Help Needed! Not Sure What to do here...advice please!

[sstewart2010]

Just a couple of things I would like to ask about as I am becoming more concerned by the day about my Leroy. I took him to the vet about 3 weeks ago because he definetly had a yeast infection in his face (frito smell, eye goo, and all that gross stuff) and she prescribed about 2 weeks worth of antibiotics and gave him a hydrocortizone shot b/c he was itching his face a lot and making things worse! He almost got a "cone-head" but they didn't have one to fit around his neck that day. The vet said his eyes were tearing so much because of the eyelashes he has inside his eye lids brushing against his eyeballs. She told me to wipe his wrinkles with witch hazel daily and for him to take the meds. He looked really good for a few days and seemed to be doing well! Then the itching started again (while he was still on the meds & I have been really good about cleaning his face) and not only on his face but now his one ear too! on the insided it's all red and I have been attempting to clean it daily but there is still a lot of wax in there. He has been on Fromm's Beef Fritatta for about 2 months now and it does not appear to be helping things at all! So when I went to get his food yesterday I decided to start him on the Pork and Applesauce, as I am thinking maybe the grain-free is just too rich for Leroy...I am really not sure, really confused, and I have a 15 lb pound of Pork and Applesauce food now and I just hope it agrees with him I feel bad for my little guy, he is only 8 months old and has been on 4 different foods now. I am also looking into purchasing pet health insurance for him b/c of the eye issues and if he may need the surgery to remove the eyelashes. I know I am kinda all over the place and this is long (sorry) but if anyone can help me or give me some advice it would be much appreciated!! :D

Oh and one last thing: another reason for the food switch is that his poo looked like soft serve all the time, even when I decreased the amount of food I was giving him.

 

[Sherry]

ok, lets relax here for a second and just exhale.... during you food change, give him a tablespoon of Plain pure pumpkin for the can once a day, this will firm up his stool, next. when the little fella is itchy, give him Benedryl tabs, 25mg per 25 lb. three times a day. this will dry up the itch. you may want to try putting some apple cider vinegar and water in a spray bottle or just wipe his tears away and clean his ears with this solution. Keep the stress down at all costs. it really affects these critters. nice and calm goes a long way in figuring out what's bothering him. maybe you want to try purified water also. just some thoughts here.

 

[babybully]

If all that Sherry has told you doesn't do the trick, think about getting off the kibble period. Trust me it was never something i ever thought of until we got our bullies! Cleo is allergic to grass and pollen poor thing. I really hope it gets better for your boy!

 

[Vicaroo1000]

[MENTION=1714]Sherry[/MENTION] is right; best to approach each thing, one at a time. My Gastronomical Goddess [MENTION=2291]cowsmom[/MENTION] will tell you; focus on finding the protein that agrees with him best FIRST. Eliminate treats and other stuff that can goof up this strict diet. Limited ingredient foods --- and there are many now --- can help. Other folks will have more advise for you. Bo gets benedryl most days; he's allergic to grass, for one thing. Ugh.

As far as insurance goes, get some. I've had both my dogs on Trupanion since puppies and have yet to make a single claim --- but I don't worry about their heath care either -- and that's more precious than gold.

I hope Leroy gets better soon. Finding the right food will solve a lot of his problems.

 

[ModernFemme]

If all that Sherry has told you doesn't do the trick, think about getting off the kibble period. Trust me it was never something i ever thought of until we got our bullies! Cleo is allergic to grass and pollen poor thing. I really hope it gets better for your boy!

This was my gut as well. I just got off a food that was making his stool soft and also caused him to itch and scratch on top of that. It could be giving you a double whammy. I would go back to his old food until he's all good, and then try switching to a different kibble.

Also, are you drying the areas you are rubbing with witch hazel?

