Bull Terrier Immunity Problems (SKIN & COAT)

BulliesofNC

One of the most common health issues I hear about with Bull Terriers is Skin Problems. I wish I had a nickel for every time I've been contacted in regard to advice on their Bullies skin problems and allergies. I see so many posts on Facebook as well with people worried about the either red bumps on the stomach, thinning of the fur, bald spots, etc. A common photo would be one that displayed a Bull Terrier with the popular bald spots on the scent glands (center of the head and base of the tail). Usually the Bull Terriers in need of help are  young adolescent dogs no older than 24 months of age. The other day I was reading a post from a concerned EBT owner seeking advice for their dog that had a bald spot on its head and tail. There were replies saying things like "that happens to all Bull Terriers, don't worry about, it will go away in time..." This is often true but probably not the best answer for the problem.
Something I've learned over the years with raising many Bull Terriers is that they often develop with slow or weak immune systems making them susceptible to common ailments. It's no mystery that the white Bull Terriers are affected more than the colored Bull Terriers when it comes to skin problems. It saddens me when I see photos of other Bull Terriers with bad skin problems or other health issues. However, my feelings are that most all of these issues could have been prevented from occurring in the first place by ensuring the dog was provided a proper diet specific to the breed. In the case of Bull Terriers it would a good quality Grain FREE food. Additionally I would encourage the use of a daily vitamin or supplement that would boost the immune system. Many on this forum have heard be mention multiple times about my feelings towards providing Bull Terriers with a supplement not just for benefits of the necessary vitamins, minerals, herbs, and antioxidants they need in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle but to enhance their immune system in order to prevent common ailments. As many already know I use a product called NuVet which has proven very affective for maintaining optimal heath within my family of Bull Terriers.
For those who may read this discussion in the future that are conducting research on immunity problems within the Bull Terrier breed, understand that you are not alone and many have gone through the same problems. Unfortunately not enough Veterinarians are familiar with the breed and their solution to solving problems associated with skin disorders are to medicate with prescription drugs and costly medicated shampoos. Rarely will advice be provided to focus attention on the immune system. Unfortunately, many have invested heavily into finding the cure for their Bull Terrier because no product seems to work and then as the dog grows and matures the problems either dissipate and go away or at least get to a manageable state.  However, the underlining cause remains a mystery.
Many have already discovered that most skin problems within this breed are caused from improper foods often high in grain. Yes, there will always be a few Bull Terriers born with bad genetics causing heightened anxiety or OCD which lead to stress. Stress plays a big factor in weakening any dogs immune system leading to many health issues.
My intent of bringing this issue up is to use this article for the many times I'm asked for advice with a young puppy suffering from skin problems. My recommendations for proper nutrition are detailed here - http://bulliesofnc.com/bull-terrier-nutrition
I encourage people looking to maintain optimal health for their Bull Terrier to include the supplement NuVet to their dogs diet - http://bulliesofnc.com/online-store/supplements-vitamins
The attached document is good reading on the subject of the importance of a dogs immunity.

philsergeant

And then you can give them all the right food, supplements, probiotics, raw, every possible thing... And although their coats are typically great .... They can break out in "hives", bumps, scabs leading to bald sports and hair loss. Our kids recently broke out like teenagers with no change in intake.... I can only put it down to pollen... This is the amount of pollen that comes down with the short rainstorm we had last evening.... Every spot on that glass top table....And the whole patio (where the play and sun) has a coating like my hand shown here.

BulliesofNC

We get loads of that stuff in the spring. Turns everything yellow.

philsergeant

And how does it effect your dawgs,? Spring in FL already.

BulliesofNC

You'd think they'd have some effect from it but they don't and the yellow pollen stacks up like snow over here with so many pine trees. My wife gets bothered by it with her allergies but the Bull Terriers have never shown any signs of it effecting them. I'll have to take a picture of it this spring. It's real bad out here and makes a mess of things until heavy rainfall wipes it away.

philsergeant

Well I wonder what caused or kids to break out then? They just had they shots and the vet said their fecals were jam packed with pollen.... Dunno... Food hasn't changed.

DianeWright

Great pic.  Yep...that's what I remember about North Carolina.

