Bear is back from the vet today..skin issues

Submitted by bear on June 6, 2010 - 9:06pm

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Well we are back from a different vet 1 hour away from where we live. They were awesome! We were there for 2 hours. Vet was very thorough. He says he bald spots are allergies. No mange. He did blood testing and everything was fine. Thyroid is normal. He does have a yeast infection in his ears which may be the root cause of his bald spots. He prescribed Clemastine (I did not want steriods.) Put him on a wellness plan they offer (well worth the money.) Would have paid $500 for all they did today and only paid $150. Vet says he is 10 pounds overweight. He weighs 65 pounds and is 4.5 yrs old. As for the difference in appetite, he says he is "conditioned." Spoiled I guess. When I give him a treat he will eat. He has not eaten anything today. I guess he is waiting for a treat. I guess I have to break that habit. He is just too smart! I asked vet about teeth cleaning as he does have gum swelling and tarter buidup. He says they put dog to sleep under anestesia. That makes me nervous, but he says they have done plenty of bulldogs and always draw blood to ensure he has the proper anestesia. But overall, Bear is a healthy bulldog compared to others he has seen. Just have to battle skin issues. He says anal glands were not full. He gave us medicated shampoo and wipes as well as ear cleaner. Has anyone had their bullies put under for teeth cleaning? Just wanted to give you guys an update. Thanks for reading!

Sounds like you found a great vet!

Submitted by kimrisa on June 6, 2010 - 11:41pm.

I can totally relate regarding skin issues...Tuffy just got off a round of antibiotics acne or some sort of staph infection. Glad to hear that Bear is healthy overall and I know how hard it is not to give them treats when they look at you with that sweet bully face. I'm interested if you get any responses on the teeth cleaning because I've had that same question on my mind. Is it worth putting a bulldog under general anesthesia for routine dental care? You may want to post it to the regular board because the medical sight hasn't had much traffic lately...

Would love to see some pics of your big boy!

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Glad you found a great vet.

Submitted by Jo Ann on June 7, 2010 - 7:55am.

Happy to hear it's just allergies. We had Rocky on clemistine also it worked great for him. As for the weight Rocky was a big guy also. We added green string beans to his food and backed off the amount of dog food. It fills their tummies and it helps them take the weight off. I cooked them a little for him. Our vet cleans teeth without putting them out. I personally would not do that. Check around and see if there is someone in your area that does that.

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Jo Ann

Dental cleaning

Submitted by RobinandLeo on June 7, 2010 - 12:32pm.

Before you have Bear put under for teeth cleaning try brushing his teeth at home frequently for a few weeks to see how much of the build-up you can get off. It might be that you can avoid having the Vet do a cleaning under anestesia.

I'm all for having a dog with clean, white teeth but had a bad experience a few years back over a dental visit that has made me very cautious.

My girl was 10 years old and in great health. We had the pre-surgical blood panel done as a precaution due to her age and the Vet remarked at how all her values were normal and she didn't look her age and what great shape she was in. She had a fractured molar removed, a full cleaning done, some overgrowth to her gums removed by laser, and a small wart-like lump removed from on top her skull while under anestesia that day. She recovered quickly and all was well.

BUT, within 6 months she had developed an enlarged heart due to weak, leaky heart valves and became exercise intolerant (she had passed an OFA Cardio exam a few years earlier). In retrospect what I think happened was the bacteria released into her system from the dental surgery caused a blood infection, that weakened her heart valves, causing the enlarged heart, that led to her death.

Be sure your Vet puts your dog on antibiotics after any dental work, and talk with him/her about having the dog on antibiotics for a few days to a week prior to any dental work.