, then hives, itchiness, raw wrinkles (you can find the thread about it here), mange as a secondary reaction, really pink skin, etc etc. We were at the vets at least once every other week, sometimes twice a week. He was on antibiotics for 3 months when the vet finally decided to stop giving them only because Stig was getting ear infections! The antibiotics were for his hives so they wouldn't get infected. They also dried up and scabbed as what you describe above. I donā€™t even know how many bottles of Benadryl he went through. It was awful, and my bf and I felt like the worst parents in the world. We were even thinking of giving him back to the breeder at our expense because we saw that he wasnā€™t getting any better.


We did the food trials, from the breederā€™s choice of kibble, to wellness, to orijen and then to fromm salmon. The fromm was the best out of all of them but his allergic reactions were still apparent. We even changed the detergent we use and his shampoo to oatmeal and aloe, however, nothing changed. It was by chance that we learned about the raw diet from Stigā€™s doggy daycare owner when we enrolled him. We were extremely hesitant at first as we questioned the bones and the germs (salmonella, e-coli, etc). After doing extensive research, asking numerous questions and seeing how Stig wasnā€™t getting better, we decided to give it a try. Literally, we started on raw on a Sunday and saw positive results by Monday. All his hives disappeared by Tuesday. No joke! It was such great timing because we were going to do the costly allergy test on the Thursday. After a few days, the hair on his wrinkles grew and his tear stains decreased tremendously. His hot spot got better and he stopped scratching.


Iā€™m not advocating rawfeeding, itā€™s definitely your choice. But I wanted to share what I learned from this experience. When doing food trials, absolutely only feed him 1 type of kibble. This means no treats (even if theyā€™re grain & gluten free), fruits, veggies, not even yogurt or pumpkin, cheese, etc. NOTHING! You need to isolate to one specific kibble only. If you feel you need to provide treats, then you can use the kibble as the treat. If someone wouldā€™ve told me this sooner, our lives would have been much easier. I remember it being painful because we had to throw away bags of kibble and treats that were still more than half full. But it was all worth it in the end. His current diet consists of raw meat for meals, dehydrated meat for treats, as well as fruits and veggies. He can even eat peanut butter, yogurt, pumpkin and such. And heā€™s MEDS FREE! We haven't seen the vet for his allergies since November! He was so surprised and impressed when we brought him in for a checkup the day we cancelled his allergy test. We have no clue what heā€™s allergic to but know that he always reacts to kibble food and any store bought treats so those are the only items that we stay away from.
 
Last edited:

JAKEISGREAT

.................
Mar 25, 2011
14,802
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Wow..great stuff here [MENTION=1209]savemejeebus[/MENTION]! I have been following [MENTION=2242]karenben[/MENTION] too..I'm considering this.
 

karenben

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Apr 18, 2011
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uk
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the bacteria is not a problem with dogs their digestive systems are geared up for all kinds of germs,i think people worry far too much,as long as work /feeding surfices are cleaned well its not going to be a problem,after going on to raw feeding i am a big advocate of it,im only a novice but know what rubbish is put into kibble,i mean the reps from the massive food companies dont exactly go round the meat markets ordering the highest quality meat ,and although all ingredients are supposed to be written on the bags ,are they really?,its no wonder so many dogs have allergies ,allergies were unknown of years ago when a dog survived on meat,bone and scraps so it makes sense to me ,we make our dogs allergic by listening to vets,dog food commercials and other kibble feeders,oooh best get of my soap box now before i get pushed off lol,sorry folks lol,karen
 
OP
Maximus

Maximus

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Toms River, New Jersey
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Maximus
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Oh man, sorry you and Maximus have to go through this. I've been following all your threads mainly because Stig showed the exact same symptoms. First it was a small hot spot which got bigger, then hives, itchiness, raw wrinkles (you can find the thread about it here), mange as a secondary reaction, really pink skin, etc etc. We were at the vets at least once every other week, sometimes twice a week. He was on antibiotics for 3 months when the vet finally decided to stop giving them only because Stig was getting ear infections! The antibiotics were for his hives so they wouldn't get infected. They also dried up and scabbed as what you describe above. I donā€™t even know how many bottles of Benadryl he went through. It was awful, and my bf and I felt like the worst parents in the world. We were even thinking of giving him back to the breeder at our expense because we saw that he wasnā€™t getting any better.


We did the food trials, from the breederā€™s choice of kibble, to wellness, to orijen and then to fromm salmon. The fromm was the best out of all of them but his allergic reactions were still apparent. We even changed the detergent we use and his shampoo to oatmeal and aloe, however, nothing changed. It was by chance that we learned about the raw diet from Stigā€™s doggy daycare owner when we enrolled him. We were extremely hesitant at first as we questioned the bones and the germs (salmonella, e-coli, etc). After doing extensive research, asking numerous questions and seeing how Stig wasnā€™t getting better, we decided to give it a try. Literally, we started on raw on a Sunday and saw positive results by Monday. All his hives disappeared by Tuesday. No joke! It was such great timing because we were going to do the costly allergy test on the Thursday. After a few days, the hair on his wrinkles grew and his tear stains decreased tremendously. His hot spot got better and he stopped scratching.


