Allergies!

[nursejusty]

So I am stumped and need help!! Cash my bulldog gets really red lips and sometimes his belly. But the worst is he sounds like he has all this phlemb in his throat but it never clears. He coughs but that does not clear it either. I have tried switching to different foods thinking allergic to chicken and beef and put him on fish but that did not help, No we are on taste of the wild venison i think. Bendaryl, Zyrtec nor Apoquel even touched him. Poor guy! HELP!!

 

[marshall351]

Anything that's high in carbs(even veggies) or starches promotes yeast which is a bulldog's arch nemesis - try to avoid these. We tried Zignature kangaroo limited ingredient which was good but it had chickpeas and peas which are high in carbs. But my girl does even better on Vital Essentials freeze dried raw salmon. Pricey though. I would try one of these temporarily just to calm things down a bit and give the dog some relief. Also, maybe try to avoid dairy. The clearing of his throat sounds like a soft palate issue which can only be fixed with surgery. Maybe he eats too fast as well. You can try putting some water in his food and mashing it up so it takes him longer to eat it - be careful though as he might need to go to the bathroom more.

 

[helsonwheels]

Before changing food….Did the vet checked for Soft palate? I personally would get that checked out.

Soft Palate Disorders in Dogs - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, Management, Cost

The roof of the canine mouth consists of a hard palate and a soft palate. The hard palate is the bony tissue located in the anterior or front part of the roof of the mouth, while the soft palate is soft tissue located in the back.

wagwalking.com

 

[2BullyMama]

Agreed.. has his palate been eval?

 

[rjisaterp]

I would see your vet/allergy specialist.

 

[chauncey_pancakes]

My senior bulldog has had this issue since 2013. He is is 12 years old is on prescription eye drops, supplements and antifungal wipes for his paws. No other current medications and is about 40 lbs.

We have seen a dermatologist, allergist, injections, and allergy medication such as apoquel over several years. All of which has help but the side effects/cost did not work out for us. These three things have been the major game changers for my dog's quality of life:

1. Dental check up revealed infected teeth that were inflaming his sinuses and severely exacerbating his allergies. The Extraction and regular dental cleanings have changed his life. This year we have decided not to undergo sedated dental cleaning unless it is absolutely necessary due to his age so we've upped his home cleanings (try using a waterpik!)

2. Diet Change/Allergy management. This one took years and years. We found a good dry kibble in 2015 (grain/corn free etc, but i noticed his allergies/GI/stool were still causing issues and he was gaining weight/elevated protein levels. He wasn't excited about food and would often starve himself to the point of vomiting. I also noticed certain store bran dog treats/jerky would trigger severe gagging episodes. Beef and Pork seemed to make it worse, we had to try a lot of different brands and combinations. I switched him to fresh food on 02/17/22 and i noticed instant results. He has lost over 5 pounds and his allergies/GI/stool/appetite/energy have improved trifold. His dry eye has also improved by over 75% (no more crazy boogers!) Its unfortunate i only discovered this 2 months ago. Fresh food is very pricey but it has helped in my vet costs and i do want to give him the best last years of his life and he is now obsessed with his new food.

3. Find good quality supplements. We use Prudence Hip and Joint High Potency Soft chews and Vet's Best Allergy chews which contains sea kelp. No slouchy hips here! Ask your local holistic dog feed store team they helped me with references on food brand and local vets that specialize in certain breeds.

I have also gotten him an elevated angled feeding bowl and have spread his feedings out to 3 to 4 times a day to avoid low blood sugar (another trigger) / bloating / aspiration.

Wishing you all the best with your pal.