Allergies?

[poshgroomer]

This is Brutus. He is an old English bulldog off almost 4 years. This is the first year he has ended up in the hospital 3x already this summer. I'm doing research on common bully skin issues because the poor guy is so itchy. The benadryl isn't really working much anymore.

It's not as bad now. In early summer is when the worst of it happened. Had to rinse the wounds with peroxide and put socks on his feet. Now he rubs his back on tables, the side of the bed, tree branches, etc. When I'm not looking. Any advice would be helpful.

 

[ddnene]

First of all Welcome to EBN!!!
OMG that is the worst pics I have EVER seen… gosh I'm so sorry for your baby I would have to say that benadryl would not even touch this, what is your vet saying?!! Have they done allergy testing on him?!! Has he ever seen a dermatologist?!! I'm going to tag some members on this one… Please keep us posted!!!

 

[Vikinggirl]

Aww poor Brutus. I'm so sorry you are going through this with him, it's so hard to see our guys suffering. That looks so sore. What has the vet said about his skin? Are these Hot Spots, or has he just scratched his itchy skin raw? I hope the vet can give him something to heal this, and he feels better soon. Please keep us update.


Common Mistakes That Can Cause Skin and Coat Problems in Your Pet
April 12, 2011


In this video Dr. Karen Becker discusses the troubling problem of flaky skin in pets. She explains the reasons for poor skin and coat condition in dogs and cats, and what to do to resolve the situation if your own pet is suffering.
Dr. Becker's Comments:


Today I’d like to talk about why dogs and cats develop flaky skin. There are a few different reasons for the condition, including:


Under-grooming
Under- or over-bathing
Dietary deficiency
Underlying medical issue
When Your Dog or Cat Isn’t Adequately Groomed


Under-grooming, or lack of grooming, allows a lot of dead, flaky skin to accumulate under your pet’s coat.


Shorted-coated dog breeds don’t have much undercoat for dead skin to get trapped in. But double-coated breeds or dogs with thick, longer hair can accumulate lots of dead flakes on the surface of the skin under all that hair.


If the hair isn’t being removed on a regular basis, excessive flaking will build up as the dead skin mixes with the undercoat.


Cats normally self-groom away their dead skin and excess hair, but again, a cat with very long hair – or an overweight kitty – can’t do a thorough job. Dead skin tends to accumulate across the back of the pelvis of obese cats, where they can no longer reach to groom.


If your pet seems to have a lot of flaking in a particular spot, watch to see if she’s able to groom and remove hair in that area. If she can’t get to it, you’ll need to give her an assist by brushing her regularly to facilitate removal of dead skin and excess hair.


Baths and Flaky Skin


Too many or too few baths can also be a reason for excessively flaky skin in a dog or cat.


Urban legend tells us we should never bathe our dogs, but this idea is outdated.


Back in the 1900’s, when shampoos were made from lye or coal tar derivatives, they were so caustic and abrasive it was better to not use them too often.


Overuse of those old harsh shampoos was hard on the scalp of humans and the skin of pets, creating irritation and excessive flaking in both.


Nowadays, there are plenty of safe, gentle shampoos available for everyone on two legs and four. Just as many of you shampoo every day, every other day, or multiple times a week with no issues, you can also bathe your pet regularly without worrying about over-drying the coat or skin.


Focus on bathing your dog or cat when he needs it. Some dogs rarely need a bath. Other dogs have oily or flaky skin and hair and need to be bathed frequently. Let the condition of your pet’s skin and coat dictate the frequency of the baths you provide.


Cats sometimes need baths as well.


Pets living in dry climates tend to need fewer baths than animals living in areas with higher humidity. Of course the drier the air, the drier the skin and coat (potentially), which can promote flaking. So that’s something to be aware of if you live in the desert southwest, for example.


As a general rule, though, high humidity areas foster more skin irritation in pets and the need for more frequent baths.


