Extremely SEVERE allergies... has anyone dealt with something this bad before?

[DjangoAndWinniesMom]

Last time I had posted a thread about my bully Winnie, it was determined that she had a spider bite which had caused an allergic reaction. That began to subside... Then, about a week ago, I noticed that she began to have a bit of a yeast issue in her nose rope. I became very adamant about cleaning it, and I totally thought it was getting better... then suddenly overnight BOOM! It's like her whole face is full of blisters and she bleeds a LOT throughout the day as shes scratching them on her face. I now give her Benadryl in the morning and at night, I am very strict about keeping her stainless steel bowls clean as a whistle; I wipe her face, neck, and nose rope with DECHRA Malacetic wipes after she eats (in the morning then at night); I dry her face any time she drinks water and after the Malacetic wipes... now I also have purchased some Malaseb shampoo to be delivered tomorrow that I plan to wash her with as well... I even spray Vetericyn on her throat area when I feel as though the Malacetic wipes didn't do enough... but I am beginning to feel hopeless. The vet is completely useless as to making me feel any better. Has anyone dealt with any thing this bad? Any suggestions? I feel completely awful!!! Poor thing. She's as cheerful as ever but gosh, she looks torn up!


You can't see it in this picture, but on the left side (her right side), the skin right at the bottom of her cheek is VERY inflamed and bleeds a lot from her scratching.
I feel like such a bad mom I just want her to clear up ASAP!!

 

[nycbullymama]

You gotta take her to a vet. Something this bad needs cortisone/steroids. A round of Prednisone.
Keep clean and dry too.

Also, I wouldn't be using the malacatic twice a day unless there's yeast. It will start to irritate. Just wipe her down with a paper towel after she eats and use the malacetic once a week to prevent the yeast.

Either way, get to a vet. They'll be able to give you something stronger to clear this up.

 

[2BullyMama]

Is it only on her face? What food do you feed? Any treats? Table food?

 

[Katie demes]

I haven't a clue what this is but it looks like it's something only a vet can clear up, u never know that stuff your using to help clear it might be making it worse. She obviously needs something a lot stronger, hope she is better soon xx

 

[bullmama]

Poor sweet baby, that does look really bad!! I also agree with above, she may need some steroid and antibiotic to help that get better. You are not a bad mommy, don't even think that. Sounds like you have been trying really hard with all the steps you have been taking to help get her better.

The vet may give oral antibiotics and steroid, but ask also about panalog ointment. It's topical rather than oral, and has antibiotic, anti fungal and steroid.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[agentbunny]

Last time I had posted a thread about my bully Winnie, it was determined that she had a spider bite which had caused an allergic reaction. That began to subside... Then, about a week ago, I noticed that she began to have a bit of a yeast issue in her nose rope. I became very adamant about cleaning it, and I totally thought it was getting better... then suddenly overnight BOOM! It's like her whole face is full of blisters and she bleeds a LOT throughout the day as shes scratching them on her face. I now give her Benadryl in the morning and at night, I am very strict about keeping her stainless steel bowls clean as a whistle; I wipe her face, neck, and nose rope with DECHRA Malacetic wipes after she eats (in the morning then at night); I dry her face any time she drinks water and after the Malacetic wipes... now I also have purchased some Malaseb shampoo to be delivered tomorrow that I plan to wash her with as well... I even spray Vetericyn on her throat area when I feel as though the Malacetic wipes didn't do enough... but I am beginning to feel hopeless. The vet is completely useless as to making me feel any better. Has anyone dealt with any thing this bad? Any suggestions? I feel completely awful!!! Poor thing. She's as cheerful as ever but gosh, she looks torn up!

View attachment 77292
You can't see it in this picture, but on the left side (her right side), the skin right at the bottom of her cheek is VERY inflamed and bleeds a lot from her scratching.
I feel like such a bad mom I just want her to clear up ASAP!!

I have been through this. Unfortunaetly, the allergies have led to a secondary skin infection which will not clear up without antibiotics. You will have to go to the vet and he will prescribe those along with some prednisone to stop the allergies. While you are at it, ask him for a prescription for Atopica. It is an immunosuppressant. It will keep her allergies from returning. I am assuming you have tried zertec and claritin daily for at least 2 weeks and neither are effective? If so, ask for the Atopica. If not, try either of the two now on a daily basis. After the steroids wear off, you sghould be able to see within two weeks if the OTC allergy pills work.