Iā€™m not advocating rawfeeding, itā€™s definitely your choice. But I wanted to share what I learned from this experience. When doing food trials, absolutely only feed him 1 type of kibble. This means no treats (even if theyā€™re grain & gluten free), fruits, veggies, not even yogurt or pumpkin, cheese, etc. NOTHING! You need to isolate to one specific kibble only. If you feel you need to provide treats, then you can use the kibble as the treat. If someone wouldā€™ve told me this sooner, our lives would have been much easier. I remember it being painful because we had to throw away bags of kibble and treats that were still more than half full. But it was all worth it in the end. His current diet consists of raw meat for meals, dehydrated meat for treats, as well as fruits and veggies. He can even eat peanut butter, yogurt, pumpkin and such. And heā€™s MEDS FREE! We haven't seen the vet for his allergies since November! He was so surprised and impressed when we brought him in for a checkup the day we cancelled his allergy test. We have no clue what heā€™s allergic to but know that he always reacts to kibble food and any store bought treats so those are the only items that we stay away from.

WOW. Quite a story. Thanks for sharing it with me. I'm lost as to what to do next. Maximus started out with one scabby-sore on his back, now has multiple 'scabby-sores' on his back, side, and now on the sides of his face. The good thing is he IS NOT SCRATCHING. Not at all. No scratching.

So, I started to think the previous poster was correct - he needs to be checked for Demodex Mange. So I'm taking him into the VET this week, and if I have to, I'm going to a VET Dermatologist, coz I am not seeing things improve here.

He is on the elimination diet - and is only on TOTW grain-free Lamb. He gets no treats, no cheese, no dairy. I eliminated CHICKEN because he arrived initially from the breeder being fed Eukanuba chicken/rice and he looked terrible ! I was feeding him WELLNESS chicken/turkey grain free reduced-fat. Now he is strictly on TOTW Lamb.

I'm just concerned about these 'scabby sores' breaking out .... I'm not liking the look of them and I want the VET to see him again .....

I'll keep everyone posted, and Thank you again for your help and concern.

- Patrick
 
Last edited:

kazzy220

..........
Jul 31, 2010
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441
Grafton, OHIO
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Maggie (My Angel Baby 5/31/2012). Daddy (2 years). Linus (1year). Bella (4 years)
I'm so sorry that you are going through this. I would definitely get him checked out for the mange, and if that comes back negative continue with the elimination diet that you've already started him on. I guess that if that doesn't seem to do the trick, then maybe trying the raw feeding would be the next option!!!

Fingers crossed that Maximus starts to feel and look better soon!!!
 
OP
Maximus

Maximus

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Maximus
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UPDATE on Maximus :::

I had Maximus to the VET today for his skin problems .....

The report is thatit is not a Food Allergy at all. He has pyoderma and
dermatitis.

He is on Antibiotics for a month - on Medicated shampoos 2x per week and on Neosporin powder for his wrinkles, and Chlorhexidine flushes to his tail pocket. The skin scrapings indicated NEGATIVE for mange.

He will be on 'pulse therapy' with the Antibiotics, which is that he will receive a longer course of treatment with a lower dosage of the antibiotic.

I'm hoping this does it and I don't have to keep going thru this with him.

Thanks to everyone for their concern and caring .......


~ Patrick
 

izstigspunks

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Sep 16, 2010
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Toronto, Ontario
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The Stig Racecar Driver and (Sweet Angel) Punkin Brutus
Thanks for the update. Did the vet recommend any other steps to take to prevent future relapses, such as a change or avoidance of something? I googled pyoderma and it says that food may be a factor, in addition to other things. It may be good to continue with your food trials. Crossing my fingers that you'll be able to control everything quickly. :)

What causes pyoderma?
Pyoderma is caused most frequently by Staphylococcus, a type of bacteria. Other bacteria, such as E. coli, also can invade previously infected skin. Several risk factors may cause an animal to be more likely to develop pyoderma. These risk factors include:
Parasites, such as fleas or mange mites
Allergies, such as flea, food, contact, or hereditary allergies
Hormonal disorders, such as hypothyroidism (low production of thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland)
Inadequate immune system, such as in young animals or those taking steroids
Animals with short coats, skin folds, or calloused skin
Trauma from grooming, scratching, or rooting in dirt or garbage
The German shepherd dog has a deep pyoderma that may respond to treatment only partially and frequently recurs
 
OP
Maximus

Maximus

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Maximus
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Thanks for the update. Did the vet recommend any other steps to take to prevent future relapses, such as a change or avoidance of something? I googled pyoderma and it says that food may be a factor, in addition to other things. It may be good to continue with your food trials. Crossing my fingers that you'll be able to control everything quickly. :)

Hi -
the VET indicated it is not Food allergies because Maximus doesn't have any Ear infection or foul odor coming from his ears which he states is a classic sign and symptom that accompanies Food allergies,
plus Max would be "paw licking" and he is not.
 

cowsmom

..........
Apr 27, 2011
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oh that is so great that he is going to be ok have been following this and was worried but didnt have time to post before. keep us posted on his progress.
 

Bella Cows Mama

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Feb 4, 2011
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[MENTION=701]Maximus[/MENTION] I'm not trying to step on anyones toes and say your vet is wrong but in my own experience with Bella, she has allergies to chicken and I'm pretty sure, some type of grain. Plus she has environmental allergies. She has never had an ear infection, foul odor coming from them or been a paw licker. So it is possible to have these allergies and not these syptoms. Her symptoms were yeast, bad sore wrinkles, gunky eyes, tear stains, etc. I would keep on the food trial. Can't hurt, right?
 

karenben

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i agree with above poster,not all dogs with food allergies paw lick,annie never touches her paws yet im convinced shes allergic to fish,vets really cannot tell us exactly what our dogs are allergic to,and testing can result in a lot of false positives this is why i havnt tested annie,im just eliminating,but hopefully your vet is correct in what hes saying and soon your dog will be ok,karen
 

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