Djammy

@philsergeant
Where do your dogs have those bumps?
I am asking because we're both living in Florida and I started noticing quite a lot of bumps on Djamila, too, a few days ago.
She is eating grain free Blue Buffalo kibble and raw meat, salmon oil, probiotics and vitamin supplements. Did not change anything recently. I think so far we should be good on the nutritional side.
She is not suffering, active and happy as always and I hardly watch her scratch herself or lick/ bite her feet.

I think I tend to overreact with this, just because Fancy had suffered so badly from allergies and sores. And once she was in that antibiotics/steroid-cycle, it was almost impossible to completely get her off this heavy treatment with out the suffering starting all over. After all I know today, I would try EVERYTHING before starting Djamila on such medication. In the long run these meds are not a good choice for the longevity of the dog. Plus they weaken the organism with side effects and only treat symptoms, not causes, which means all the difference to me!

Djamila is in her adolescence. So exactly the time frame, Steve mentioned.
Her feet are clean. She sometimes get's a rash on her belly, but that's only temporary so far. I think it may just be from the heat these days or the chemicals in the pool.
The spots I am concerned about are mainly located around her loins, thighs and shoulders. A few on her back. As far as I notice through the dark fur and on the dark skin they are not red, inflamed or filled. Also I noticed one or the other spot on her sides where the hair has thinned (I would not call it bald yet).
I feel like we have A LOT of mosquitoes and No See 'ems  this year. And I am wondering, if these bumps could possbily be bites, although Djamila is on monthly heartworm and flea/tick prevention.

I would be interested to know, what the bumps look like on your fellas and how their overall wellbeing is right now.
Regarding the pollen I had not given that much thought so far. Djamila currently is in the pool almost on a daily basis. After that I rinse her to get the chlorine off. So I doubt that it's pollen. I was a bit worried about her skin drying out, but with a bit of aloe gel on her belly she seems to be fine. Only those bumps leave me wondering.

philsergeant

I believe it's called Foliculitis.  I am busy researching it as much as I can because I believe EBT's suffer from it a lot.  (Otherwise known as Pyoderma or Bacterial Hypersensitivity, it is a staphylococcal bacterial infection). My findings and solutions are inconclusive as of yet, but I am getting there. Like everything else it's "encouraged" by imperfect (I am not going to say poor) diet, cleansing and I believe it can be kicked off by many things, like medications, vaccinations, treats, heat, bad water, pesticides, fertilizers, mites, insects....  But here are some pictures of an EBT that has a "mild" case. (this is not my dog, thank God!)
I say "Mild" because the extreme cases are absolutely horrible (just Google "images of Foliculitis in dogs").  Marco gets it in very small areas where his coat is very thick like his neck and around his tail area, side of face... intense (large eruptions) but not widely spread and go away in a few days.  Isabella gets hers all over, but very light & small bumps that last a little longer and irritate her more.  They are both getting better with great focus on food and frequent washing.  It's so very hard keeping them away from all their fun in the fields and at the parks/ beach etc. but my first theory is that they "catch" it from the lake water used to irrigate the fields around here and some houses use untreated well water for their sprinklers.  As I say, inconclusive but I think it's externally stimulated and internally supported.  We are trying different things but I hate to recommend remedies that we haven't seen 100% effective.  We tried Pyoben shampoo but I don't believe it works well. Some say use benzoyl peroxide shampoo or oatmeal shampoo.  One remedy is to use a Baking Powder Diluted solution to rub them down, allow to dry,, 2 minutes... wash off then apply a diluted Apple Cider vinegar diluted solution... similarly, rub down, leave 2 minutes then thoroughly wash off and dry COMPLETELY.  (DO NOT USE THE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR IF THERE ARE ANY OPEN SPOTS, EVEN TINY ONES)  I have small cuts on my hands all the time and just washing them stings like crazy.  We also use Resicort "leave-on" solution... it's like a conditioner. This seems to be having effect but it's taking time.... But we don't know if the work with supplements is enabling their bodies to ward off the follicle infections easier, or whether the external treatments stop them starting in the first instances.... I'll keep researching, trying, treating and providing feedback. Some say to add to diet sunflower oil, safflower oil, primrose oil and, naturally, fish oil.  We have ordered some Vetoquinol MPA benzoyl plus shampoo too... will post how that works out.

philsergeant

Here are some photos of the issue with my dogs.. The first two are Marco... hard to see because he is brindle, you can feel them more than see them... but in the second photo you can see the bald patch it leaves.  Then Isabella is more visible, especially on her face.

exiled

We're seeing this with Rodney.  At first, I was afraid it was demodectic mange, but the vet is confident it isn't since he's older than the normal age when it's a problem.  The weekly grooming is helping.  He has been eating grain-free Acana (haven't transitioned to the grain-free PureVita yet), grizzly oil, pumpkin, and has been on the NuVet Plus tablets. 

