Hair Loss
Submitted by mom2mia4 on October 9, 2012 - 6:00pmHello, I would love some advise from seasoned bulldog owners..my Tucker is 2 years old we tried breeding him about a month and a half ago. Come to find out the female dog gave him mange and after a whole slew of medications, baths and overnight stays @ the vet we got rid of them! His hair is taking forever to grow back along with the areas that were open sores are black crusty bald spots. Vet says this is normal, and it will take this long and hopefully it will grow back!!! Now He is losing patches of hair all along his back and hind legs and some are scabby and fall off with sores underneath. We have him on fish oil per the vet. He has also been on blue buffalo chicken and rice for over a year. I'm starting to wonder if he has developed an allergy to this food. I have done a lot of online reading and thinking I should do wellness allergy salmon and potato formula. I also was thinking I should do a antihistamine OTC...but I really don't want to change too many things @ once just in case he gets better with the food change. He doesn't seem bothered and he's not itching @ all...I'm @ a loss I'm going stinking bonkers with this! Just seems that ever since he came in contact with that other dog his skin has gone haywire and I can't control it. I also don't want to over bathe him since his poor skin is already so dry! I have been to the vet numerous times over the past month and they aren't helping. It's like oh here's some more pills, and give me your credit card now. I hate to have him on any pills @ all. I know that if he needs them we will do it, but they haven't helped as of yet! Please help...would love to hear your stories as well......thank you Amy
Amy
Amy, sorry for the trouble
Amy, sorry for the trouble your bullie boy is having...here's a few comments I have -
1. I thought most bulldogs needed to be inseminated artificially for pregnancy & considering the troubles I've seen experienced breeders encounter, I would strongly urge you to reconsider breeding. Besides, there are so very many bulldogs in rescue.
2. A lot of bullies are allergic to chicken, this may be an allergy. Wellness is what I feed (Core, Ocean) it's a great food.
3. The areas in his skin can be addressed by shaving or cutting the affected areas plus a portion of the surrounding fur that is healthy. You can treat with neosporin or vetrycin to keep clean and dry.
4. If he's rubbing and itchy, Benadryl will help reduce those symptoms until you can remedy the allergy situation. Your vet can give you proper dosing based on his weight.
5. Fish oil, coconut oil and probiotic powder are great supplements to skin, coat and overall health.
I hope he gets better soon :)
Thanks
Thank you ;) but he's not itching @ all....and the breeding thing (not my idea) I was against it!!!! He is on fish oil. But just started. I spoke with the vet tonight. She wants him back on the antibiotics for another 2 months....because he did have such a bad infection. She thinks its still lingering? I am also bathing 3 xs a week with sebolux shampoo. I will start mixing his food with the blue buffalo salmon and sweet potato which she said may help, should this in fact be a food allergy. I also have medicated topical cream or the open areas the vet prescribed. I will post on his condition in a few weeks...
Amy
Demodex
First question I would ask is what kind of mange did your vet say your dog has? Demodex is typically not contagious so I suspect your dog did not get it from the bitch. Why do you think he got it from the bitch? What condition was she in and how was her coat? Sarcoptic Mange is very contagious.
Demodectic mange mites do not spread to people under any circumstance and to other pets under normal conditions. The one exception is that the mother may pass the mites to the offspring during and around birth. Therefore, one may see a few puppies in the same litter develop the symptoms of mange. In pets with stressed immune systems, the mites may be able to multiply and thereby cause clinical disease. Generally, we see this disease in immature dogs, dogs with depressed immune systems as a result of disease, hormonal disorders or drug therapy and sometimes in old dogs whose immune systems have deteriorated naturally.
What was the treatment to get rid of the mange? Was it Mitaban dips? Those are like dipping the dog in a poison pesticide. Demodex is easily treated at home with Ivermectin, still not great but IMO better the Mitaban.
Does your vet say there is a secondary skin infection (ie Staph Infection) thus the reason for the antibiotics. What is the antibiotics the vet has prescribed. Cephalexin, Baytril, Clavamox?
Has he been scraped to make sure the demodex is gone....they usually scrap every 2 weeks, during treatment. If he hasn't been scraped I would want them to scrape and culture to see exactly what you are dealing with.
I would change his food....chicken has been know to be a triggering allergen to dogs prone with allergy issues. An OTC drug is simply a bandaid, you need to find the problem. But Benadryl can help in the case of itching and feet licking...but you have said no itching. I suspect staph infection secondary to the demodex and/or possibly still demodex.
I would also consider boosting the immune system with something like Missing Link as well as salmon oil...but I only feed Wild Salmon Oil. The mercury content in fish oil is a concern for me. Other things you have to consider is any contact allergies (ie laundry soap, cleaning solutions, yard fertilizers, etc.).
I'm not going to comment on the breeding, only to say I hope you will make the decision to have the dog neutered and leave the breeding to reputable breeders.
If he has a staph infection ask you vet about Convenia shots. They are expensive, but I had great luck with my bitch I was showing and could't afford her to lose any coat. Fixed her up in a couple of weeks, but the staph was caught very early.
Good Luck.