Help Needed! Mystery hives, swelling, and itching in our poor Bully!

[Poplawski]

Hi! My husband and I are new bully owners and are new to the forum. We have a 19 month old male english bulldog. I was hoping that we might be able to get some insight in solving the mystery of what our bully is allergic to.

Today our bully Brutus broke out in hives, face started swelling and turning red, and went into a fit of intense itching. He was rubbing his face on everything and was scared to go back outside. I called his breeder, gave him Benadryl, and then called the vet because his face was so swollen. then took him to the emergency pet hospital. There he was treated for an allergic reaction.

Just before his reaction, Brutus was outside in our backyard playing in the snow while I shoveled the sidewalks around the house. While I shoveled I checked on him frequently, every one or two minutes, but I did not have my eye on him the whole time. I have no idea what he could have gotten into.

Our small backyard is fenced in with no landscaping. Our neighbors have landscaping and plants that poke through the fence but are dead during winter, except for shrubs and trees. We have a Birdfeeder and shed. That is about it.

There had been no changes in diet or environment except for that I washed and cleaned his toys yesterday. I washed his jollyball and kong with dish soap, and then washed his plush toys with tide, no fabric softener. We have always washed his blankets and towels using the same detergent so I can't imagine it would only now be bothering him now.

Sometimes he eats the snow?

Our bully is allergic to wasps and bee stings but I don't think this would be an issue during winter.

He didn't vomit so I am assuming he didn't eat anything.

Is there anyway to figure out what it could be?

 

[Twice]

Could it have been the dish soap that you washed his toys with? Have you used that brand before?

 

[LynnA]

I hope the vet found out what it was, would be interested to know. Keep us updated please. Hope he's doing better today.

 

[bullmama]

Out of everything you described I am think the dead plant material.... I would clear it out just in case


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[Poplawski]

Brutus's breeder suspects it was a spider bite!!!! Crazy! Poor thing is all better now but all tuckered out from a busy day yesterday.

 

[2BullyMama]

Whoa.... scary!! But, I am glad to hear he is doing much better.

We had this happen twice with Banks.... both times we never identified what the cause was, but assume it was a spider bite or she got too close to the Adler tree that was at the end of our street (she is allergic to many tree types). The first time it happend at like 11:00 at night, all snuggled in bed and sleeping, she starts doing as you described - rubbing her face on everything, scraing and whining... her panting is what really scared us. We ran her to the ER vet... $400.00 and 3 hours later, we were home and she was breathing better. Since the reaction hit so late we never could narrow down what the issue was.

The second time -- was because of the Adler tree... she was chancing a bird and ran right through the branches, within an hour she was a balloon. Luckily, our vet was open, we went and got her a shot... cost and time was minimal in getting her back to normal.