Skin Rashes on Our Bulldog

Hi J.,

I have an english bully too who has had several skin rashes, hot spots, welts, you name it he had it! We had him on nutro as a puppy, but switched him b/c of the allergies. Put him on a dog food from a health food store which worked but was expensive, then found the Royal Canin (get it a PetCo). It is specifically formulated for Bulldogs and he does good on it. He still has allergic reactions, but very sporadically. When he does, we give him a 1/2 of a benedryl, use Gold Bond menthol powder when he's licking his paws, and oatmeal or tea tree oil baths. If her rashes are more like hot spots keep them clean and dry, do NOT use neosporin or any other ointment, they will make them worse, we use benadyne. But I would definitely switch from Nutro to Royal Canin! Good luck and let us know how she's doing!

J. -

I have a cocker spanial who has allergies. We do feed her beneful but I also buy omega 3 fish oil tablets and put on her food. Since we have been using that combo, it seems to have really helped her. We also make sure that we bathe her frequently and use Tea Tree Shampoo verses the normal dog shampoo and a spray in conditioner. Her dander seemed to iritate her. Good luck on finding out what works for you and your dog.

I would read both the label from the nutro dog food and the beneful label and see if there is any ingredient that is in the nutro that is not in the beneful. I would consider the missing ingredients the "suspects". Then read labels of other nutrient-rich dog foods that do not contain the suspicious ingredients, buy the smallest bag possible, or even ask for a few samples from your vet, and see what happens. It is hard to find foods that are right for your dog that they will also eat well.

I use Royal Canin dog food, and I buy it at Concord Pets. I don't know if you have that petstore in your area, but the dog food should be, anyhow. Anyway, Royal Canin has their bags labeled by breed. They also have varieties like, "Adult, 8-20lbs" if they don't carry your particular breed, but I think that they do.

My vet says that the dog food is very good and my dog eats it very well. In addition, I have recommended it to other people, and they have reported that their dogs like it, too.

Since my dog is a shih tzu and yorkie mix, I change it up for him. Sometimes I buy him the yorkie variety, sometimes the shih tzu one, and sometimes the adult 8-20lb one. I don't know if it matters to him at all, but I like knowing that I'm giving him a little variety, knowing that he is getting all of his nutrients, and that he eats all of the varieties well.

I hope that helps,
L.

Coprophagia or poop eating is NOT from improper nutrients in the food. There are lots of places to search on the wev for information on this behavioral disorder. Bulldogs are notorious for having more medical problems than just about any other breed so allergies, skin and ear infections and airway issues are just some of the very few things that you might find with your dog. The poop eating and the new food are probably coincidental.
Please investigate the internet and also put aside lots of money because that bulldog of yours, though wonderful and sweet, I'm sure, will add up the vet bills and most of the things you can't just hope to fix on your own!

Hi J.!
I'm sorry to hear about your bulldog's skin problems. Poor doggie! We have a yellow lab who also used to have terrible skin problems, and someone recommended switching to a gluten free food, we did, and it worked! I guess one of the most common allergies for dogs is wheat... so maybe you could try eliminating that one for a while and see if it works. I can't remember the brand name of our dog food right now, and I don't think they carry any gluten free dog foods at any of the more common pet stores (PetCo, etc...); we get it at a little mom-and-pop owned pet store in our area. I'm sure a google search for "gluten free dog foods" could help you if you're interested in pursuing that route.
We also don't buy her treats anymore since most of those have gluten in them, as well, so we either give her carrots or just a few pieces of her dog food. Not spending money on treats helps with the higher cost of the dog food, too.
Oh... our dog also dropped 20 pounds in 2 months with this food switch. I don't know if your dog needs to lost a few pounds, but this might help, too!
Best of luck to you and your doggie!
S. :)

Hi J.,

We have a schnoodle who has sensitive skin too! We give him a dose of benedryl when he first breaks out (call your vet for dose vs weight). We only bathe him with Johnsons baby shampoo but the groomer uses sensitive fragrance free shampoo. She did recommend a suppliment, "The missing link" for a hot spot he had and since I have been using it no hot spots or rashes. Can't hurt to try it.

She definitely has food allergies. See whats in the new food vs the old food and try to figure it out. We spent thousands trying to figure out our dogs rash until we did a blood test and test for food allergies. Chicken and rice cause him horrible rashes, chewing etc. We switched to whitefish and potato and it really helps. Good luck

My dog was allergic to nutro lamb and rice. Well, it turns out he's allergic to lamb-- which my vet said is VERY common. Maybe try switching to a different "flavor" of dog food and see if that clears it up.

