Hot Spots

[Sandman1200]

Now Tank has been to the Vet and it is determined that he has "hot spots" on his neck...They shaved the neck, gave me a ton of Meds (OK so it was like only 5, but it cost a ton) The vet said that if the hotspots are a recurring problem that he would suggest cutting a roll or two out of his neck surgically..... Is this Crazy or what? I am not happy with his decision...what do you people think?

 

[Bulldogg]

Wow, this seems like quite an excessive treatment to me. What do feed him?

 

[Sandman1200]

He was on puppy pro plan when he was just a puppy... after a year old i tried a few brands and he seemed to love (he loves FOOD, but loved this more than the rest) Gravy Train....He has been on that for 4 years he weighs 62.5 lbs at his optimal weight, stance, Girth....He is a great looking Bulldog....

 

[Bulldogg]

The first thing I would do is change the food. Hot spots are usually allergic reactions to what your dog is eating.

Please don't take this as being forceful, I would just love to help your bully. Gravy Train is garabage. It is similar to you eating nothing but TV dinners and potato chips everyday, and never having a fresh meal or fresh veggies. Buying food from the grocery store is the #1 mistake everyone makes regarding their dogs. ***US INCLUDED!*** We do not in anyway shape or form get endorsements from dog food companies, we base our advice on investigations and advice from other sources. And the best advice of all we have gotten- from our fellow bulldog owners here. Bulldogs are very sensitive to corn and wheat, amongst other ingredients, which gives them hives and allergies, and of course- hot spots.

View this list of dog foods. This page is not done yet, but I do have all the "4star and up" done.
http://www.englishbulldognews.com/DogFoodAnalysis.html

I recommend a 4 star food for bulldogs since they have less protein content. Love Avoderm for my personal favorite so far, but we are testing other foods right now as well. It is more expensive, but you feed less cups per day. 30lb bag of avoderm, 2-3 c a day, $55. 40lb bag of garabage, $20-$30, 4-5c a day. If you do the math, you really are not spending much more in the end!

If you cannot afford avoderm, my next recommendation would be Kirkland dog food from Costco. For the price, you will get a 3 star rated food, and this is definately the best food available for anyone on a tight budget.

If you do decide to change foods, I would love it if you could take BEFORE and AFTER photos. We are going to create a before and after page here at the site, to show people the difference in a good dog food.

 

[Sandman1200]

I hear what you are saying and after talking to a lady at a pet store (petsense)first thing she said was an allergic reaction to the food..Of course i did feed tank a expensive dog food when he was a puppy, and i free fed him to make sure his head and chest filled out completely..after talking to several folks, and seeing a few 60 minute specials on TV (Years ago) i decided that Gravy train wasnt all that bad...I mean he always eats and if i fed him him the 5 star brand or the "garbage" would he not eat the same amount?
I asked the vet about food allergies (this vet sees many bulldogs) he said that maybe 10 in over 400 dogs have a food allergy..however no matter how rare it is, it is a severe situation. I asked him about his weight (non bully owners say he is fat, they dont understand the width) The vet said that whatever and however i feed him, to keep on, he is not overweight, nor underweight... he is at his optimal weight (and wouldnt hurt for just about 2 more lbs)...I will check out the link you sent me, and will think about it....I have to get dog food this weekend... so i will make a conscious decision and not just pick up the GT

 

[Bulldogg]

Hmmmm, 10 in 400 dogs, yes. But 10 in 400 bulldogs- definately not.

Another thought crossed my mind too, which may help you and you bully. Do you use a plastic bowl? I would recommend changing to a ceramic bowl if you do. For some reason the plastic bowls cause acne on the face of bulldogs.

If the problem is stemming from one of those two problems, which I believe is a good place to start, you and your bully could be happy and healthy in just a few weeks. I am glad you are considering making this change. We really hope it works for you.... I was in the same position you were just a couple of months ago. The vet pescribed antibiotics (her skin became infected) and allergy medications. She got a little better, but not all the way. From reading what people suggested here, I switched to avoderm, and not only did it cure her, but it also made her coat shinier than I have ever seen it, no tear stains, no shedding. I was shocked!

Also, I get nothing to tell you about great food. So that you know, I have no endorsements, or anything of that nature.

Good luck, and keep us posted! Your bully sounds terrific!!!!

 

[Bulldogg]

One more thing, did you tell your vet you were feeding Gravy Train?

One thing is for certain, if everyone in the world switched to a good dog food, unfortunately the vets in the world would not have as much business. If the only time you have to bring your dog to the vet is if they get old and develop problems, or for your annual shots, they would lose business. And, most vets sell no higher than a grade 2 dog food. Sad really.

 

[bullmama]

Now Tank has been to the Vet and it is determined that he has "hot spots" on his neck...They shaved the neck, gave me a ton of Meds (OK so it was like only 5, but it cost a ton) The vet said that if the hotspots are a recurring problem that he would suggest cutting a roll or two out of his neck surgically..... Is this Crazy or what? I am not happy with his decision...what do you people think?

Cutting off his gorgeous wrinkles???? OMG!!!!!!

NONONONONO don't do it please!!!

