hot spots! help!

buffalobabie

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Apr 11, 2011
233
16
Toronto, Ontario
Bulldog(s) Names
Gregory
Gregory had a hot spot on his neck about a week ago, we took him to the vet to confirm. He shaved the area and we cleaned it 3 times a day with dish soap then applied this "super polysporn" type cream. It went away in exactly a week this past wednesday. This morning I wake up and he has another one right above the previous patch! so i shaved it down and washed and put the cream on.
Any tips on keeping these away?
 

sheshistory

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Jul 11, 2010
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Vermont
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The $1 million question: what is Gregory eating? These are SO often associated with food allergies. [MENTION=2]desertskybulldogs[/MENTION] little fellow Tidus had a bad problem with hot spots come to find out, it was a chicken allergy. I would start there when trying to get to the bottom of this.

Poor Gregory...:( Big cuddles to him from Linus and Truman.
 
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buffalobabie

buffalobabie

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Apr 11, 2011
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16
Toronto, Ontario
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Gregory
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his food has chicken in it for sure, when i took him to the vet a week and a half ago we talked food. He felt what i feed is the best for him. The only other option is to cook his food every day but he was concerned about his teeth staying clean when not eating kibble. i trust what he has told me so far. im going to call him in a bit to see if he has anything else to suggest. im thinking of doing an allergie test.
 

JAKEISGREAT

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Mar 25, 2011
14,802
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Southern California
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Jake
What food is he on? We all do trust our vets...but most of the time they lean towards recommending food that the manufacturers send reps into the vets office. They..of course, give all the positive facts and no adverse ones. It's really up to us..as owners to battle and find the right food. I would say..,as a general rule..stay away from food sold IN a vets office. Remember..vets have a lot to research and food isn't at the top of their lists. And not one food works for every bully. That's what makes it such a challenge.
 

GatorRay

I am in total control....I think
Feb 25, 2011
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Louisville, KY
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I am so glad that you found a vet that you really trust. That is a challenge for some! BUT please consider that vet's don't really study nutrition (they do get a short course in vet school) and will often recommend whatever they have learned from reps that come into their offices to sell them food. Even my three vets (all in the same practice and all great) have conceded that I know more about food than they do and that isn't saying much! lol.

I would research myself. There are a few really great sites, dogfoodanalysis and dogfoodadvisor that you can check out. There are also two sections about food here. Click on "articles" at the top of the page.

For bullies, I would maybe consider that the chicken could be an issue since that seems to be a common problem. if he has recurring hot spots. You may want to try the same brand of kibble you are using now but with a different protein source. You could also consider going grain-free.

A note on allergy testing....they are not that reliable BUT you might find that he is allergic to something random like your carpets! So, it isn't a bad choice if the reactions aren't eliminated with a food change.

At any rate, I don't know how to treat a hot spot topically since we have never had any but I am sure that someone here has a lot of experience and can help you out. Hopefully [MENTION=2]desertskybulldogs[/MENTION] will pop in and offer suggestions.

Good luck and I hope he feels better soon!
 
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buffalobabie

buffalobabie

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Apr 11, 2011
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16
Toronto, Ontario
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Gregory
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he has never had any spots until this month, so thats what makes me wonder. The food he is on isnt sold in the vet office, and he suggested i cut back and add more fruits and veggies with his food. im going to do some research on the websites you suggested. Thank you so much for your support and ideas guys!
 

JAKEISGREAT

.................
Mar 25, 2011
14,802
1,155
Southern California
Bulldog(s) Names
Jake
It can take awhile for food allergies to show up..Jake is sensitive to chicken..took 6 months before I realized it! You will figure it out..glad you are researching food. It's so hard to find the right one! Trial and error..there are very knowledgeable people here..pick their brains! Let us know how it goes..
 

bullmama

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Jan 28, 2010
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Tucson, Arizona
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The Home of the Desert Sky Pack
You are treating the hot spots correctly. Usually a hot spot on the neck (behind the ears) is a food allergy. Allergies can manifest out of nowhere, so even if you have always given the same food, all it takes is a lowering of the immune system to cause the allergy to show up. Things that cause a low immune system can be diet, stress, and even antibiotics/medicine/shots.

Any new treats, snacks, change in routine, meds, annual shots? What brand of food are you feeding?
 
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buffalobabie

buffalobabie

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Apr 11, 2011
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Toronto, Ontario
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Gregory
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im feeding royal cainine ( i know i know lots of people hate it, but it has been working for him so far). When i got him as a puppy he was eating eukanuba and i changed him right away to blue buffalo, that was way too rich for him gave him the runs. We changed him to royal and he did amazing. We moved at the end of april and then this month the hot spots happened. Our apartment has hardwood floors and it was reno'd before we moved in, fresh paint new kitchen so there isnt any sort of allergins that i can see. I clean and vaccum with natural cleaners once a week and swiffer between.
The only other thing could be maybe different types of trees around us? I baby wipe his face every morning and night and make sure its dry. The two spots have been on his neck close to his juggular (sp?). He has been eating the same treats vitalife plus duck sweet potatoe, and chicken for over a year. We cut the kibble down to 3 cups a day with fresh veggies added, nothing really different so i cant figure out what it is. And as for new food, im baffled. ive have been considering changing since the first one after reading about what people have said about it on here. His tummy cant handle super rich food, so im not sure what to do. I just keep reading and searching.
 

Davidh

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Mar 21, 2011
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When we first got our bullies we feed Royal Cainine and it worked great for a while then they started to itch and turn red so we switched food and the problem stopped. Sometimes it takes a while for the allergy to show up or the manufacturer may change an ingredient and the problem stars.
 
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buffalobabie

buffalobabie

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Apr 11, 2011
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Toronto, Ontario
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Gregory
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oh thats true about the ingredients, i just bought another damn bag ugh and you'd think i could find the bill nope. i think im going to finish this bag keep searching to figure out what to change too.
 

bullmama

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Does your bully wear a collar of tags? It could be the metal or plastic hitting the jugular.
 
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buffalobabie

buffalobabie

New member
Apr 11, 2011
233
16
Toronto, Ontario
Bulldog(s) Names
Gregory
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nope! he wears a harness all the time with his tags on the back loopy. he has a small wind pipe so he cant wear collars
 

JAKEISGREAT

.................
Mar 25, 2011
14,802
1,155
Southern California
Bulldog(s) Names
Jake
One thing to consider..my vet told me the swiffer pads were full of chemicals..not saying that has anything to do with his problem..but just for future reference..she especially warned me not to let cats on floors cleaned with swiffers until they had dried for at least 30 minutes! I guess because of how cats groom..I gave up and got a floor steamer just hot water!
 

Einstein the Great

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Jun 14, 2011
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Fort Wayne, IN
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Einstein
Einstein was on the Royal Canine when he came home from the breeders. And he was fine for awhile. But started having hot spots, redness, and diarrhea. Took us awhile to figure it out because I had no idea food was such a big factor in their health. Total turn around when we changed foods. Got lucky though...next food we changed to worked. Good luck! Every bully is different. Just have to find what works best for your little guy!
 

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