Whether your pet is a dog or a cat, select a gentle, non-abrasive shampoo. Bathing your pet every day is probably overkill, and will cause skin and coat dryness. Never bathing your pet, on the other hand, allows buildup of dead skin and hair. The act of brushing and bathing helps exfoliate dead skin.


Flaky Skin and Omega-3 Deficiency


A dietary lack of omega-3 fatty acids is a very common cause for excessively flaky skin in pets. Dogs and cats need an abundance of omega-3’s to be healthy.


Processed dog and cat foods are typically heated, extruded and/or canned. Since omega-3 fatty acids are very sensitive to heat and light, the processing of commercial pet food renders the omega-3’s inert. They’re still in the food, but no longer active or useful to your pet’s body.


Even if you’re feeding a homemade raw diet, if you’re not following a balanced recipe that calls for extra EFA’s/omega-3 fatty acids, or unless you’re feeding fish on a daily basis, your pet’s diet is probably unbalanced for fatty acids.


In my practice, dietary deficiency of omega-3’s is the number one cause of excessively flaky skin in pets.


Whether you feed a commercial diet or a homemade diet, you may need to supplement with essential fatty acids. My favorite is krill oil, but I also see good improvement in flaky coats when coconut oil is supplemented.


Not only are omega-3’s important for your dog or cat, so is the dietary ratio of omega-3’s to omega-6’s.


Most foods available, whether purchased commercial or homemade, are rich in omega-6 fatty acids. Because the average pet diet is heavy in omega-6’s, supplementing with additional omega-6’s in the form of corn oil, olive oil, safflower oil or even flax oil (that contains some vegetable sources of omega 3’s, but also omega 6’s) can create an imbalance serious enough to cause skin problems.


Omega-6 fatty acids, in abundance, become pro-inflammatory oils. If your pet gets too many of these without a balance of healthy fish-based oils – DHA and EPA – it can be a real problem.


It’s also important to note that dogs and cats can’t convert omega-3 vegetable sources into DHA. Flax oil has some omega-3 value for humans, but that doesn’t hold true for your pet. So it’s really important that you supply fish-body oils or krill oil to your dog or cat. Algal DHA is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.


Does Your Pet Have an Underlying Medical Issue?


Another reason for excessive flaking in pets is an underlying medical problem.


Both cats and dogs can have metabolic conditions that cause the skin’s turnover rate to be hindered. Thyroid conditions are a common cause of flaky skin: hypothyroidism in dogs and hyperthyroidism in kitties.


Any health issue in a cat that causes her not to feel well can translate to a lack of regular or thorough grooming. Lots of ill kitties have excessive flaking.


Skin infections are another very common medical cause of flaking. Bacterial infections, fungal infections like ringworm, and parasitic infections on the skin can all cause increased flaking in your pet. In fact, there’s actually a parasitic mite called ‘Walking Dandruff.’


If your precious pup or kitty is having a flaky skin problem, I recommend you work with your holistic veterinarian to identify the root cause so you can resolve the issue and get your pet’s skin and coat back to a healthy condition.


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[poshgroomer]

The vet put him on antibiotics, twice. The third time it flared up we just kept it clean. We've bought special skin issue shampoo and sprays from the vet. Cortisone and the like. They wanted to run a few allergy tests at the vet and a few more with a dermatologist but I'm going thru a really rough year and funds are limited to making sure the poor guy gets fed. The people he stays with, their grandmother just passed in May. They started moving things in the house that haven't been moved in about 30 years. I'm going to be switching his food to a bully specific brand and we will see how it goes.

He's a mess. Bad skin and developing behaviour problems. It'll be a couple more months before he can live with me again. Then I'll be able to take him to work and I won't have to worry about him so much.

The worst of the pictures was in early summer.

 

[RiiSi]

That sure is the worst I have ever seen. What are you feeding him? I would most definedly home cook or raw feed him with very limited ingredients until significantly better.