Is the nutro food you feed her something you get at a place like petco or can you get it at Walmart or the grocery store? I have noticed that premium pet foods really do make a difference. We have 3 cats and I feed them Ultramix made by Castor and Pollux. You can find it at Petco for sure. It has pieces of fruit and vegetables in it, my girls always pick the fruit pieces out, especially the banannas. They have beautiful coats that others have remarked on. I am not rich but do believe that in the long run I save on Vet bills because they are in better health due to their food. I hope this helps. You can look up Castor and Pollux on their website and if you email them they will even send you coupons for $3.00 off. They will send you quite a few and when you run out you can email them again and they will send you more. Also if you buy from Petco they do the buy 10 bags get one free which is great! Also with better quality food they eat less of it, so if you use that and the less vet bills, the food doesn't seem so expensive. You could also try Tinactin or it's generic form, it's what they use for athletes foot. My one cat had a similar situation and the farmer of the farm we live on told us to try that and it worked! It actually worked pretty quickly. Good luck again!

Maybe it isn't the brand ,Nutro, rather the formula/flavor - ex. beef and rice, chicken etc. Try a different formula/flavor - something you are fairly certain she hasn't eaten. Lamb? There are some brands at stores like petsmart that sell venison dog food which many dogs are never exposed to so you can try that safely. Just beware that the more different foods you give her without knowing exactly what she is allergic too, the less options you may have for feeding her in the future. It may be worth it just to get the testing...

Ask a vet to check her out, my dog had the same thing. We finally got a script from the vet, and my dog had to be put on Cephalexin (kinda like amoxicillan). They will also tell you to use only metal bowls for food and water. Pedigree works good for us! Good luck

According to my vet, skin problems are caused by food allergies. My dog suffered similar problems. We changed his food to an all natural food (made by Versus) You can find it at Pets N You Rte 24 Red Lion.
Not only that but the vet recommended fish only capsules. They release a natural histimin blocker. (Dosage is relative to weight so you will have to call your vet)I just buy whatever brand is on sale the generic version... My dog gobbles them whole and considers them a treat.
All they above was an alternative to expensive tests and shots.

Works for me!

There might be one ingredient in the nutro that she's allergic to. Our dog just turned 8 yesterday and about a year ago, we found out that he's allergic to peanuts. He started scratching so much he was loosing hair. After several trips to the vet and creams, I realized that I had been giving him peanut flavored treats, as soon as I stopped, he cleared up. I know it would be hard to pin point the exact ingredient, but maybe another switch in food or flavor might help.

I have 2 cats (i know a bit different then a dog). They would throw up every type of food i gave them, until I tried the Good Life Recipe brand. They love it, and don't throw it up. It is an all natural cat and dog food, and ot is much less expensive then Sience Dite and such.

Keep them off of any steroids. My lab went deaf because of them. I would also look for a different dog food as well. Try Science Diet. As for the skin, my dog had scabbies which is one of the worst skin conditions I have seen. I found a product called "Richards Organics" Incredible Skin Spray for Dogs. I found it at a local pet/tack shop Hoof n Paw if you live near Dallas, PA Or check for it online. It runs about $10/bottle but it's better than using steriods. Apply it daily and in a few weeks you should notice an improvement. I used about 2 bottles on my dog and that cost me $20 vs the $110 the vet cost me and my dog lost her hearing!

It's obvious that she has a reaction to something in the nutro. Here's a few websites for info:

http://dogfoodanalysis.com/
http://www.naturapet.com/

Hope you're able to help your dog.

Blessings,
Rolinda

Hi J., Try another type of food. Obviously the food you are feeding your dog is not good for her. As far as the poop eating thing, that is just showing you that there is undigested food in her poo...our first dog did that and we switched her to Iams and she never ate her poo again. Our current dog is a Greyhound (retired racer) and we feed her Old Roy High performance and she does great on it. Best wishes.

Hi J.,
We also have an English Bulldog. We use Royal Canine dog food and they have a formula just for bulldogs. He loves and we've had no issues so far. Hope you figure out something that works for her, they're great dogs!

S. T
Allentown,PA

J., Unfortunately you probably think you are feeding your dog good food but Nutro is not good food. I thought the same until I read an article about dog food when the whole tainted dog food thing happened. It spoke about dog food not actually containing what dogs need to be healthy. I do not remember the article but the one below might be helpful.

http://www.populararticles.com/article9399.html

I do not know where you live but I buy all my animals food at Damingers in Mantua Township, NJ. It is a bit more expensive than Nutro but my dog is almost 13 and you wouldnt even know it. I worry because I fed her the junk for 10 years but she is wonderful now and even her hips are better!

Good luck to you! A.