British Bulldog - Flea Allergy Dermatitis

[Kajtek]

Another vote for Holistic Eagle Pack. We use either Salmon or Chicken.

We've been feeing our 3 bullies HEP for 6+ years and never had any problems. We feed 3 x day.

We use Sentinel Spectrum for worms and fleas.

Malasep and Neotopic H for spring alergy emergencies.

Edit: They are now mostly on BARF but still get a little of HEP for lunch

Edited January 10, 2012 by HonBun

[Bullbreedlover]

Hi Carlo

In these photos are they all before ones? or now ones?

Pearl is very underweight. I dont mean to sound as if it is your fault. Hence the need for the extra meal per day. One is not enough as I said before

I would also suggest a nice dog roll. Yes I know many people dont advocate feeding rolls but there are some great preservative free ones available. Just as an extra filler to get some weight back on.

As she is very skinny her stomach will need time to adjust to extra food.

Has she been wormed lately and has the vet checked for mites? Any routine bloods taken. Heartworm meds etc.

Please dont give her a yearly heartworm as it may knock her back at this stage.

Some of her skin may never recover and she may always be bald in those places.

Has her ear been damaged at all. It doesnt look right in the photo? What are her ear canals like?

Clearly she is still very much raw and sore.

Are you applying a soothing cream as well to her skin?

Of course my suggestions are only a guideline.

Edited January 10, 2012 by Bullbreedlover

[Carlo11]

Poor Pearl,

I feel gut wrenched that her owners have put her through this.

There is no need for this type of abuse.

Now that I have that off my chest, please take Pearl off the beef mince, she does not need it.

Slowly introduce a good dry food, ProPlan is expensive but they have a great range and I recommend this.

If she is not used to dry food just soak the bikkies for her in a little warm water and let them rest a bit before you feed her. Hoping she does not inhale her food too quickly.

Please increase her meals to two a day. One big meal for a Bulldog can expose a risk of bloat so divide her meals.

Continue with a malaseb.

Please please do not give her any raw bones. Bulldogs do not need them. If you want to give her something to chew get a good quality nylabone chewbie. She will be happy with that.

Chicken, rice, sardines, cooked offal(add rice to it) yoghurt, grated carrot, etc

I am really concerned with the condition of her skin as such. Does it have an elephant skin type feel to it?

and keep her out of the sun please and yes off the grass as much as possible.

I have to go out but will check back to add a few more things later

PM me if you would like some more Bulldog help

Pearl came from a Housing Commission area.I went to the house to buy some fencing material and I saw Pearl who was living under the house in the dirt.She brought tears to my eyes but I stayed calm.They told me they didnt know what was wrong with her . . .after some weeks of my staying in touch with them,they agreed to surrender her.Obviously she has to be desexed and have all of her vet work done but first we are working on her skin.

It is leathery like an Elephant.I have her in a concrete patio area so there is shade and no grass.She has a pool and a ball which she is very fond of.

First I started her on Kmarts inhouse brand of dryfood called Surepet.The vet said it was pretty good for the price but I was a bit dubious so we elevated then to Supercoat.I can look at Proplan.I have just gotton tired of buying roo,beef and different types of biscuits for the vet to then say that diet doesnt matter much at all and then I have changed diets again lol.

I will change to two meals a day.She is very hungry!

I am trying to do my best by her and am grateful for all advice.

Her skin seems to dry up and heal and then the sores reopen and ooze again.Pearl is a lovely girl.

[Carlo11]

Hi Carlo

In these photos are they all before ones? or now ones?

Pearl is very underweight. I dont mean to sound as if it is your fault. Hence the need for the extra meal per day. One is not enough as I said before

I would also suggest a nice dog roll. Yes I know many people dont advocate feeding rolls but there are some great preservative free ones available. Just as an extra filler to get some weight back on.

As she is very skinny her stomach will need time to adjust to extra food.

Has she been wormed lately and has the vet checked for mites? Any routine bloods taken. Heartworm meds etc.

Please dont give her a yearly heartworm as it may knock her back at this stage.

Some of her skin may never recover and she may always be bald in those places.

Has her ear been damaged at all. It doesnt look right in the photo? What are her ear canals like?

Clearly she is still very much raw and sore.

Are you applying a soothing cream as well to her skin?

Of course my suggestions are only a guideline.

