Bulldogs World

I just found this website last night and I feel like I hit the jackpot for information on everything bulldogs!!  Woohoo!!!! 

So here's my bully problem: Fiona was given a bath last weekend (I think Sunday)... and by Wednesday, it looked as though she was having some sort of reaction (hives/bumps) on her back/sides (I have a hard time believing it had anything to do with her bath since nothing was changed ie. shampoo)... she suffers from allergies and her belly has flare ups from time to time (right now she is having a flare up).  Seems it has gotten progressively worse in the last year and a half.  {{Fiona is a beautiful petite white bully, 6 years young!!}} We've been to the vet, treat her with benedryl, antibiotics for the open sores when needed, and I think a round of steriods (but not too often).  I can't say for sure what is going on with her, but after reading some of these posts I feel I need to start by changing her diet to grain free.  I can't help but feel that some of her issues may be coming down to her food, though I do believe she suffers from seasonal allergies as well.  I know if I take her to the vet, he'll just check her out and give her another bout of medicine.  I'm going to schedule an appointment for next week, but until then, I'd like to start the process of switching her over to grain free diet and some possible supplements for her coat.  Her fur is VERY course (crazy course!!!), skin looks dry, and she definitely has patches of scaly/itchy spots... her shedding is UNBELIEVABLE.  My husband loves everything about our girl EXCEPT for all the hair all over everything!!!!  When I was checking out the bumps/hive looking areas, when lifting/parting her fur, some spots looked like sore crusted pimples / others areas where dry or scaly / but a majority of the areas under the fur had darker "lesions" so to speak (different dark spots - I'm familiar with her "birth" marks).  I was totally freaking out thinking the worst for my girl... but after researching some of the posts/websites it looks as though maybe it is pyoderma, or some sort of skin fungus/irritation.  Her belly looks like it did before when the vet treated her with antibiotics and benedryll, and said it was a flea allergy (which it very well could have been since she did have fleas which were treated with Vectra3D suggested by my vet) but it almost seems like it has "expanded" up her sides to her back if that makes sense, just looks a bit different.  I'd like to try to get a picture but her hair is impossible to part.  She is NOT balding on her sides or back (at this point) but I would say I could pull some of her hair out if I wanted to (make sense?).  I have been treating her with benedryll the last few days and I'm planning on giving her a bath with Mane N Tail Protect shampoo this weekend.  I just can't help but feel that all this is caused by something going on with her internally with breaking down her food / vitamin difficiency, or something.  Thyroid?  (Any feedback on skin irritations is welcome... though we will be visiting the vet next week).

As far as changing foods, I'm gong to check what is all available at my local farm supply store.  Should I stay away from chicken, and go with venison or salmon, etc.  (Advice would be appreciated).  The raw diet thing totally intrigues me but at this point, I'd like to try a grain free food first to see how that goes.  Now as far as supplements, Fish Oil or Omega 3s, Vit C, Zinc... ??  What about probiotics? Anything I should add, or remove?  I also noticed she definitely has the "frito" smell, and being she just got a bath, I'm chalking that up to yeast.  It's not BAD but it is noticeable when I'm snuggling up with her.  Believe it or not, I didn't have a clue what that freakin' smell was until I found this site... ((funny story; When I was a kid I'd sleep over at my best friend's house. I always told her that her pillows smelled like Doritos... glad to know now that I was probably laying on her dog's yeasty remnants, LOL!!))  I feel like maybe she has developed an allergy to her food (Kirklands Brand from Costco), and all of these "issues" are because of it. 

I should also mention she's had some issues with her anal glands in the past... one ruptured.  It was insanely swollen like the size of a golf ball and literally "popped" with ooze/infection/etc. - left for work and came home to a giant growth on her hiney!! Scared the crap out of me... vet told me to watch it that it would burst and then had to take her the next day for a followup. It happened again but not as severe about a year ago.

Just trying to give you as much information that I can think of.  I just hate the thought of giving her more medications without really trying to figure out the underlying issue.  I know if I don't, this will just continue to be a cycle for her.