I thought it was a few insect bites at first, then it showed up on the sides of his face as eruptions, then a bit patch of fur was gone.  This happened over a span of only a few days.  His appointment at the groomer was a day or two after the balding, and the fur started growing back as quickly as it disappeared.  Currently, there aren't many bumps and the hair is thin in patches, but not bald.  The vet gave him hydroxyzine that is helping with the itching since he thinks it's skin allergies that is causing the problem.

philsergeant

Updated above.

Djammy

@philsergeant,

thank you for all information. I am getting a little worried. All of this makes me think. Maybe I am not oversensitive. Doing my research too at the moment. Also stumbled over benzoyl peroxide and considering to give it a try. There is so much different and sometimes opposed information out there - I have to sort it all out.

Seems like keeping them on a healthy diet doesn't solve all the problems. But maybe they would do worse on another diet.

So far Djamila doesn't appear to have any problems like itch or pain.

I will still keep an eye on it. Honestly, I am too nervous to just assume it will vanish on its own.
Will keep you posted, if anything changes or if I find new information.

Already found some:

As I understand it, Pyoben Shampoo and Virbac MPA Benzoyl Peroxide Shampoo contain the same active ingredient - benzoyl peroxide. Is there anything in the Virbac product that really convinces you it's worth a try?

Asking, because you guys just ordered it.

I bet the Resicort will be among the more effective solutions. Just in case you did not know: I'd still use caution, although I use corticosteroids topically myself on me and my dog. I am always a little hesitant to use them on larger areas and for longer periods of time though.
They can make the skin virtually thinner and sensitive, therefore even more susceptive to infections eventually. It also leaves the skin more sensitive in the sun with a higher risk of sunburn. So no long sun baths or at least sunscreen would be a good idea.

It feels like running in a hamster wheel: For every remedy there is a downside.

philsergeant

The Resicort seemed to have a better result than the Pyoben... probably because the Resicort soothes the existent bumps and the Pyoben attempts to kill the underlying bacteria. One problem is that nothing has immediate effect, it all takes time and we are wanting instant results..... I have virtually ruled out the food though.... if you have a good diet I don't believe that it is one stray ingredient causing internal stimulation. The more I research, the more I am concerned it's the water.

Djammy

@philsergeant

The bumps have increased and some turned a little red now.

What I do at the moment is try everything to avoid secondary infections by disinfecting and keeping Djamila clean and as dry as possible between toes, under arm pits etc. So similar to what you guys are doing.

I have tried to figure out, if they have a hair in them to identify folliculitis. Not sure so far. but I think you may be right with that diagnosis.

I read that although folliculitis is caused by bacteria, it can also be caused by fungi and maybe related to yeast overgrowth.

I am actually suspecting a problem with yeast overgrowth. 

Reason being: 

I have discovered different things going on with Djamila.

Djamila’s nails have darkened at their base over time (esp. front paws, hind paws lighter), there’s a minimal amount of greasy copper tone debris gathering between her toes, enough to be noticeable - and She has “stinky” feet, not too bad, but it’s there. The darkened nails had started to lighten, but as soon as I got inattentive with the topical AVC treatment they started darkening again.

She also has a small spot on the tip of each ear, that in my opinion also points to a fungal problem. It’s hard to see it with the naked eye, but I can feel it and I know this spot from Fancy’s ears. She had far worse problems.

Djamila’s ears themselves are very clear.

So until those bumps started to appear, everything basically took place in very confined small spots. Seemingly not the entire body was affected.

The vet did a skin scraping for demodex, because I suspected that on her feet last year. The result came back negative. I also told her I was using Miconalzole on her ear tips and she told me to continue with it. 