Try doing these: Change dog food to a grain and corn free diet, dry off neck and chin after your dog drinks water, wipe off face after eating. Get some Salmon Oil from petsmart, and put a tsp on his food a day, and give him a bath once every week until he gets better. I think if you do this those hot spots will go away....

 

[Sandman1200]

Yes Bullpapa DeLano...He is using a plastic bowl....a rather large plastic bowl with a cone in the middle (to prevent him from doing a nose dive into the food... he would eat so hard he would actually choke himself when he was about 1 1/2 years old) I will look for a metal or ceramic bowl this weekend to accomadate him....
yes desert sky....My tank is 5 and this is really the first time he has gotten hot spots, last year we went to the beach...freaked him out at all the undrinkable water, and he had a little hair fall off under the collar..I took the collar off and in a few days all was fine...but i was not happy with teh wrinkle removal idea... Tanks wrinkles are not OVERLY big...in fact they are small to others ive seen but they are definately there, because he IS A BULLDOG! He is acting a little better, and he is getting a bath every 3 days, with anti biotics, and ointment and alot of TLC.....

 

[bullmama]

Did you have a lot of rain where you live this year? Allergies and pollen from a lot of rain could be part of the problem too, and it will pass with your ongoing treatment. Changing the bowl and the food will probably be the icing on the cake. Keep us posted! I wanna see pictures of your baby! Can you upload some? He sounds adorable, and you sound like a great owner for Tank, he is lucky to have you!

 

[froggz]

Quite a few years ago I was following a controversial thread on a forum I frequent where the poster was challenging people to take a good hard look at what kind of nutrition we were really giving our pets. I took the challenge and delved into researching what ingredients do what, where they come from, how nutritious they are etc and what brands are absolutely garbage.

I'm pretty sad that nearly every dog food choice someone would encounter on a typical shopping trip just doesn't have what dogs need. When I was young my family fed our dogs Dog Chow. It was the standard option, easily accessible and the dogs seemed to do well on it. Then for many years I didn't have my own dog as I left home and started my own life.

When it did come time for my hubby and I to add another family member we chose to adopt a dog and I was on a mad search to find what dog food was as good as possible, economical and actually GOOD for him. At that time my choice was Natures variety, a corn and wheat free diet.

The changes were amazing! His stool size decreased and was FIRM. I was a bit dissapointed in that because as a child I remember using the hose with a sprayer head to "melt away" the droppings in the yard. Now that I was feeding the dog a good diet, they rolled across the grass. There is NO spraying it with water and having it dissapear because there are no fillers. His coat took on a new softness and shine and my dog is the absolute best in the world to cuddle. After two months with no bath his skin and coat give off no odor. I've gotten many compliments over it. I'm not sure if its connected to the food or not, but he has the whitest clean teeth and shiny pink clean ears that I've ever seen.

When I adopted my EB a few months ago I came across this site and couldn't resist lol. When Bulldog started the dog food listing I was hooked. I was instantly on a mission to re-evaluate his diet and hers as I want her to be as absolutely healthy as possible, and also that she had less than perfect care with her previous owners. She was being fed a large breed puppy food, at two years of age!!

A dear friend brought my attention to Taste of the wild. I looked into it, even called the customer service dept, and located it right in my hometown. I'm in the process now of getting them fully switched over( doing so very very slowly) and her once coarse coat is soft and shiny. There are pressure calluses on her feet that are going away, and she is full of energy. Some don't like the fact that it has a higher protein than alot of foods, but all of the protein comes from a meat source, and its naturally higher in protein than corn. I've researched the high protein debate, and even spoke with vets and am very comfortable with my choice.

I purchase premium dog food only because my dogs are my life. I want them to be as healthy and live as long as they possibly can.

I can say (not sure if GT is one) some foods are treated with attractants to make the dog seem to really enjoy the food.

 

[Jefferson bulldogs]

Hot spots

I do not suggest having a surgery to remove his wrinkles. It's sad to say that many vets want your money and opt to do procedures and surgeries not necessary at all. I would get a second opinion if possible. I went through many vets, and most of them wanted to do things to my dogs that I knew were unnecessary. I am actually still looking for a good bulldog vet in my area. Hot spots will go away. One of my dogs had hot spots, I changed her dog food to a more high quality food with no corn, wheat or
by-products. I also sprayed Bactine on her spots to keep her from being irritated by them. I also give her vitamins daily. So far her hot spots are much better.

 

[Sandman1200]

Yea DSB, we had ALOT of pollen this year.....but in all actuality i think Tank had a couple of fleas under his collar... Frontline doesnt seem to be as effective as it used to be....we have changed him to "comfortis" chewable tablets to battle the fleas....i will post pics as soon as I figure out how.....Thanks for the concern... he is doing SOOOO much better now,.....

 

[Sandman1200]

Jefferson, you are so right....when the Vet told me that wrinkles were bred into the bulldogs for cosmetic purposes, i wanted to smack him and walk out... but i let him have his say...Like i said before he said he would "suggest" the wrinkle removal only as a last resort... and his suggestion would fall on deaf ears...Like i said before, my boys wrinkle are NOT overly exagerated..i think they suit him and me.... so i know what to do...and since its day three, Tank will get his bath soon...... see ya later!

 

[Bulldogg]

Glad he is already feeling better. That is great news!