Skin problems!

Lucythebull

First off i am new to this site and really enjoy feedback, specially about my baby. Lucy is a mini bull terrier, she is a 1.5 year old girl living in California. We have gone to many vets and they have all told us theres nothing wrong or nothing they can do about a few issues she has. first would be her skin issues. All around her vaginal area she gets like a black fungus, she also has some red patches in between her toes. The latest vet prescribed Quadritop Ointment for her to use  BID which we have tried. the ointment helps but the nasty black always comes back. Her second issue is her bowels. If we ever stray from her food, even just one treat, she will have problems holding her poop in. She can be sitting on the couch and stand up and theres a nugget on the couch. She used to be on the bed until we got tired of waking up after rolling in poop that we got her a dog bed. The only thing she can EVER eat is her own dog food or string cheese that we have been using as treats since thats all she can have. I am tired of not being able to let her enjoy a treat here in there in fear that she will have problems with her bowels. She also has a dirty butt every she eats another dogs treats or food. Its hard taking her to daycare because every time she goes she ends up getting a treat and messes her up for about a week. I attached some pictures of her vaginal area where she is having the skin issues. These come and go but never seem to really disappear. I just want to be able to feed Lucy a treat here and there and I want that nasty black stuff to disappear. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to help her? I know there are people here with far more experience that I have so I value your opinions. I was thinking about starting her on supplements and probiotics but I have no idea what would be the best option for her. I have been reading that peroxide/acv can help her paws. 

Quinnofhearts

I can pipe up about some of this...

As for the discoloration between the toes, looks like a yeast infection. There are great threads in this forum already about yeast infections and treatment options, but just to keep it short, we did medicated wipes until they were gone and then started on coconut oil daily. Haven't had problems with yeast on the toes/feet since.

As for the area around her vulva -- When she is standing with normal posture, can you see her vulva? If so, how much of it? My dog has what is called a "tucked" or recessed vulva, meaning that when she is standing I cannot see any of it, or just the tip. Due to this she often has problems with chronic UTIs from bacteria buildup around her parts. If you head to the vet, ask for some antibiotics to treat it or suggest they check out a urine sample to see if she has one at all. Antibiotics clear up my dog's brownness back there every single time. However, because I can't afford to keep her on medication (and that's a little unrealistic) I have just bought some baby wipes (unscented) and I wipe her down each day. She's not too fond of this process...but hey, you do weird stuff for your kids....

Edit: If she does have a tucked vulva, the moisture kept back there can contribute to yeast infections back there, and that may also be a possible cause of the brownness.

Can't give any advice on the bowel movements though. :-/

BulliesofNC

Welcome to the forum LucytheBull! Your Bullie looks gorgeous! Quinnofhearts provided some very good advice and I've have to concur with there being a yeast problem. Yeast affects all warm areas of the body especially the feet and ears but the genital areas are another area that can show signs.

What food due you have her on? I'm thinking this is contributed by her diet alone. It's no secret that white Bull Terriers have more difficulty with allergies then colored Bull Terriers and extra measures need to be implemented in order to keep them looking good. 

I would highly recommend that you put her on a high quality grain free food and provide her with a supplement that would boost her immune system. Here's my recommendations that I swear by due to having many Bull Terriers in which I'm able to maintain without allergy problems or yeast buildup - http://bulliesofnc.com/bull-terrier-nutrition/

As Quinnofhearts mentioned there are several discussions about this very subject that will provide you with a plethora of information but to cut it short I'd zone in on proper nutrition and adding a supplement to her daily diet.

Djammy

Djamila has the same areas affected.

I am not trying to discourage you here. I just want to say that the treatment can be a very tedious process. 

But that is in no way a reason to give up.

When you're not dealing with an urgent situation, many things you can do are longterm and it may be the case that initially they help without you even noticing.

I have tried all kinds of remedies for months.

We even make our own raw food to have absolute control over ingredients. My dog loves it!

Same goes for treats: No commercial products, only pieces of carrots and frozen beans as well as some baked ones I produce myself.

My dog doesn’t have bowel issues.

So, I don’t know if this would be able to help with the bowel problems ... but I have published the recipe for my homemade treats in my Blog. If you want, take a look at it and see, if the ingredients could be an option for your dog:

http://www.bullterrierfun.com/homemade-dog-treats-carrot-coconut-mini-cookies/

You could also try to make your own beef jerky treats:

http://www.bullterrierfun.com/homemade-dog-jerky-treats-recipe/

Making the treats yourself always gives you exact control over what’s in it. So if it doesn’t work, you also know exactly which ingredients to avoid - no dealing with an entire list of ingredients, byproducts, preservatives etc. that could be the culprit, like you have in commercial products.
Only a straightforward and manageable amount of ingredients.