The first photos are NOW and the second lot are THEN.

She has been wormed twice with a vet allwormer and she was skin scraped for mites which was negative.No heartworm check as of yet.He has purely dealt with the skin.Her ear is a cauliflower ear from haematomas and is very badly scarred.Her ears are very dirty and stink badly.I have been using Epiotic on them as a cleanser.

Which soothing cream? Thanks for taking time to help.

[Carlo11]

He acknowledged diet does play a part but as she is allergic to fleas not food,then fleas and their prevention were the focus.

It's a tricky one, but I feel that diet helps. A FAD dog is often predisposed to skin sensitivity full stop so I would probably treat her as a 'sensitive skin' case. I have found the Salmon and Anchovy kibble to work really well. It is not cheap, it is made by Holistic Select (Eagle Pack) and available at most pet stores. Malaseb washes two or three times week and Aloveen Leave In Conditioner rubbed in afterwards to soothe the skin. I would be happy to do this for you for as long and as much as you like (groomer) but I know it might be a bit far from you (I am ten mins from the top of Macquarie Pass). I can't promise you would go home with her though :cool:

Or as BBLover suggested above ProPlan also do a salmon based kibble. I would leave out rice/pasta etc and I think someone else said to add pumpkin, sweet potato etc.

Lovely that you are so close by!! Im sure she would eat pumpkin and sweet potato without hesitation.I have been washing her twice a week with Malaseb but dont have any Aloveen conditioner but ill have to have a look as Im sure she would love that too.Her skin is quite dry and rubbery.

[Carlo11]

As well as diet, keep her out of the garden if possible.

Once you have her back to health, consider rehoming her in a city or indoor environment, rather than one where she will be exposed to grass seeds, weeds ect. Some (mostly) white dogs just seem to be more prone to all sorts of allergies than some other dogs.

Thanks Greytmate - She is being kept in a concrete patio area where its cool and she has a pool.

[Carlo11]

I would be using Advocate, and change her diet to no red meat, say chicken and rice, just very bland for a while, and keep using the malasab.

I have had several BT's with bad skin, and plain food works best.

second that! sometimes dry food can also do more harm than good depending on whats in it.

Im beginning to see that Daveri.The vet tried to help by keeping to a budget but he suggested Surepet from Kmart.I was very dubious so I bought 2 x 8kg bags but its not really filling her up.

So we have moved to Supercoat but maybe now Proplan??

[persephone]

She is looking better , with your help

I will suggest that some of the skin thickening and baldness /infection may well have come from her rubbing her poor itchy back/bum on wood etc where she was living ..the fleas itched, she scratched, then that itched and was sore, so she scratched again....and over time, with continued irritation etc, the skin thickens up

I used to have a terrier who would rub her back on the chair rungs when she was at all itchy ....in the same areas as Pearl.

The vet didn't give you any cream?

Malaseb can be very drying ....which may make the skin crack ...cracks are to be avoided, as that's where infection can start .

Bullbreedlover has given you some very helpful suggestions ..and the BEST quality food you can afford is what this girl needs ..her poor body/immune system needs TLC .. so good food, rest and love will help get her back on track to being happy and comfortable .

......I hope you have her registered under your name ...just in case ..

[Bullbreedlover]

Hi Carlo

In these photos are they all before ones? or now ones?

Pearl is very underweight. I dont mean to sound as if it is your fault. Hence the need for the extra meal per day. One is not enough as I said before

I would also suggest a nice dog roll. Yes I know many people dont advocate feeding rolls but there are some great preservative free ones available. Just as an extra filler to get some weight back on.

As she is very skinny her stomach will need time to adjust to extra food.

Has she been wormed lately and has the vet checked for mites? Any routine bloods taken. Heartworm meds etc.

Please dont give her a yearly heartworm as it may knock her back at this stage.

Some of her skin may never recover and she may always be bald in those places.

Has her ear been damaged at all. It doesnt look right in the photo? What are her ear canals like?

Clearly she is still very much raw and sore.

Are you applying a soothing cream as well to her skin?

Of course my suggestions are only a guideline.

The first photos are NOW and the second lot are THEN.

She has been wormed twice with a vet allwormer and she was skin scraped for mites which was negative.No heartworm check as of yet.He has purely dealt with the skin.Her ear is a cauliflower ear from haematomas and is very badly scarred.Her ears are very dirty and stink badly.I have been using Epiotic on them as a cleanser.

