Our New Rescue CHUNK has some health problems, need advice please

[MsKfernandez]

Hi everyone I've been a member of this site for awhile but have always been a lurker so this is my first post. We have 2 rescues, Lucy, who is 14mo old and pretty healthy. We rescued her from a family that was going through a divorce and no one was willing to take responsibility for her. I also believe they were intending on breeding her. Our second rescue, Chunk, is 6 years old (we just got him this last weekend) and he is a total mess, he has been neglected his entire life.

I just had the rescue company's vet fax over all his records to me. We have an appointment with our vet on Monday so we will get a plan set up, I'm sure. He has been fed Iams dog food his entire 6 years so I know getting him on a quality food is the first step, I'm just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for things that have worked for them. The vet records say they "suspect" he has pyoderma, although they haven't done any scraping or samples. He went into rescue with ears swollen shut due to yeast infections... his paw pads were bright red, inflamed and moist, he has some sort of problem with his right eye... the white part looks black (vet records say it is an injury.) He smells... strange... to me. Like that dry powdery dirt. Maybe he's been living in it so long it's just embedded into him. He has scabs in between his toes. He doesn't seem to itch too much, I've only seen him licking the worst paw a few times. He sheds like I've never seen in my life. His fur is coarse and stiff and dry and has a yellow tinge to it. I swear I spent the first 3 days crying every time I looked at him.

Sooo... He's eating a good food now. We were already giving Lucy salmon oil once a day, so he's getting that now too. I've been giving him Acidiphillus (sp?) which is a pro biotic, once a day. I'm also putting ACV in their water now and I've been soaking his feet in epsom salt for about 15 mins every night and then drying them really well and using gold bond powder on them. His feet already look a little better. Is there anything else I should be doing? Any recommendations? If he does have pyoderma is there anything i should know? Anything that has worked for you? Thanks everyone, in advance for reading this. I am feeling like a stress case these days lol

 

[ChanelnBrutus]

Hello there and Welcome to the site! Glad you started posting b/c you have 2 gorgeous bullies! Pyoderma is a bacterial infection on the skin and could be causing the foul smell. The scabs in his toes is probably from intergential cysts..What food are they currently eating? He will need antibiotics for the ear infections and pyoderma and anti bacterical shampoo to help. Soaking his feet and then powder is perfect to do His eyes could be due to the allergies.It sounds like the yeast, feet, ears is all b/c allergies and the food could be a key part to all of this. There will be others by with more advice Hope this all works out! Thank you for taking these 2 sweet babies into your life and giving them the love they deserve.

 

[Twice]

First, let me say Welcome to EBN

The ACV you are putting in the water, that's raw, unfiltered right? Because the salad stuff won't do anything. You can also soak his paws in it as well as put a few drops in his ears and facial folds. It will kill any existing yeast and make it impossible for new yeast to grow.

I have no experience with pyroderma but you should get one of those wire brushes and brush him once or twice a day with it. It's not so much for hair removal (although it certainly will help with that) as it is for skin stimulation, blood flow and oil distribution. This will help his skin heal itself which will in return will help his fur.

Others will be along in a minute, I'm sure someone can help with the pyroderma.

 

[BruceP]

to EBN!!!!! WOW!... I am so glad you joined! Two rescues is great. I sure hope the collective knowledge of the members here can make a difference in your new boys life. Sounds like you already have started taking steps in that direction. Finding the right food for him will make everything else fall into place. Takes time to get it but when you do you will be amazed at the improvement. Thanx again for joining..... oh,,, MORE PIX!!!!!!! lol

 

[Twice]

Hello there and Welcome to the site! Glad you started posting b/c you have 2 gorgeous bullies! Pyoderma is a bacterial infection on the skin and could be causing the foul smell. The scabs in his toes is probably from intergential cysts..What food are they currently eating? He will need antibiotics for the ear infections and pyoderma and anti bacterical shampoo to help. Soaking his feet and then powder is perfect to do His eyes could be due to the allergies.It sounds like the yeast, feet, ears is all b/c allergies and the food could be a key part to all of this. There will be others by with more advice Hope this all works out! Thank you for taking these 2 sweet babies into your life and giving them the love they deserve.

OK so this pyroderma is a bacterial infection? I did not know that.

@MsKfernandez get yourself a good, organic antibacterial shampoo. When Abby had mange I used Richards Organic Bacterial Shampoo with neem and tea tree oil. It worked wonders. But don't use it too often, maybe once a week. The smell will go away on its own as he heals. Use that brush every day and (check with your vet of course) but give him some coQ10 to help boost that immune system.

 

[ChanelnBrutus]

OK so this pyroderma is a bacterial infection? I did not know that.

@MsKfernandez get yourself a good, organic antibacterial shampoo. When Abby had mange I used Richards Organic Bacterial Shampoo with neem and tea tree oil. It worked wonders. But don't use it too often, maybe once a week. Use that brush every day and (check with your vet of course) but give him some coQ10 to help boost that immune system.

Its a form of a staph infection...Its very itchy I belive ...

 

[NigelsMom]

Welcome & THANK YOU for taking in & caring for those two babies. Looking forward to seeing Chunk all better and much happier!