Lately I also noticed a skin discoloration on Djamila’s muzzle. Doesn’t seem to bother her either. It may just be, because she uses her nose so much for playing ball. But I also read that discolorations can point to yeast.

All in all everything is very mild and obviously not causing any discomfort. She is not itching or licking - YET. 

But it’s there and my alarms are on. Because I know, once that certain point went by unnoticed and secondary infections start kicking in, the horrible cycle of harsh medication to relief the suffering and side effects, which make things worse in the log run, is starting.

I’ve been treating her ears and paws also with ACV for quite a while now - topically and internally. But wherever I read they say “it takes a lot of time”. Since I have resumed frequent treatment I do not have the feeling that ears and nails worsen, but also no noticeable improvement.

It’s all guessing here. But this is not only a dog-problem. During my research I stumbled over a lot of people with skin conditions and similar problems to identify and treat them - even when aided by a dermatologist.

Currently the climate here in Florida (humid heat) sadly provides the best environment for fungi and bacteria to thrive. I think that may worsen problems.

Yeast overgrowth is also said to be a common problem in humans and pets during the summer months.

It MAY all be related, or not. I don’t know, yet, but tend to believe it IS.

Also I am wondering, if all those small issues on Djamila are the common Bull Terrier problems. I read a lot about dogs having either one or several of those spots without ever causing a real problem.

But then again there is this thing about the Bull Terrier’s immune system. I can’t fight the impression that the majority of this breed is actually dealing with this, although luckily only some of them suffer from severe conditions.

I have started using Epsom Salt solution for soaks and Chlorhexidine gluconate spray for disinfecting in between. Not sure, if it’s a good idea to bathe her on a daily basis in order to keep her really clean. I read that frequent bathing today is not much of a problem, because the formerly skin drying shampoos have been improved a lot. Still not sure. So I use spray disinfection in between and try to limit the bathing at the moment.

How often do you bathe, soak or wash your dogs?

If I do not see improvement within about a week, I think I will give the benzoyl peroxide a try. Seems like this only comes in shampoos. I would like a spray.

One more thing:

I may unintentionally have contributed to the problem by feeding Djamila fruits and treats. One advice with yeast problems is to avoid sugars and carbohydrates. I used to feed apple, melon, strawberries and bananas as treats and every now and then a small amount of cooked pasta for a treat. Also I have checked the bag of her treats I use for training. They are holistic (at least that’s what the packaging says), but that doesn’t mean they are free of sugars.

I have stopped giving any fruit, pasta, rice, potatoes or those treats. Instead I am currently only using frozen green beans and baby carrots, because the veggies contain much less sugar. Hope it will contribute to improvement of her condition.

What exactly do you mean with the water? 

Rain water? Or well water from the sprinklers? The water we are drinking from wells (we have one, not connected to city water)?

We only drink bottled water and water from the water station (e.g. from Publix water station). So does Djamila. I don’t use filters at home. We just don’t drink that water.

But of course it’s in the pool and we use it for bathing (water went through chemical water treatment first).

We often have to deal with algae problems here at the West Coast, also at the beaches. Red algae for example. But I would not let Djamila in the water during that time. It’s been a while since we last went to the beach. So at the moment I can rule out this cause.

But I am very curious about your thoughts regarding the water.

philsergeant

I believe that a high yeast presence definitely "assists" the bacteria in spreading. I have no scientific proof that they live off it, but I feel they find it the better environment. Having said that neither of our dogs have a high yeast problem. Isabella mostly had a reddish tinge to her coat and we believe worked out that was because she was on Victor GF that had sweet potato. That may be sufficient excess sugar to facilitate the yeast, thus the bacteria. We changed her to a Victor GF without SP and it went away. Ironically enough she is now transitioning to Pure Vita WITH sweet potato....and she is doing even better still. I think the challenge is that the manufacturers show content, but not %.  So, is a small amount of sweet potato acceptable, and do other manufacturers use a TON of sweet potato because it's cheap filler???? However, seems to me if you eliminate the yeast you don't facilitate the bacteria that infect the follicles. That doesn't mean you get rid of the bacteria, I still believe they come into play through the water. When I take the dogs for a run, when I get home my wife says, "oh, no! you let them go in the lake again", but in truth they are drenched just from the wet grass and splashing in puddles.  Last summer (they were 8 months) they got so muddy etc. they bathed virtually every day. And their immune system obviously was less developed, but they didn't get bumps.  Marco only gets the bumps where his coat is very thick, so thick he is like a long haired dog. If it was internally generated why only get it where I am not able to clear/ treat properly (and believe me, I try)... Isabella comes back with red spots on her tummy etc. but, they go away same day, I believe this because the bacteria are there, but, no hair, no follicles, no place to hide. so it washes off.  The Pyoben, the Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar plus Resicort are working very well.  Just a heck of a lot of work.... so what else is new.  For the nose, a weekly Bag Balm rub keeps ours as pink as I think they can get.