Which soothing cream? Thanks for taking time to help.

I thought she had a haematoma, just needed to ask. With her ears being very very dirty, was the vet able to view them to make sure she didnt have a perforated eardrum before you applied the ear cleanser. Its obvious she has mites in her ears if they are very dirty and stinky. You wont get rid of them just with the cleanser. You need ear mite ointment. These can be purchased from a large pet store. Did your vet prescribe any for her?

I would also recommend Sudocream. Purchased from Woolworths in the baby section. It is zinc oxide.

From the photos she is certainly looking better which is great.

You did very well to keep your cool. And she is now in such a better place. One can only imagine how much worse she would of got. This has been going on by the looks of it for a long time. To not of sort some veterinary advice on their behalf is just heartbreaking.

How is her tail? is it a tight screw tail which also needs attention or is it nice and clean?

We have owned Bulldogs for over 30 years. Have pretty much seen it all except I have never seen a bad case as poor Pearl.

Advice comes with hugs to Pearl

The sudocream is for her skin.

Edited January 10, 2012 by Bullbreedlover

[persephone]

The vet tried to help by keeping to a budget but he suggested Surepet from Kmart

..good idea, for a healthy dog , but a body like Pearl's needs quality food .

[Bullbreedlover]

She is looking better , with your help

I will suggest that some of the skin thickening and baldness /infection may well have come from her rubbing her poor itchy back/bum on wood etc where she was living ..the fleas itched, she scratched, then that itched and was sore, so she scratched again....and over time, with continued irritation etc, the skin thickens up

I used to have a terrier who would rub her back on the chair rungs when she was at all itchy ....in the same areas as Pearl.

The vet didn't give you any cream?

Malaseb can be very drying ....which may make the skin crack ...cracks are to be avoided, as that's where infection can start .

Bullbreedlover has given you some very helpful suggestions ..and the BEST quality food you can afford is what this girl needs ..her poor body/immune system needs TLC .. so good food, rest and love will help get her back on track to being happy and comfortable .

......I hope you have her registered under your name ...just in case ..

This is pretty much exactly what has happened if there is no sign of mites(which she is clear of)

The fact that the sores open up again is worrying but a soothing healing cream will help

[Carlo11]

She is looking better , with your help

I will suggest that some of the skin thickening and baldness /infection may well have come from her rubbing her poor itchy back/bum on wood etc where she was living ..the fleas itched, she scratched, then that itched and was sore, so she scratched again....and over time, with continued irritation etc, the skin thickens up

I used to have a terrier who would rub her back on the chair rungs when she was at all itchy ....in the same areas as Pearl.

The vet didn't give you any cream?

Malaseb can be very drying ....which may make the skin crack ...cracks are to be avoided, as that's where infection can start .

Bullbreedlover has given you some very helpful suggestions ..and the BEST quality food you can afford is what this girl needs ..her poor body/immune system needs TLC .. so good food, rest and love will help get her back on track to being happy and comfortable .

......I hope you have her registered under your name ...just in case ..

He didnt give me any cream I wanted to get her microchipped straightaway but he wouldnt do so as her skin was too bad for poking needles into so I have had to wait a bit longer.

[persephone]

as her skin was too bad for poking needles into

good thinking .

[Carlo11]

Hi Carlo

In these photos are they all before ones? or now ones?

Pearl is very underweight. I dont mean to sound as if it is your fault. Hence the need for the extra meal per day. One is not enough as I said before

I would also suggest a nice dog roll. Yes I know many people dont advocate feeding rolls but there are some great preservative free ones available. Just as an extra filler to get some weight back on.

As she is very skinny her stomach will need time to adjust to extra food.

Has she been wormed lately and has the vet checked for mites? Any routine bloods taken. Heartworm meds etc.

Please dont give her a yearly heartworm as it may knock her back at this stage.

Some of her skin may never recover and she may always be bald in those places.

Has her ear been damaged at all. It doesnt look right in the photo? What are her ear canals like?

Clearly she is still very much raw and sore.

Are you applying a soothing cream as well to her skin?

Of course my suggestions are only a guideline.

The first photos are NOW and the second lot are THEN.