 

[karenben]

Also a good supplement for his immune system,bovine colostrum ,thuja,spirilina all these are excellent support,research them when you have time ,karen

 

[MsKfernandez]

Thank you thank you thank you everyone. We are already so in love with his sweet easy going personality, I just want him to be better We are giving them Braggs ACV, I didn't know about putting it in the folds and ears but I am definitely going to do that. I'm feeding them Blue Buffalo lamb and rice. We went through 4 or 5 foods with Lucy (natures variety instinct, fromm, natural balance LID etc etc) and the blue buffalo works best for her, but I understand he may have different needs. Thank you so much for the recommendations in the shampoo and wire brush! The foster family was using a benzoyl peroxide wash that their vet recommended but I really like the idea of the organic shampoo a lot better. Benzoyl peroxide makes MY skin dry and itchy and tight, I can imagine it would make him feel like that too I am going to research all of your suggestions for immune supplements and talk to the vet about it on Monday. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

to you and your beautiful Bully's! I think you've gotten great advice and I think Chunk will so thrive with you and your care. I suppose you figure it took 6 years for him to sit in neglect..it will take time for his special self to heal. He will heal from the inside out! His heart will feel the love first and little by little the Healthy..Happy ...Handome and extremely lucky Chunk will appear! to you!

 

[ChanelnBrutus]

Thank you thank you thank you everyone. We are already so in love with his sweet easy going personality, I just want him to be better We are giving them Braggs ACV, I didn't know about putting it in the folds and ears but I am definitely going to do that. I'm feeding them Blue Buffalo lamb and rice. We went through 4 or 5 foods with Lucy (natures variety instinct, fromm, natural balance LID etc etc) and the blue buffalo works best for her, but I understand he may have different needs. Thank you so much for the recommendations in the shampoo and wire brush! The foster family was using a benzoyl peroxide wash that their vet recommended but I really like the idea of the organic shampoo a lot better. Benzoyl peroxide makes MY skin dry and itchy and tight, I can imagine it would make him feel like that too I am going to research all of your suggestions for immune supplements and talk to the vet about it on Monday. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!

Just wanted to see if you could maybe do a grain free diet for him...Sometimes it rice, chicken those are the most common...Alot of bullies thrive on grain free but you are right they are all different!

 

[MsKfernandez]

Just wanted to see if you could maybe do a grain free diet for him...Sometimes it rice, chicken those are the most common...Alot of bullies thrive on grain free but you are right they are all different!

It's funny that you mention it, but this entire time I've been thinking the blue buffalo IS grain free then I just realized RICE would be considered a grain DUH lol. Lucy has really bad food/environmental allergies so I definitely won't be switching her but I am totally open to giving him whatever he needs. I need to head to the store tonight for dog food anyway, I think I'll pick up some Fromm for him to try, just in case the rice is a problem. Thanks!

 

[ChanelnBrutus]

It's funny that you mention it, but this entire time I've been thinking the blue buffalo IS grain free then I just realized RICE would be considered a grain DUH lol. Lucy has really bad food/environmental allergies so I definitely won't be switching her but I am totally open to giving him whatever he needs. I need to head to the store tonight for dog food anyway, I think I'll pick up some Fromm for him to try, just in case the rice is a problem. Thanks!

I had the same moment too before I feed Fromm now and if it works its a great food for our bullies. The good thing is you can switch through flavors with no transistion ....Some do good and some dont! Sometimes after trial and error doing an allergy test is the easiest way to try and fix the issues. See how it goes and we are all here if you need anything. Good Luck and keep us posted!

 

[BruceP]

Do a slow switch using 1/4 new food mixed with 3/4 old food each meal for about a week. Then go 1/2 and 1/2 for a week, then go 3/4 new to 1/4 old for another week before giving him 100% new food. This is important because bullys have very sensitive tummys and too quick of a change may upset his tummy. If you notice soft poo while switching, back up and reduce the new food a little for a few days so his tummy can catch up to the switch. Another thing that helps during a switch is to add a tablespoon of canned pumpkin to the mix *not pie filling but canned pumpkin*. Once you switch his food give him a few weeks on the new food and note how it has helped or not, but it takes a few weeks to get the old food out of his system. It can be a long process but is great when you find the right food..... Fromm Beef Frittata was that right food for Princess Gracie.

 

[MsKfernandez]

Do a slow switch using 1/4 new food mixed with 3/4 old food each meal for about a week. Then go 1/2 and 1/2 for a week, then go 3/4 new to 1/4 old for another week before giving him 100% new food. This is important because bullys have very sensitive tummys and too quick of a change may upset his tummy. If you notice soft poo while switching, back up and reduce the new food a little for a few days so his tummy can catch up to the switch. Another thing that helps during a switch is to add a tablespoon of canned pumpkin to the mix *not pie filling but canned pumpkin*. Once you switch his food give him a few weeks on the new food and note how it has helped or not, but it takes a few weeks to get the old food out of his system. It can be a long process but is great when you find the right food..... Fromm Beef Frittata was that right food for Princess Gracie.

Thanks Bruce