Djammy

Hi @philsergeant

So, how are your four-legged guys doing?

Still dealing with the bumps or were you able to clear them in the meantime?

Djamila is still a little bumpy, but my efforts to keep her clean and avoid secondary infections and inflammation seem to work so far. I even feel like her skin has improved a little bit.They first have kind of wandered over her body. Some areas have healed while others showed new outbreaks. But it's still under control so far, she's still happy and I hardly watch her scratch. And especially today it looks like they are starting to vanish for good. Keep fingers crossed.

I am still suspecting the yeast to play a role in it. Since I have resumed to consequently address it with ACV again I have seen amazing progress on her nails.

Did you find any supporting information regarding your suspicion of the water?

I was not able to find out more about the cause of the bumps, but did some more research about yeast overgrowth and it's relation to nutrition. I have opened a new discussion about that in the nutrition section.

BulliesofNC

Attached is a good read on the benefits of NuVet.

philsergeant

@Djammy.... You know I have only now seen your comment of July16th, because Steve posted the NuVet thing.... So sorry...Our kids are doing totally great, thanx...... the only bumps are on Marco's head, between the ears and there are always two or three, that's it, when the two go, three more start... it's strange... Otherwise their coats are fab!  I can't say I can nail it down to one single thing.. so it must be a combination of all the efforts.... I can say that I am sold on this Pure Vita food... it's terrific and I think it's a big contributor.  I am not a "product pusher" and I know the shyte is expensive... but, I guess there's a reason.

Djammy

@philsergeant, never mind. I kept track of your posts in this and other discussions and already figured out that things have developed great! I'm happy for you!

I am still working on Djamila's "issues" - putting this in quotes, because at no point we did or do have really serious problems so far. Everything has been very manageable with the measures I take. *Keeping my fingers crossed*

Only I know, that her nails and one or two tiny spots she has on her ears and nose are sign of something underlying. It may be something I will never be able to exactly narrow down to the cause. But so far my options are not completely exhausted. And I will continue to explore it a little bit further, before I give in and just keep it under control. I don’t want to make her my “Guinea pig”. But it would make me really happy, if our measures resulted in showing that she can be 100% free of problems caused by microorganisms.
It is not easy in Florida. There are so many things to consider especially in the hot regions. And BOY is this summer HOT! But, who am I telling this, you know exactly.

Djamila is very happy, agile and has a wonderful, shiny and dense coat, even though she is taking daily swims with her ball in the - chlorinated - pool. She loves it so much and is desperately waiting every day for her - and our - pool break (we don’t leave her there unattended).
Like you I also notice a bump here and there occasionally, but that doesn't bother me too much, because, you know, teenagers, they do get pimples .. so what

We have now switched her to 100% raw. I have to say, it’s not easy to find everything for the dog at affordable prices in our area. But we’ve figured it out. Our first batch for one month took us some hours to make and it was laborious even with the Weston Grinder we have bought.
It is very rewarding to see how much she likes her new food, though.
That makes all the efforts of information gathering and and getting the right ingredients and tools worthwhile. Formerly she had sometimes left the kibble part of her previous 50% Darwin raw and 50% Blue Wilderness kibble “for later” in her bowl.
Not happening anymore. Give her a few minutes and her bowl is clean and shines like it just came out of the dish washer!  

