Cleaning tips and advice for a noob please :)

[froggz]

As much as I've always loved bullies of all kinds, I havent had alot of close experience with the cleaning aspect of english bullies.

I have read that the face wrinkles need to be cleaned, as well as the tail during summer months.

Good tips for getting into the wrinkles? Her main wrinkle I can get to easy enough, and by the corner of her eye, but there are a few pretty tight wrinkles that might be an issue.
What are your favorite products to use?? I've read everything from hydrogen peroxide, baby wipes, alcohol prep pads to face cleaning pads for us.

The tail. How on earth am I supposed to do that? Sadie has suuuch a tight lil corkscrew tail that it almost looks like a round button. You can only tell looking closely where the tail is and curls. I can post a pic later lol.
Since her tail is so tightly curled will it hurt her for me to attempt to lift and clean under it?

The dog shampoo that I use is an Oatmeal, coconut oil and aloe formula. Are there any ingredients in particular to avoid using on eb's?

I typically wash my larger dog once every 2-4 months on average, depending on how much he needs to be washed. I'm sure its his food, but he never really gets a stinky odor. Is this typically a good schedule with bullies or is there a different time frame some of you have had good luck with?

 

[cali~jenn]

I cant help you with the tail since my boys tail is easy to get into and never dirty but for the face wrinkles the best stuff ever was malaseb wipes which are impossible to find now, company went under. Have switched to a comparable wipe called mal-a-ket wipes. They come in a little tub and look like stridex pads I guess. First I clean the wrinkles with a baby wipe then go back over them with this and the wrinkles really stay much cleaner longer and no infections. I would think it would also be ok for the tail but would get other opinions for that one. As for the bath only every 2-4 months, I would say more often is better although I do have to admit that since having our baby the boys dont get them as often as they used to either. Mine are not out in the dirt tho and 99% in the house so it isnt like they are "dirty" so much. I would say at least 1 a month tho for bathing at least is what I would prefer for my boys. Used to be more like every 2 weeks tho. Honestly for washing I just use baby shampoo and conditioner and my boys are clean and soft. I am sure others may prefer other shampoos and stuff but for me it works well and the boys have great coats.

 

[bullmama]

I use an oatmeal soothing shampoo and condition about once a month, but I clean the wrinkles daily with a warm washcloth. None of my bullies require butt wipe downs bcuz their tails are either short or straight and do not cause blockages.

Since we live in as and it is dry here, we plan on using bath oil now too, not sure yet if it will be too much but molly sure is soft from using it.

 

[Mugzilla]

hey there.

my female eb gets washed once per week, although that is bc of her allergies and the fact that she loves the bath and seems to feel better after a bath. my male eb gets a bath every 2-3 weeks, or more often depending on shows. every dog is different, but with eb's i think at least once per month could be a good minimum to start with and see how yours does.

bc my female eb has severe allergies, i can share loads on wrinkle cleaning. i avoid ALL alcohol based wipes. over time, they really start to irritate and hurt her. her face would actually get red/raw and she would be visibly in pain when i cleaned her wrinkles. your eb might not ever develop that issue, but if you can find something natural or more soothing/less harsh, i think you'd have a better chance at something that would work for a long period of time.

like desertsky, sometimes, i simply use a warm cloth. other times, i use all natural wipes from my specialty dog store. after cleaning out the creases, i've found it's important to ensure they're dried as well, especially those wrinkles that are tight and cannot 'breathe' or dry otherwise. using a non-abrasive cloth is also key. at least in my experience. i sometimes use q-tips for those really tight spots. q-tips are my friend for my eb's wrinkles, tails, and ears. when my female eb sees me getting out the q-tips she settles in bc she knows it's time for her cleaning--except for the times she doesn't want her cleaning, in which case she runs under the table to try and 'hide'

my female eb had a severely screwed 'in' tail with pockets. she eventually had to have it amputated bc even with daily cleaning, she had constant infections and 'swamp ***'. she feels sooooooo much better now.

i'd suggest using a q-tip or a thin, non-abrasive warm cloth for the tail. depending on the tail, your eb may not need daily tail cleaning. if she does need it, try different items to clean with until you find one that works for both of you.

i also wanted to note that ears are important to keep clean. bc of allergies, my female eb also requires daily ear cleaning. i use a non-aclohol, all natural solution in her ears to help break up the nastiness before using soft paper towels and q-tips. you want to be careful though, so as to not injure their ears.

my boy eb is a totally different story. he requires no tail cleaning (although he does require butt wiping at times! ) and requires a lot less ear and wrinkle cleaning, although he does require some. mostly, he just needs his tear stains cleaned daily.

they're both on the same diet and live in the same environment. i really feel breeding and each individual dog determines a lot of the cleaning needs and health care issues.

good luck to you!

ps, i use to use oatmeal shampoo and conditioner until i found out my female eb is allergic to oatmeal (oops!). i now use an all natural hypo-allergenic shampoo. if your dog isn't allergic, i think oatmeal is a pretty good choice for eb skin/fur.

 

[Mugzilla]

Honestly for washing I just use baby shampoo and conditioner and my boys are clean and soft. I am sure others may prefer other shampoos and stuff but for me it works well and the boys have great coats.

i use that stuff for MEEEE. i love it i can be a 30 year old baby, right?

 

[cali~jenn]

Absoluteyl! I havent actually tried it for my hair, you would think I would have huh? Who knows might be my new fav!

