Advice On British Bulldog

[~Anne~]

No, the meat is not essential and even less so if the kibble is good quality.

You can cook the raw mince. There is no difference feeding it raw or cooked in all reality and many dogs do not tolerate raw meats. Obviously it is dangerous to feed cooked bones.

[winstonbull]

No, the meat is not essential and even less so if the kibble is good quality.

You can cook the raw mince. There is no difference feeding it raw or cooked in all reality and many dogs do not tolerate raw meats. Obviously it is dangerous to feed cooked bones.

Thanks, Are there specific kibbles that are better? I use advance as it was what the breeder gave him and what was recommended. The breeder has also recommended KD science diet if he has food allergies as its soy based.

[Remarkabull]

My Bulldogs are fed a preservative free diet and no dry food at all. I have found that this has been the best thing for any skin related issues. They don't have major issues but would occasionally have a 'breakout' and I happened to notice that it seemed to occur while they were eating dry food. They don't really like dry anyway and will only eat a couple of mouthfuls before walking away from it.

[Kajtek]

You need to experiment with kibble.

I've found Holistic Eagle Pack Lamb is most suitable for my lot.

They eat raw in the mornings (barf, sometimes lamb necks) and kibble in the evenings. One of my dogs is allergic to chicken and beef.

[~Anne~]

Agree with experimenting. When it comes to quality, read the ingredients listing. Look for the least amount of additives and preseravatives and real meat, not derivatives.

In my opinion and speaking generally, kibbles you buy from the supermarket are not high quality. They will not make your dog sick but there are better brands on the market and these are usually sold through pet stock stores.

[winstonbull]

Agree with experimenting. When it comes to quality, read the ingredients listing. Look for the least amount of additives and preseravatives and real meat, not derivatives.

In my opinion and speaking generally, kibbles you buy from the supermarket are not high quality. They will not make your dog sick but there are better brands on the market and these are usually sold through pet stock stores.

Thanks.

I don't use kibble from the supermarket as i would tend to agree that most are not high quality. Right now i use Advance large breed puppy formula and he seems to like it alot. I have seen some posts to suggest that the kibble is enough or maybe add cottage cheese and oil (1 teaspoon per feed). Does anyone recommend these?

If i was to stop meat altogether i read that he needs around 3 - 5 cups of kibble a day. Right now he gets 1 cup twice a day and 100 - 150 grams of beef or chicken.

I am considering increasing his kibble and removing meat at least for a while, except the odd chicken wing as he loves them. :)

Will this be bad for him? Should i add supplements?

[~Anne~]

The kibble has all that he needs except for teeth cleaning properties. Bones are best for this. You can add different things if you like and it wont do any harm.

There is no need for supplements if you feed kibble as it is a complete food and designed to be fed on its own. He might however have specific needs indicated by his skin issues and his breed type. I am not an expert on BBs (I have pugs) and their specific requirements but the other BB owners in this thread would know.

[Lasareina]

Sorry but I wouldn't recommend chicken carcasses for Bulldogs. Even though Bulldogs have big heads and mouths they do tend not to chew their food and may get bones stuck in their throat. Personally I recommend nylabone chewbies. Rawhide chewbies can also do a lot of damage.

But that is only my opinion.

A good balanced dry food kibble is perfectly fine and I would recommend Proplan chicken and rice Large Breed formula. If you do change a food then make the transition slowly. Also yoghurt, tuna, cooked chicken meat(never feed cooked chicken bones either)

Skin allergies can occur in Bulldogs and of course puppys up until 18 months of age or there abouts can develop immune deficiency problems, which should correct themselves as the dog gets older. If your dog has an immune problem with his skin then I also recommend Thoroughbred Itch solution. There is also a cream as well.

Many vets know zero about Bulldogs, except for what they have been taught in Vet School so do be wary.

A tight screw tail can make for problems. Sudocream is one of the best products on the market for cleaning tails. And also for facial creases.

Slightly sorry

I have been wondering if anyone else uses The Thoroughbred Fix products... we use both the shampoo and the cream on the staffies as Hunter gets a red rash on his stomach (this has mainly stopped occurring now that he is not getting any grain in his feed).

I found it to work really well - the rashes cleared up in 1 - 2 days and obviously provide a lot of relief as well. As soon as I apply it Hunter goes limp and just lies back and enjoys the soothing sensation :D. You have actually just reminded me that I need to get more haha

[hankdog]

My boy went right through all the kibbles with no success until I tried the Purina one from the supermarket. The highly recommended zd had us out at two am with the runs. It just depends on your dog. Jake can't take rice either.

[winstonbull]

Thanks all for the replies.

After my post Winston started to get bald patches which started on his head and then moved to his face and legs. Although these are not itchy i took him to the vets again and the vet did a skin scrape and found mites. He is now on medication for the next few weeks/months (or so) to get rid of the mites. The vet said it was actually good news as it explains all of the issues we have had with him so far. I guess i continue with the medication and once the mites clear hopefully he will be ok. The vet has recommended that i do not change his food for now, i just leave it as is and wait for the mites to clear. If there is still an issue with his skin after the mites clear then we can look at changing his food.

Thanks,

[~Anne~]

I'm not so sure it's what I would term 'good news'.

Given that it started on his head I am guessing it is demodectic mange. If so, his breeder needs to be informed because demodectic mange is attributable to a weakened immune system and they should cease breeding from that line. Your dog should not be used for breeding either.

Dogs that have mange of this type are likely to have reoccurrences over their life also. All (or most) dogs carry these mites. In a dog with a normal immune system, the mites are kept under control. In dogs with compromised immune systems, the mites take hold and multiply rapidly resulting in the hair loss that you've noticed and the itching.