Bully Breeds and Skin Sensitivity

corky

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#1
As of yesterday I'm fostering a bull dog mix who is about a year old and has been in a pound or rescue for seven months of that. He has a bit of a rash around his eyes and his groin. It doesn't seem to annoy him all the time, but he does scratch at his face a few times per day. Because the rescue group depends on food donations, this guy changes food about every two weeks. I'm not sure if food or something else irritates him. Are there recommendations for managing skin irritations in bull dogs? I'm told by the rescue group that this is common, but I can't help but think that there is something I can do to improve it for him now that he's getting lots of one-on-one attention.
 
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#2
This site should help.Skin Problems in Bulldogs My dad had one long before I was born and never mentioned any skin problems. My dad once scolded him for going on the carpet and the dog, named Mack, went over and picked up a bowling ball and smashed my Grandma's china cabinet with it.:rofl1: He also would get revenge by defecating on the dinning room table.:yikes:
 
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#4
Skin problems are very common in all bully breeds. If it's around his eyes and groin it makes me think demodex, which is something that is usually made worse through food issues (so if he has to switch it up all the time then that isn't helping). Will the rescue have him vetted and have a skin scraping done?
 

colliewog

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#5
If by Bulldog mix you mean "English Bulldog", the face wrinkles are prone to yeast infection due to moisture retention. If you mean Bulldog as in Pittie-type dog, and he's rubbing his face, it could be mange or allergies. Facial and foot irritation is one of the most common signs of a food sensitivity.
 

corky

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#7
Thanks for the link, Texas Ranger.

I understand that this dog was vetted, but I don't know when and will ask. The dog is more of an American Bulldog type, not English, so there aren't many folds. There is less fur where I see the redness and perhaps that's what makes it more obvious. I probably wouldn't see it if he had more fur. I just looked at photos of mange and demodex online and that isn't what I'm seeing at all. There is no patchy hair loss and no bumpy rash, just generalized redness, like sunburn, in the groin and around the eyes.
 

FoxyWench

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#8
it sounds like allergies...

i would have a skin scraping done anyway (its not invasive its generally quick and shouldnt cost much)
just to be certain (ive seen demodex that looked nothing like demodex soo...always best to be safe...

if not then its time to focus on allergies...

what food is he currently eating (of course switching foods constantly wont help)
first step would be to get him on a corn free diet (corn is the #1 allergen in dogs) and work back from there with the protein source (if the food right now is a chicken and corn, try a chicken and rice, if that still bothers try a lamb and rice or a duck and sweet potatoe ect...)
an allergy pannel might be worth getting done, but they can be expensive...

id also suggest a peppermint and teatrea shampoo with oatmeal to help with the red and itchies
or a honey/yoghurt mask on the red spots to help sooth.
 

corky

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#9
Hi Foxy. I can just imagine Corky with a yogurt mask on his face. LOL Actually, I'm sure its no more de-dogulating than the booties Hubby makes him wear in the snow.

His last food was Science Diet Adult and his skin was red on it. The bag that was dropped off with him two days ago is Summit - Canadian Chicken. We'll see how that goes. My dogs eat President's Choice Lamb and Rice (my Keeshond has skin and bowel issues. This is the best food for him, better than any high-priced product I tried. I think he needs higher grain content). If the Summit doesn't work, I can try the Lamb and Rice.
 

FoxyWench

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#10
good luck.

i use yoghurt and honey on my hairless cresties skin, he gets dry spots and black heads like all cresties lol...

i do 12 a cup yoghurt, a table spoon of honey, mix well and if possible le it sit for about 5 mins...
jsaper likes to lick as much as possible off in that time so i geenrally leave sime in the bowl and put that infront of his face so he can like that instead of whats on him (and yes its safe for them to eat (and you, its yummy !)
then rinse.
yoghurt has alot of alpha hydroxies its a mild exfoliant AND a moisturizer, and honey is anti-bacterial (helps cear out the pours and protect them from infection) the combination is also very skin soothing.
 

Pops2

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#11
Skin problems are very common in all bully breeds. If it's around his eyes and groin it makes me think demodex, which is something that is usually made worse through food issues (so if he has to switch it up all the time then that isn't helping). Will the rescue have him vetted and have a skin scraping done?
this isn't true of wellbred bull breeds, wasn't a problem for Floyd Boudreaux, Maurice Carver, Alan Scott, Art Parker or Joe Painter. this is very common w/ crap bred extreme types like english, supersized johnsons & the blue & grey american bullies (gotti/razors edge/greyline).
thicker, healthier, stronger skin is a big consideration in using bullbreeds in crossbred hunting dogs.
 

Chewbecca

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this isn't true of wellbred bull breeds, wasn't a problem for Floyd Boudreaux, Maurice Carver, Alan Scott, Art Parker or Joe Painter. this is very common w/ crap bred extreme types like english, supersized johnsons & the blue & grey american bullies (gotti/razors edge/greyline).
thicker, healthier, stronger skin is a big consideration in using bullbreeds in crossbred hunting dogs.
Actually...most short-haired breeds run the risk of sensitive skin.

Yes, good breeding helps, but the less hair to protect the skin, the more sensitive the skin can be.
 

corky

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#14
...the less hair to protect the skin, the more sensitive the skin can be.
As a breeder of Devon Rex cats for 10 years, this makes sense to me. Devons are often bare on their undersides and necks and they can have sensitive skin. It may simply be that the irritations are topical in both Devons and Bully breeds. I wonder what Corky might be touching that would irritate his skin. It could be blankets and laundry products, carpeting, floor cleaner, his crate, etc. I have allergies myself, so I can re-clean things he brought here and use gentler, unscented products.
 

corky

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#15
Yesterday he started taking liquid Benadryl and we switched his food from a chicken and rice formula to a duck and potato allergy food. Already he's getting better. I think it may have been the food, but we'll have to see how he is when the Benadryl stops.
 

corky

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#16
Whether we are dealing with an allergy or stress-induced mange, I wonder what we can do to soothe the raw skin around his eyes. One is quite sore because he scratched it so much. Can anyone suggest a product? All the things I've read about would be too irritating to put by his eyes. Thanks.
 

corky

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#17
His rescue group says that over the year he's had multiple food changes and his face never got so bad that he needed to see a vet. He's also moved to a number of foster homes and never flared up, either, so they don't think its stress-induced. They think the problem is with an environmental irritant.

I have severe allergy-induced asthma and my mom has multiple-chemical sensitivities, so our household cleaners are very mild and most are unscented. I rinse the floors after using Mr. Clean and I don't think I've mopped the floors very often over the holidays because we had so much going on. I can't have any air fresheners or perfumes in the house. Laundry soaps are unscented, etc.

The only thing I wonder about other about food are his toys. We bought him hockey balls to catch and a nylabone that he really likes to chew. Those may be new-to-him things that he could react to. Oh... and I've been feeding him raw carrots which are my dogs' favorite crunchy treat. Would shoving his face in the snow to find the ball (that he buried) irritate his eyes? *shrug*

He did let me put aloe vera around his eyes and seemed to enjoy that, so it must feel better.

We'll go to the vet with the rescue coordinator tomorrow or Tuesday.
 

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