I had thought about mixing in some kibble for the first few days to make it a slow transition to completely raw. But we could not resist and gave her the first serving right away for dinner after we had made it. Her stools went fluid for that evening. I though I’d give it another shot in the morning and if the stools stay soft, proceed as planned with the kibble.
No need for that, from the next day on her stools went firm and tiny. SO tiny compared to feeding kibble! Almost like everything in the food gets digested and used by the body right away, hardly anything left over to decompose.
I am feeling a little awkward right now, talking so much about dog stools. But it really IS noteworthy. Such a difference.
I also notice her drink a lot less since she is not eating kibble any longer.
 
To be safe, I still provide her with plenty of water and leave the choice to her.
We’re keeping a double focussed eye now on keeping her Calcium-Phosphorus ratio balanced and getting her all the supplements she needs.
I hope within the next weeks or months we’ll be lucky enough to maybe watch some effect on her yeast levels. With the kibble eliminated she is eating only about 20-25% carbohydrates now. I really hope that this is capable of making any difference.
I also derived my own very simple doggie cookie recipe from one I have found on the internet - with coconut flour and carrots. Very nice! These are the only treats she gets now besides frozen green beans and pure carrots for training. She loves the cookies and I love them too, because I know what’s in them and more importantly whats NOT in them (no processed sugars, no ingredients with excessive amounts of sugar or other carbs, no gluten, soy, grains, corn, chicken or excessive amounts of fat and not so many calories)
They smell and taste yummy, I tried them myself. Even without sugar I can understand why she likes them

So, I am pretty happy about how things are working out at the moment. Hope it’s getting even better from here.
I’ll report back on how everything develops.
Cya around!

philsergeant

I read every word of your posts, but don't mind admitting that there's one sentence in this last post that kinda eclipses the rest, (not that that is possible but still)  THOSE COOKIES SOUND AWESOME!!!!! Surely there has to be some amount of money that would encourage you, if not compel you, to ship a bag of them for my poor little, under-nourished, totally-ignored and un-loved children?????
(
So glad Djamila is doing well,... wouldn't it be great if we could get our kids to meet up some time... there are so few Bullies in FL!!!

Djammy

@philsergeant,
it’s already on my list: If we ever get the chance to go to the East coast together with Djamila, I will send you a message before we go. Maybe we’re lucky.
Usually when we go East, its for diving. Although Djamila swims like a fish meanwhile, she’s still a less than mediocre diver.
But I’ve not given up hope so far of making a trip over to the other coast together. The upcoming season with less of the hot weather at least makes such trips with her more likely.

We are really looking forward to the summer heat releasing its tight grip and feeling the first autumn breeze. I think fall and spring are really the most beautiful seasons here in Florida.

Right now we’re really excited, because we’ve just booked our first “vacation” together with doggie.
Actually, it’s only going to be a few days off. But we will be staying together with Djamila at the Ft. Desoto Camp Site in November. And we’re really excited to watch her frolic at the dog beach and spend some real “us time” together.
Maybe, if we’re lucky, we’ll also get the chance to meet a playmate for her there.

My husband made his unmatched homemade burgers tonight. Yes, we’re “abusing” the doggie meat grinder for our own indulgence, and we don’t deny it!
It’s a great day. Djamila thinks so, too. Because right now the Dehydrator is running, producing some yummy pure meat jerky treats for her from the raw meat leftovers. Hope, they’re turning out good, because I could not manage to remove all of the fat. Jerky usually requires very lean meat.


As for the cookies:
Until I get the chance to bring some over myself, I don’t demand a bribe in exchange for the recipe. It’s pretty easy and you can have it right now.
You just have to walk through another loooong Djammy-post again

I’ll also attach a photo. They look big in the picture, but I actually only make them the size of a Quarter and often even only feed one half at once.

Ok, here’s what you need for a small batch:
(I have divided my original recipe by four, because the first try worked out to bring a huge batch of dough. I have not baked it all, the rest is waiting in the freezer until my first round is gone).

• 1/2 lb Carrots

• 1/4 bag (= 4 oz = 1/4 lb) Bob's Red Mill organic Coconut Flour or another brand

• 2 Eggs

• 1 small, flat tsp. of unsalted Peanut Butter
(that’s just for the flavor, you can also skip it. If you are after the beta carotene/ vitamin A in the carrots, there should be enough fat in the coconut flour and eggs to help absorbing the beta carotene)

• A hint of Cinnamon

• 1/2 - 1 cup of water

This should make at least 6 oz of mini cookies.