 

[Cozza]

I use baby shampoo (lavendar) cos it smells sooo good and I ATTEMPT to use baby wipes to clean his folds and wrinkles. I say attempt because he HATES it and tries to bite the wipe every time I get close to his face. Totally aggravating but it has to be done - I figure one day, he'll give in and just let me do it. If anyone has any tips on getting him to stay still, I'd be happy to hear it

As for the butt-wiping, I think those days are over. When he was a puppy, he'd poo and leave a bit hanging (TMI I know) and I'd end up having to wipe it but it doesn't happen anymore.

 

[froggz]

Sadie and I have gotten comfortable using baby wipes, and she has a couple very soft towels that are just hers lol.

Her face wrinkles are generally staying pretty clean, but her tail is another story. As I had mentioned she has a super tight corkscrew piggy tail, and she's not the happiest when I head back there with the baby wipe. I don't think her previous owners did much cleaning because when I first got her we went through 8 baby wipes on her tail alone. Now I'm down to two but she just hates it. She's SUCH a good girl though, she never really tries to get away and the only way I can tell she's upset is her facial expression and the grunting lol. She has a pretty wicked stink eye!

I love using the baby wipes on her ears, takes so much work out of cleaning a dogs ears lol!

For getting the dog to hold still, get a super yummy only at cleaning time treat. Sadie loves hot dogs When you are ready to clean have an assistant hold the treat for him to lick and nibble at. The object is to keep his attention on the treat while you are cleaning so that he can associate being cleaned with scrumptious treats. The treat can't be any average cookie though, my personal favorites are hotdogs, chicken, and lunchmeats, something they only get while they are being cleaned.

 

[LisaRN]

No problem with Chester's tail.. so that's not an issue cleaning down there. We bathe him every couple of weeks using baby shampoo. For some reason.. he gets dried pee all over his legs and belly and it looks nasty

As for his wrinkles.. my husband cleans them twice daily with baby wipes.. and at night we put the cornstarch/peroxide mixture on the right side of his face for the tear stain (right side is white, left side is brindle..so only have to do one side thank goodness with that). the peroxide mix does help with tear stain, but doesn't get rid of it completely

 

[gatorfan85]

@ Mugzilla can you give me some info on the tail amputation? Mr. Beefy who i've had about a month may need that done, he has a VERY tight tail and the fact that he has anal gland issues too they kindof feed off of each other he is getting butt and tail wiped about every other hour!!!!! Its exhausting

 

[Libra926]

[MENTION=355]gatorfan85[/MENTION]
Mugzilla hasn't been on in several months, but I can help you out with it. First off, here is an album of photos of Vegas's tail amputation. Vegas had a little nub and a real deep tail pocket. We chose to have it closed up "aka tail amp". He is so much happier without the constant tail infections.
Day 1 of the surgery, tons of seepage. We completely covered every square inch of rug and couch. We also had him on 2 pain meds. Rimadyl didn't do jack for him. Get Tramadol also. It's a cheap drug if you get it at the right pharmacy (Costco)
Day 2, Vegas started climbing on the furniture...still lots of seepage. Vegas never had any problems going poo, the incision was above that area.
Day 3, he was all puppy again.
We were supposed to keep him calm, but after day 3.....it was hard. The photos show how long it took for his hair to grow back. We made the correct decision with him. He's got a cute bottom..so it worked well. One of our consultants? Not so much. Turns out her bulldog has a black ring around his anus...so it now looks like a target.

 

[lexterwayne]

i can stick my finger in the fold between lexs tail and back and its about an in deep... his tail is cork srew lookin but its flat on the outside, during the summer ive gotten to wear ill wipe it down w a baby wipe and after a weekly bath w oatmeal baking soda shampoo and conditoner i put that liquid baby powder in the wrinkle all the way around the tail...i like the liquid cause its not messy putitn it on and i can just squirt it in there.e ive noticed it sweats in there especially in the heat!!!!

 

[babybully]

I use an oatmeal soothing shampoo and condition about once a month, but I clean the wrinkles daily with a warm washcloth. None of my bullies require butt wipe downs bcuz their tails are either short or straight and do not cause blockages.

Since we live in as and it is dry here, we plan on using bath oil now too, not sure yet if it will be too much but molly sure is soft from using it.

I know this post is old,but how did you use the bath oil? Do you still use it? If not, why didn't you like it?

 

[Vikinggirl]

Hi, I give my two guys a bath usually every week, but with Christmas hustle and bustle it's been every 2 weeks. I use a puppy no tears oatmeal and chamomile formula, with baby scent. It makes them smell like baby powder. Every other day, I use unscented baby wipes on their face folds, ears, eyes, and when needed on their butts, I don't have a problem with their tail pocket, it isn't tight and stays clean, but I will wipe their butts if they have had loose stools, or diarrhea, or when needed. I also brush their teeth, twice a week.

 

[bullmama]

I did use the one by Nuetrogena. I am no longer using it because I don't want to upset the PH balance, and I now think it may clog pores.

However, if you are in a battle with a yeast infection and are washing more often with a powerful RX shampoo (it dries the skin out), I would still recommend it.

Salmon or Coconut oil in the food works better I think for keeping a soft coat for normal day to day care. I no longer us oatmeal shampoo but use Pharmaseb anitbacterial antifungal shampoo. I really keeps the yeasty beasties at bay!!!