Then it depends on what you want to do. You can keep her on atopica, which has its own risks but certainly better than having a dog go through this much pain. Or you can go to a veterinary dermatologist to have a skin test done which figured out exactly what she is allergic to. They will then create a vaccine which will have to be administered daily at first then weekly for about 6 months before it works. Thats what we did and have had success. Unfortunately, at this stage, there is nothing you can do at home without antibiotics. Good luck and keep us posted.
[h=3][/h]

 

[Vikinggirl]

Hi Shelby, I'm so sorry Winnie is going through this, I hope it clears up sooN and she gets better. I agree with others above, a vet needs to treat this. Once you clear it up, it's a good idea to see If you can figure outvwhatvis causing the allergies. Most allergies are food related, what brand of dog food are you currently feeding her? Chicken is a common protein for dog foods, and many bullies are allergic or sensitive to chicken. My female Blossom is allergic to chicken, salmon, and sensitive to beef, corn and grains. I switched her foods 4 times before we found one that she tolerated. We are currently feeding Fromm's Lamb and Lentil with food results. Other things that can trigger allergies are environmental factors such as dust, trees, or pollen, or household products, such as cleaners, laundry soaps, shampoos, lrair freshners.
Have you changed or started using any new products in the last little while, that she may be sensitive to. You may be cleaning her too often, with the wipes, which may be irritating her skin, or drying it out? I just use a unscented sensitive skin baby wipe, or plain water with a little bit of puppy shampoo on a fface cloth of wipe their faces.

There are some natural supplements you can add to her kibble to help boost the immune system. Allergies are caused by an abnormal response of the immune system. I add 2 Tbsp's of plain unsweetened yogurt to the morning kibble everyday, I use the Liberte Brand from Costco. Yogurt is a food source of Probiotics which is food for digestion, and also boosts the immune system, which helps to fight, infections, parasites and allergy symptoms. I also add 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar to the drinking water everyday. There are many health benefits to ACV. It is a natural anti inflammatory, ( 99% of all diseases, including Arthritis are caused by inflammation in the body), it is a natural anti bacterial, and kills the bad bacteria in the body, which again boosts the immune system, and it balances the Ph levels of the blood. The brand I use is called Braggs and I buy it at The Nutrition House, its $9.99 for a big bottle, but you can also find ACV in some grocery stores in the Organic section of the store. I also add 1 Tbsp of Coconut Oil to their evening kibble, which is a food source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids, which is great for the skin, hair, bones, joints and also the brain. I buy my Coconut Oil at Costco.

 

[tyree213]

You have some good advice from the members above ill add that you can use quercetin with bromelain for allergies and Homeopathic Sulphur works great for clearing up skin issues.

 

[DjangoAndWinniesMom]

Thanks everyone for the responses! I took her to the vet about two weeks ago and they had given her an antibiotic for a rash on her leg and oddly enough this all popped up about two days after the antibiotics were done. I think the reason I chose to not take her immediately was because I just never find that the vet I go to understands, I feel like they give me the run around and give her just random things. They always recommend something she doesn't need when we go in there! All the stuff I have been giving to her/doing to her was advice given to me by a friend who works as a vet assistance and has a Great Dane with similar issues... But now that I have an idea of what to actually talk to the vet about, I'll take her tomorrow seeing as it doesn't look any better.

For those who asked, we feed her Nature's Domain in the salmon flavor, maybe I'll try lamb. I know she's allergic to chicken and she's also sensitive to grain. Another thing I believe could have caused this was when she stayed at a family member's house last week during the day... I have suspicions that she may have been given food with chicken AND grain which certainly wouldn't help this flair up. Some people don't realize how real dog allergies are and seem to think I'm just being dramatic when I tell them she can't eat any food while she's visiting!!

I also know know she must sense that my SO and I are very stressed lately as we are getting ready to move into our first home and it's been a very stressful time! So I feel awful blaming myself here!! She's great with medication though so I would definitely be happy to get her antibiotics etc to help my poor girl!!

 

[ddnene]

I have been through this. Unfortunaetly, the allergies have led to a secondary skin infection which will not clear up without antibiotics. You will have to go to the vet and he will prescribe those along with some prednisone to stop the allergies. While you are at it, ask him for a prescription for Atopica. It is an immunosuppressant. It will keep her allergies from returning. I am assuming you have tried zertec and claritin daily for at least 2 weeks and neither are effective? If so, ask for the Atopica. If not, try either of the two now on a daily basis. After the steroids wear off, you sghould be able to see within two weeks if the OTC allergy pills work.

Then it depends on what you want to do. You can keep her on atopica, which has its own risks but certainly better than having a dog go through this much pain. Or you can go to a veterinary dermatologist to have a skin test done which figured out exactly what she is allergic to. They will then create a vaccine which will have to be administered daily at first then weekly for about 6 months before it works. Thats what we did and have had success. Unfortunately, at this stage, there is nothing you can do at home without antibiotics. Good luck and keep us posted.

I completely agree… I think you need to see a vet to get the secondary infection under control, but you should see a dermatologist to discover the source. My bully Bella would lose hair for NO apparent reason, and I so wish I would of just taken her in for allergy testing. She suffered needlessly for years, and I wish we would of just figured out WHY it was happening. You are NOT a bad mom at all… you are doing everything you can for your baby, and asking questions on here is a great start. I hope your baby heals up soon and keep us posted!!!