She has been wormed twice with a vet allwormer and she was skin scraped for mites which was negative.No heartworm check as of yet.He has purely dealt with the skin.Her ear is a cauliflower ear from haematomas and is very badly scarred.Her ears are very dirty and stink badly.I have been using Epiotic on them as a cleanser.

Which soothing cream? Thanks for taking time to help.

I thought she had a haematoma, just needed to ask. With her ears being very very dirty, was the vet able to view them to make sure she didnt have a perforated eardrum before you applied the ear cleanser. Its obvious she has mites in her ears if they are very dirty and stinky. You wont get rid of them just with the cleanser. You need ear mite ointment. These can be purchased from a large pet store. Did your vet prescribe any for her?

I would also recommend Sudocream. Purchased from Woolworths in the baby section. It is zinc oxide.

From the photos she is certainly looking better which is great.

You did very well to keep your cool. And she is now in such a better place. One can only imagine how much worse she would of got. This has been going on by the looks of it for a long time. To not of sort some veterinary advice on their behalf is just heartbreaking.

How is her tail? is it a tight screw tail which also needs attention or is it nice and clean?

We have owned Bulldogs for over 30 years. Have pretty much seen it all except I have never seen a bad case as poor Pearl.

Advice comes with hugs to Pearl

The sudocream is for her skin.

I dont think he really has looked into her ears.So Ill put ear mite meds on the shopping list.And Sudocream!He didnt check with the microscope for a perforated ear drum but ive been putting Epiotic in there for a while now so I hope its ok.

I am not sure what a screw tail is? She just has a bony lump of a tail which appears to be all ok but its hairless and leathery.Its dry and clean though.

[persephone]

A`screw tail is just how it sounds.. the tailbone is screwed around into a tight spiral/knot shape . These can sometimes need extra care .

[Carlo11]

Ill put some more pics up.

[Clyde]

The Aloveen Leave in Conditioner is a soothing cream. I'd be careful throwing anything else on it. It also helps with the drying of the Malaseb which is a double edged sword. It's made by the same company and available most places, especially vets.

Chat to your vet about using Malaseb for the ears, Epiotic is pretty useless and the Malaseb diluted in water does the trick. Epiotic also stings when there are little cracks/splits in the skin. It was one part Malaseb to 30 parts water from memory, but I think it's since been reevaluated at 1-15, check with the vet. Gently squirt it in the ear, massage then let the dog shake - all the goop will fly out, then gently wipe with a dry cloth/tissue to get the excess.

When shampooing her make sure the Malaseb is left on for ten minutes. It is useless if rinsed off straight away as it doesn't start acting until 7 + minutes.

[Carlo11]

These were all taken in the first few days to a week of having her come to me.

[juice]

You are doing a great job, and there are some wonderfu people here who will help you.

If you are on a budget, you may find Proplan expensive, but you need to feed much less of the quality food than the cheap stuff, which poo's straight out the other end, so it works out ok.

[Mason_Gibbs]

The Aloveen Leave in Conditioner is a soothing cream. I'd be careful throwing anything else on it. It also helps with the drying of the Malaseb which is a double edged sword. It's made by the same company and available most places, especially vets.

Chat to your vet about using Malaseb for the ears, Epiotic is pretty useless and the Malaseb diluted in water does the trick. Epiotic also stings when there are little cracks/splits in the skin. It was one part Malaseb to 30 parts water from memory, but I think it's since been reevaluated at 1-15, check with the vet. Gently squirt it in the ear, massage then let the dog shake - all the goop will fly out, then gently wipe with a dry cloth/tissue to get the excess.

When shampooing her make sure the Malaseb is left on for ten minutes. It is useless if rinsed off straight away as it doesn't start acting until 7 + minutes.

The episodic does sting, I got some on my hand by mistake, my whole arm up to my shoulder broke out in a huge rash. I'm not a fan. We use Malacetic ear wash it is much gentler. Pearl is showing all the samesymptoms my boy had, signs of a food allergy and atopic dermatitis, she could be allergic to more than just fleas, it could be pollens as well as other things like dust mites or any other number of things. You are doing you best by her which is great. Is she on any fish oil or omega oils? We use fish and evening primrose oils. As for dry skin we use QV oil diluted with water in a spray bottle and use as needed. We only use QV wash, only Malaseb if there is signs of infection brewing, it is very drying.