 

[sstewart2010]

Lol, sorry it was late last night when I posted this & I sound like a crazy person! When it comes to Leroy I know I have a tendency to worry too much. Yeah I am working on the food thing and hoping the pork and applesauce from Fromm's is the way to go. My husband and I are both really trying to keep on the face and ear cleaning and I could try the benedryl again however it really did not seem to help in the past. The weird weather we have been having here in Michigan this winter probably isn't helping with allergy/skin issues either. Thanks for the advice and I know I worry a lot but I just want to be a good Bully Mama to Leroy

 

[sstewart2010]

Oh and ModernFemme, yes I am making sure his folds are dry before applying the witch hazel. Sir Remington is adorabull by the way

 

[anatess]

Did the vet say if the yeast is because of over-active immune system or under-active immune system? Yeasty dogs that is not just in certain spots (like the ear, tear stains, or overly licked paws) is usually caused by an under-active immune system so Benadryl is not going to help this. And pumpkin and applesauce will also make these types of yeast bloom worse. And changing protein sources does not help this either because it is not a hyperactive immune system issue, instead, the dog's immune system is not reacting to the presence of enemy substances - yeast - to eliminate it naturally.

So... if the yeast developed from moistened hair caused by overly licking and licking itchy skin caused by allergies then yes, you can try to balance the allergies by suppressing histamines which would eliminate the licking which would then make the dog's skin/hair inhabitable to yeast. But if the yeast is developed because your dog's digestive flora is conducive to yeast blooms then you need a different approach one of which is to reduce carbs/sugar to bare minimum and going completely sugar-free if possible to starve out the yeast (which likes to feast on sugar).

 

[2BullyMama]

Sherry has you covered with great advice....

good luck!

 

[BruceP]

Much of the hair in the eye problem can be caused by the tear ducts not producing enough lubrication for the eyelid. The hair in the lid then tends to stick to the eyeball which ultimately can cause scratching of the eyeball. What needs to happen if that is the problem is that he needs a lubricant that also will promote tearduct production. Princess Gracie has this problem and her vet prescribes Optimmune that I put in her eyes each morning to promote tear production and at the same time lubricated the lid so it doesn't turn into the eyeball. Optimmune is not cheap, about $38 for a tiny tube but it lasts us about 1.5 months because we use such a tiny amount each day. Before she was on the Optimmune her vet was thinking she may need Enthropian surgery but after only about two weeks he said she wouldnt need surgery. It May be worth mentioning this to your vet.

 

[Lulu belle]

Ok don't panic, the eye try using a lubricating eye drop 2 or 3 times a day (I know this is hard if u work all day). This is important, Max had a detached cornea due to dry eyes. I didn't know, I was always cleaning so much goop out of his eyes I thought he was well lubricated. Not so much, he needed an ophthalmologist, it needed to be reattached. The food, from the day I got him his poop was soft serve. Vet said could be nerves (he's deaf) could be IBS. I tried many, many brands. Vet made me put him on a prescription brand. It worked but, I wasn't happy, the ingredients I couldn't pronounce. For him, Halo's Spot Stew works. I buy either chicken or salmon.
Please keep us posted. He'll be ok.
Leroy is beautiful.

 

[sstewart2010]

I really appreciate all of the advice from everyone As far as Leroy's immune system being over or under active, I am not sure the vet never mentioned it. Right now it looks like his eyes and one ear (yeah just the one) are mostly affected by the yeast. My Husband and I cleaned his ear out twice yesterday and yet again today and there is a lot of black stuff coming out of it . Come to think of it though...when I was giving him his meds the past couple of weeks I was mixing it with applesauce most of the time, maybe that was a bad idea?
I have been thinking that some eye drops may be helpful and I will look into that. Can anyone recommend an OTC eye drop for this issue or is this a bad idea?

 

[kazzy220]

I really appreciate all of the advice from everyone As far as Leroy's immune system being over or under active, I am not sure the vet never mentioned it. Right now it looks like his eyes and one ear (yeah just the one) are mostly affected by the yeast. My Husband and I cleaned his ear out twice yesterday and yet again today and there is a lot of black stuff coming out of it . Come to think of it though...when I was giving him his meds the past couple of weeks I was mixing it with applesauce most of the time, maybe that was a bad idea?
I have been thinking that some eye drops may be helpful and I will look into that. Can anyone recommend an OTC eye drop for this issue or is this a bad idea?

Before Bella had her cherry eye surgery we were using eye drops for humans. Genteal for severe dry eyes - the drops not the gel. About $14 from Walmart.

 

[sstewart2010]

Thanks! I was looking at those at work the other day (I am a pharmacy tech at CVS) and I was definetly considering buying those for him.