Djamila also gets salmon oil, yogurt and a nutritional supplement.

No excessive sugars, no grains.

Be aware when you try to choose a probiotic. Many products for humans and animals also contain so-called "prebiotics" that are actually suspected to even promote yeast growth in the body! Read into this topic on the internet, before you make your choice or, again, just give yogurt instead if your dog tolerates that.

Yogurt also contains probiotics and is said to be able to aid digestion and balance the gut flora.

I bathe Djamila once every 7-14 days, use stuff like ACV and Chlorhexidine etc. mainly for disinfection especially in the brown areas and keep skin folds and the space between her toes dry.
I also keep a close eye on those areas and watch over how much she is scratching herself.

I spare you the list all of the ointments, washes, sprays, foods etc. I've tried so far.

You’ll find a lot info in the different threads here.

Just put “yeast” into the search field and be amazed.

Bottom line for me: So far NO remedy I have tried was able to completely clear the yeast up in my dog. It seems to me that there is some systemic cause underlying I was not able to really target so far by nutrition or my other measures. Systemic, because she is showing different “issues” in different areas of her body.

However, on the bright side I feel like everything I do helps to keep it under control and prevents itch or infection. And it prevents the yeast from thriving, which is the most important part for me!

The spots are there, but they don’t cause problems.

That helps me to spare her oral antibiotics or other medication that could start unfortunate cycles of infection - treatment - lowered immune response caused by oral treatment - new infection - treatment …etc…

She is doing really good. Energetic, not itchy and in good shape. So, I have started to worry less.

My last dog had to deal with really serious skin issues … which kind of turned me into a nervous nag regarding skin problems.

Somehow I feel this could be similar to your situation. Your description doesn't sound like you're dealing with urgent problems right now. But you seem to notice something’s there and you want to gain control over it.

The answers of the vets you've consulted may not have been satisfying. But at least they were not alarmed by the situation of your dog. That's probably because they see a lot of dogs - not only Bull Terriers - living with such conditions without them ever becoming a real problem.

I don’t know what it is - genetics, environment, something else….

But what I know is this: Diet and remedies may not necessarily work the miracles we wish for when we look at them through aesthetical glasses.

BUT almost every measure, and especially nutrition, helps to keep yeast, itch and other issues under control in the long run.

And that IS real good news! Because there is a lot we CAN do!

So, don’t be sad and don’t give up, even if your dog may turn out to be one of those cases that are hard to completely clear up.

Just concentrate on keeping the yeast under control then. Establish a schedule for all the things you do to keep control - and stick to it. Make it part of your daily life like the brushing of your teeth or fixing breakfast for the kids.

It’s the best you can do for your dog.

Bull Terriers DO have skin issues - for different reasons and in different stages.
But as long as it’s only about keeping an eye on them and wipe a paw here and there, you’re still on the safe path.

At least that is what my knowledge and experience so far tells me until today.

Lucythebull

 Thank you so much everyone! I appreciate the responses and advice. I'm going to try some of the suggestions and see how Lucy does. She is such a lover and a trooper in this whole process! Thanks again! 

bigbear1tracey

Hi Lucy my sophie has had skin problems and my puppy had mange when I bought him I tryed a few things which just cause more problems and didn't clear mange or stop itching I did some research and found some drops that can be used for lots of skin problems stop itching spots sores in called denes sulphur u put the recommended about into food it cleared up mange all my puppy fur grew back stopped itching in a couple of days scrapping come back clear of mange also helping my EBT skin to I also researched into orangic coconut oil it's un believe able the things it helps with immune system bowls skin gut fun gle and loads more I give to my pup to eat and rub into her skin it has fantastic results for animals and human just make sure it's raw compressed orangic for me the coconut and denes sulphur has been a god send for my dogs and all natural no horrible chemicals good luck and I hope your bully gets sorted x

philsergeant

That sounds like interesting stuff... Can you give us all more info, like a photo of the bottle?

bigbear1tracey

Hi Phil posting a couple of photos

bigbear1tracey

And another .