 

[ddnene]

Thanks everyone for the responses! I took her to the vet about two weeks ago and they had given her an antibiotic for a rash on her leg and oddly enough this all popped up about two days after the antibiotics were done. I think the reason I chose to not take her immediately was because I just never find that the vet I go to understands, I feel like they give me the run around and give her just random things. They always recommend something she doesn't need when we go in there! All the stuff I have been giving to her/doing to her was advice given to me by a friend who works as a vet assistance and has a Great Dane with similar issues... But now that I have an idea of what to actually talk to the vet about, I'll take her tomorrow seeing as it doesn't look any better.

For those who asked, we feed her Nature's Domain in the salmon flavor, maybe I'll try lamb. I know she's allergic to chicken and she's also sensitive to grain. Another thing I believe could have caused this was when she stayed at a family member's house last week during the day... I have suspicions that she may have been given food with chicken AND grain which certainly wouldn't help this flair up. Some people don't realize how real dog allergies are and seem to think I'm just being dramatic when I tell them she can't eat any food while she's visiting!!

I also know know she must sense that my SO and I are very stressed lately as we are getting ready to move into our first home and it's been a very stressful time! So I feel awful blaming myself here!! She's great with medication though so I would definitely be happy to get her antibiotics etc to help my poor girl!!

I will tell you from firsthand experience… if you feel your vet is giving you the run around, get a NEW vet. Ask around, look on our vet recommendation thread, and do your research… bullies need a GOOD bully vet that understands (and IMO LOVE the breed). I left my last vet (whom I loved) because of his lack of bulldog knowledge, and now I have a great vet that actually owns a bully herself. It makes a world of difference… Good luck!!!

Here is the link...http://www.englishbulldognews.com/c...ews-Recommended-English-Bulldog-Veterinarians

 

[DjangoAndWinniesMom]

I will tell you from firsthand experience… if you feel your vet is giving you the run around, get a NEW vet. Ask around, look on our vet recommendation thread, and do your research… bullies need a GOOD bully vet that understands (and IMO LOVE the breed). I left my last vet (whom I loved) because of his lack of bulldog knowledge, and now I have a great vet that actually owns a bully herself. It makes a world of difference… Good luck!!!

Here is the link...http://www.englishbulldognews.com/c...ews-Recommended-English-Bulldog-Veterinarians

I completely agree, thank you for the link!! Up until this point there hadn't been anything serious enough to make me realize how much I don't like our current vet... It truly bothers me that he didn't see what was really happening to her and prevent it from getting to this point. I'm confident she was in early stages of it when we went in there last. This is the second one we've had, I left the first one after I told her I believed Django had cherry eye when he was about 12 weeks old and she laughed at me and said no..: well he did and of course it got inflamed and required surgery instead of me trying to massage it in while it was small! You live and you learn, I wish I'd seen that link months ago!!!

 

[ddnene]

I completely agree, thank you for the link!! Up until this point there hadn't been anything serious enough to make me realize how much I don't like our current vet... It truly bothers me that he didn't see what was really happening to her and prevent it from getting to this point. I'm confident she was in early stages of it when we went in there last. This is the second one we've had, I left the first one after I told her I believed Django had cherry eye when he was about 12 weeks old and she laughed at me and said no..: well he did and of course it got inflamed and required surgery instead of me trying to massage it in while it was small! You live and you learn, I wish I'd seen that link months ago!!!

Absolutely!!! I feel that as much money that we spend on our babies, we should feel like we are giving them the BEST care possible. I would think that in your area you would have a bunch of great bully vets. You may also want to contact your local bulldog rescue… they usually know some wonderful vets in the area.

 

[Roxy sweetie]

I agree with a new vet and also if you can ask to see if your baby have some test for vitamins deficiency as well some type of home cook diet to bring up the immune system, I cook for my baby girl Roxy, I hope your baby get better, so sorry.

pssst I don't use house cleaning chemical on the carpet or floor only hot water

 

[DjangoAndWinniesMom]

Alright everyone, here's the update thus far!!

So today we woke up and she actually was looking better already... still definitely having lots of irritation but very little blood and the redness/swelling was significantly less than it has been this weekend. I took her to the vet and they tried to sell me all the items that I had purchased over the weekend and had been using, so that saved me over $200 since their prices were so inflated! Then they tried to get me to purchase an antibiotic shot for her that would last two weeks for $120, so I asked why we wouldn't just give her pills and he said "oh, cause I thought this would be more convenient"... so I requested pills which saved me another $80... I guess it's not that this particular vet doesn't know what they're talking about, it's that they're always trying to overcharge me! But I digress.... So now she has antibiotics to take for the next two weeks and he also prescribed hydroxyzine tablets which are apparently stronger than Benadryl and should relieve the itching a lot more. They said if the antibiotics don't work then they'll give her some steroids. It was definitely an allergic reaction though, no mange or ringworm which is what the internet had previously had me worried about! I'll update in a few days once she's on the medicine for a bit! Thanks again for all the advice!!!