 

[Pati Robins]

Welcome to the forum
I would suggest allergy testing and trying to eliminate or avoid things your baby might be allergic too
I havent seem this bad allergy reaction yet but my friend dog suffered from it for a very long time-she tested her girl and it turned out that she wasnt allergic to food but wool (jumpers etc) and synthetic carpets
I hope your baby feels better soon xx

 

[2BullyMama]

The vet put him on antibiotics, twice. The third time it flared up we just kept it clean. We've bought special skin issue shampoo and sprays from the vet. Cortisone and the like. They wanted to run a few allergy tests at the vet and a few more with a dermatologist but I'm going thru a really rough year and funds are limited to making sure the poor guy gets fed. The people he stays with, their grandmother just passed in May. They started moving things in the house that haven't been moved in about 30 years. I'm going to be switching his food to a bully specific brand and we will see how it goes.

He's a mess. Bad skin and developing behaviour problems. It'll be a couple more months before he can live with me again. Then I'll be able to take him to work and I won't have to worry about him so much.

The worst of the pictures was in early summer.

Welcome to EBN.... that has to be one of the worst hotspots I have ever seen. stating things are moving around and you are looking at new foods... i suggest going with a raw or home cook base food. he could be allergic to dust and or storage mites which live in dry food. Try The Honest Kitchen brand and then just add your own protein to the mix. I know you stated funds are tight, but paying for a good high quality food may clear him up and limit the trips to the vet.

What 'bull specific' food are referring to? If Royal Canin... please do not, it is all filler and based with chicken - which a lot of bullies have issues with chicken kibble

 

[bullmama]

Wow-- poor baby!!! That looks horrible and so very itchy and painful. I cannot imagine how worried you are.

Here is an article about allergies to start with:
http://www.englishbulldognews.com/c...llergies-Information-Treatment-and-Prevention

Sounds like you've already got shampoos and such but here is what I would do.

Get Pharmaseb shampoo, you can get it online at allvetsupply.

Not sure what you are feeding, but a top rated food or home cooked/ raw diet

Add yogurt to each meal

Add 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (from the mother) to each meal

Get him on a Supplememt like nuvet or hardy pet that will help boost immune system

When bathing, rinse very well. When you think you are done, rinse one more time. Fill the tub with a couple inches of water and add a few cups of white vinegar. Rinse one more time with that.

Get some panalog or similar from your vet to put on any itchy areas or hot spots.

I sure hope your bully gets some relief soon!






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[poshgroomer]

Thank you guys so much! I'll post pictures add he gets better.

 

[Texas Carol]

Oh my, my sympathies go out to both of you. You've gotten great advice
(I love these members), Vetericyn (misp) is fab for hot spots, no peroxide!

 

[poshgroomer]

Brutus likes to roll in the dirt. We had use peroxide to clean the bloody mud off the wounds

 

[Kt126126]

Hi,

My first bulldog Abby had terrible allergies. It took me over a year and tons of dr. visit to finally figure it out. The best thing you can do for your dog is to home feed them and throw away the kibble!!!! Even a little kibble can cause them to itch like crazy. Believe me this was the only thing that really controlled the itching for my bully. If you want to go with medication, Atopica is the thing to get. It cost a lot but helps with the allergies. I did use it until I realized feeding her with home made food stopped everything. I mean I would have to give her an allergy pill here and there but nothing like it was. Try it for a month see how it works!!!! Hope this helps.

I should mention also that includes snacks. They should be apples and carrots. No processed food of any kind.

 

[mackbob]

Is it just hot spots? No yeast? No hives? Shedding? Could you provide more detail on this? What brand of food is he eating? Without a doubt his immune system has been compromised - so I feel like strengthening it is the first thing to do. Thinking bovine colustrum would be a good starter as well and adding that to his diet (and of course switching him to raw etc). A little bit of garlic, oil of oregano. My bf's bully was in bad shape when i met him (itchy all the time, yeasty, etc) but due to my knowledge in holistic remedies and raw feeding, we turned it all around. I've been feeding raw for 10 years and it's the best decision i ever made!

 

[RalphieBoy]

How much is the allergy test?

 

[Marine91]

How much is the allergy test?

It will vary depending on the vet/specialist. By me they run about $250 to $300.