Help please!

Calisthenics

New member
May 19, 2024
1
1
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Zuzla
Hi everyone

this is our first post so please be kind if this has been discussed beforeā€¦

Our male English Bulldog has just approached 3. Heā€™s always been on a dry diet with only treats being freshly cooked chicken.

8 weeks ago, out of nowhere he started to hurriedly lick his back paws, almost as if something had started to aggitate him. This was quickly followed by a series of scoots across the carpet.

immediately we thought fleas? Worms?Anal glandsā€¦With his worming and flea course completely up to date, we took him the vets to get his anal glands expressed. The vet did outline they were full and got to work. This must have been around 3 weeks ago.

With the agitated paw licking followed by a small scoot still going on this really started to upset us. He looks so agitated when it comes around. As a final try we got some tablets off the vets which deal with irritation, and also got some specialist shampoo called ā€˜Coatexā€™ which we have been using twice weekly.
The tablets do appear to calm him down, but once worn off starts again. This suggests once the tablets run out (4 more days) we are back to square one!
 
Could be environmental allergiesā€¦ wipe his paws and belly after being outside. Does his kibble have chicken or potatoes? If yes look for a kibble without those ingredients, those tend to be an issue. Try duck or turkey based.
 
Scooting around could also be from a tail pocket if he has one.
 
Scooting around could also be from a tail pocket if he has one.
Agree with @Cbrugs and if he has a tail pocket and it looks ok from the outside, you can swipe a qtip gently in there and see if it comes out dry or damp (it needs to be dry if it's damp it is already or will very soon be nasty).
 
There could be 2 unrelated issues. The paw licking is usually from environmental allergy...perhaps an allergy to grass or pollen on the grass. Scooting is almost always a tail pocket issue or anal glands that require some manual expressing. Are his stools firm or more soft serve-ish? Firm stools are required for "auto express".
 
I know Gunny is allergic to chicken. He accidentally ate a very small piece of chicken fried steak and immediately started welting up. The wife gave him a small dose of Benadryl and it seemed to work. Living in the Great Northwest, I wipe him down twice a day (morning and night) - for that reason -- to get any pollen off his coat and paws. He still licks but he doesn't do it for long -- maybe that's his way prior to calling it a night.
 
Hi everyone

this is our first post so please be kind if this has been discussed beforeā€¦

Our male English Bulldog has just approached 3. Heā€™s always been on a dry diet with only treats being freshly cooked chicken.

8 weeks ago, out of nowhere he started to hurriedly lick his back paws, almost as if something had started to aggitate him. This was quickly followed by a series of scoots across the carpet.

immediately we thought fleas? Worms?Anal glandsā€¦With his worming and flea course completely up to date, we took him the vets to get his anal glands expressed. The vet did outline they were full and got to work. This must have been around 3 weeks ago.

With the agitated paw licking followed by a small scoot still going on this really started to upset us. He looks so agitated when it comes around. As a final try we got some tablets off the vets which deal with irritation, and also got some specialist shampoo called ā€˜Coatexā€™ which we have been using twice weekly.
The tablets do appear to calm him down, but once worn off starts again. This suggests once the tablets run out (4 more days) we are back to square one!
I was in your shoes not long ago. Reached out to this forum for help which was so helpful. These are the real gurus but here's my 2 cents...

The paw licking is a tough one but I can tell you, it only gets worse. Once they start licking, the paws open up and secondary infections develop. The vet will give meds that work for the time being (antibiotics, Prednisone, Ketoconizole), but it returns. It's a costly cycle. I would dedicate your time to finding the source of the issue and provide upkeep to your bulldog (aka: comfort) in the meantime. (Baths, wipe downs, paw soaks). Consistency is key.

Like you, I started my guy on baths 2x per week per the dermatologists recommendation then went to 1x per week. I use an over the counter shampoo with Miconizole and Chlorhexihidine (sp?) which she okay'ed instead of buying from the office (half the price). Chrlorhexidine wipes in between baths are good to do. Also bleach soaks for their paws (1/4 Cup bleach in a bath tub or baby pool if you prefer outside with enough water to cover their paws). Let them soak for as long as possible - I sing, talk, give tiny treats, whatever it takes to make them stay longest lol. If I make it to 5 minutes, I'm happy. Just don't do bleach soaks if they have open wounds. This is only prevention to yeast and bacteria. Best to be proactive instead of reactive. Cooper is my second child after my human one. :)

Switching to raw food is a whole other topic. I totally recommend it- it took me time and tons of research to get to that point. Def encourage you to read, read, read - feel free to start with my first post but there are many! Good luck!! You're in better hands now with this group of bully lovers. :)
 
Decades ago, my mom worked in a hospital n they to did ā€œbleach soaksā€. Some old remedies are keepers.
 

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