Coconut flour is available at your local grocery store. It is not only a grain free flour alternative, it smells sooo good!
I have also washed, pulverized and added the egg shells to my cookie dough for an extra boost of Calcium (that's the white pieces you see in the photograph). But it’s not necessary to do that regarding the flavor.

How to:
Wash and cut the carrots into 2 inch pieces and boil or steam them in a small amount of water for 15-25 minutes al dente.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Crush and mush the cooked carrots and mix them with the peanut butter, cinnamon and eggs (as well as the pulverized egg shells, if you want).
Now add the coconut flour and work it into your dough, also slowly adding your water in several steps and knead your dough to a soft, but non-sticky texture.
If you feel your dough is too moist and sticky, work in some more of the coconut flour. If you feel the dough is too dry and falling apart, work in some more water.
Your dough will not end up in an elastic, bubble gum like texture, rather stay kind of brittle.
You should, however, be able to form a roll in diameter of a Quarter, cut it into 1/4 inch thick pieces and place your mini cookies on a nonstick (!) baking pad. They will not expand during baking, so you can really use your available space.
Bake your cookies for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven at 350 degrees. You will be amazed how good they smell! And if you like, you can try one either.

The next step is optional and depends on your own preferences:
If you want the cookies rather crispy, take the following steps. If you like a little moisture left in them, just let them cool off and then pack them.
To really dry them (which I did) after 30 minutes of baking in the oven, either move them into your dehydrator for another 3-4 hours or leave them in your oven at only 100-140 degrees until you feel they are “dry”. Make sure they do not burn. Your resulting homemade dog treats are very light and porous.

If you have picky eaters, you can try replacing the water with homemade unsalted - and onion free!!!! - chicken or beef broth to spice things up.

The cookies hold together fairly well and should not produce too many crumbles. I store them in a sealable plastic bag at room temperature in a dry place.

10 of my mini cookies have about 100 kcal. That makes only 10 calories per cookie.

As they are plant based, their carbohydrate content is still pretty high (>50%), which puts them behind homemade lean, pure meat treats. So does the fat content of 20%. But as they are treats - meaning that they are not intended to substitute the regular diet - the amount of carbohydrates and fat does not play such a huge role. Also these values can absolutely compete with commercially produced cookie treats.
When it comes to treats in general I only feed 2-3 pieces to Djamila per day.

If you’re trying the recipe, let me know, how your furry guys like the cookies!

BulliesofNC

I'm making me some of these!!!!!   \m/

jcurtis

Oh guys discussion about red bumps bullies can be sensitive to the pollen of grass and the taller it gets it can break a dog ou . I'll try to find it again and share the link

jcurtis

Hey guys THOUGHT ID SHARE MY DAD SAID ON PHONE LAST NIGHT HOW DID I KNOW ALL THIS ABOUT YEAST INFECTIONS ETC......WAIT TILL I SHOW HIM MY BULLIE GROUP. Thank you all for UR findings and posting them. My vet bills have been IMSANE but I don't have to pay them dad does cause miss was a gift. So that's a plus and at first I freaked and now she's suffering from yeast after antibiotics she had CLAVOMAX for the yeast so we will see. IM N PROCESS OF GETTING THE NUVET and acv and virgin coconut oil. THANKS A BUNCH.

AprilSpies

The pictures above look like solar dermatitis, I'm wondering if you notice more of the redness, bumps, and hair loss on non-pigmented areas. My dog has problems on his nose mostly, and it was worse when he was younger as he spent alot of time in the sun. He is mostly indoors now with us. I wonder if there is a sunblock for dogs, it's usually white short coated breeds that are affected. Maybe zinc would work? It might be worth a try to limit the time outside when uv rays are the highest and see if the skin improves.

DaveODonnell

About the RAW. Been working with it for 4-5yrs. What I do now is beef kielbasa (mix of organ and other meats). Only feed 1/day, but do give evening treat (biscuit) after they go out. Its easy. Not all my dogs agreed with chicken... Feed an eeg with shell about 1/wk for calcium. Dogs are Very happy. No issues other than ear yeast , dogs have been long lived.