alexa

Oi, can't tell you how long I've spent on here reading up about yeast.
Maya has two little spots on the top of her head, sores that just won't heal. Thought they were play wounds from daycare, but they've been there too long. Gets little bumps on her nose as well. I've tried everything but the ACV and Coconut Oil ..will have to give those a try. The vet is quite useless in this situation, told me to put antibiotic on it and it will heal right up :-q

alexa

Meant to add a thank you to that post, for all the information you guys have provided
:x

bigbear1tracey

Alexa my dog who passed had a wound on his head that he got from sophie as time went on it got bigger and bigger where he would scratch his head a constantly knock the scab off it got infected really bad the scab would be leak with puss so I got him a e collar and bathed his head 4 times a day in salt water I'd have it quite warm not luke warm a bit hotter but not to hot soak the cotton wall in the salty water and squeeze the salt solution all over the scab and dab it in days the puss stopped and it all healed I kept doing this for a good week and kept the collar on till the scab ccompletely healed and fell off on its own as he would have attacked it again by s catching it .Sometimes vets just want to make money .

bigbear1tracey

Also chaos fur has completed grown back no sores just think healthy fur cured by denes sulphur and coconut oi .

alexa

Thanks for that. I need to keep her home from daycare for a few days, too much playing and the scab gets scratched off..but it is slowly healing now.

I attached a picture of it...and her poor feet. I bought some wipes that will hopefully be helpful, as well as ACV. Her nose sores are clearing up as well, just got that one left.

bigbear1tracey

Sophie had the same on her paws which was made worse again my licking and got infection with puss because she would not stop licking sane again the collar came out bowl of salt Walter and would hold her feet in the bowl a few min at a time time a day just dab in between the toes dry after and it all healed up I'm sure your bully is licking them too definitely as it's any dogs reaction invest in a collar as it will make them worse .

philsergeant

@Alexa, what food is she on?

alexa

@philsergeant she is currently on TOTW Pacific Stream (has been since I got her). I just bought some Orijen online though, a $15 bag to try it out.

philsergeant

Yes, I thought as much... get her off TOTW onto Orijen or Pure Vita and the red between her feet will disappear.

alexa

Was surprised by the $$, but if it works then it's worth it!

philsergeant

I know... It's painful ... Especially when you have more than one Bullie.... $2.00 a pound, .. As much as raw, good chicken.... But if it's good they know they can charge for it, most of the junk you fnd at Petsmart ( although it's cheaper) is paying more for the packaging and advertising, so you only get $0.20 per pound real nutritional value... Bullies, unfortunately, are a breed that need good sustinance ....try adding cooked chicken hearts and occasionally chicken or beef livers .. That stuff is good for them and you get closer to $1.50 a pound... Veggies, $1.25 per pound.

alexa

Where does one buy chicken hearts or livers? Is that something you can get online?

philsergeant

I get them from Publix, Walmart, K-Mart, any grocery store.

alexa

Oh okay good to know, thank you!

rosexoxo

Hello im new to this site my dog rose has lumps on her legs I took her to the vet he said it was common in bull terriers he removed a few it was expensive as you can imagine but he said they could grow back anytime she still has a good few on her. also her nose area is pink/red with small bumps on it and her skin is dry her eyes also get sticky. the tried creams tablets wash stuff I cant seem to clear it sometimes it will look a small bit better but it always comes back. ive heard oatmeal dog shampoo is very good has anyone tried this??

bigbear1tracey

I've not tried it myself yet but I have read reviews on oatmeal shampoo and they r all good as I'm looking to order some .

philsergeant

Hi Rosexoxo, (Had to type that three times)... WELCOME!! Please post photos of the bumps and tell us all about her, how old, what does she eat, everything you can... I am sure we can help you and instead of paying the vet an arm and a leg, all you need to do is post photos and stories frequently (otherwise we cut you off ) ))

alexa

Not really related to her skin issues but her daycare mentioned she'd been limping. I didn't notice anything at home so I figured she was just playing hard. A few days ago I did notice it at home and finally today took her to the 24 hour vet today, because she seemed in pain.
In examining her leg he mentioned the discoloration between the toes. He then pressed in between and she growled like I've never heard before! Woah mama.
I'm actually there now, surfing the web because they've got her in the back...he's looking for a puncture or bee sting...something.
He mentioned it could also be some form of dermatitis/rash. I'm thinking that's it...anyone else ever seen this happen?

alexa

They're putting her on antibiotics...told me to soak daily in Epsom salt. Orijen food showed up today as well. I'm hoping all these will combine to getting some healthy paws!

philsergeant

If it was just one foot /toe, she could have bruised it, twisted it, caught a nail in something ( that's the problem with day care, you don't really know what happened) but if it's still tender that's a good thing, means it will go away... The Epsom salt bath is a good idea, but it won't remove the redness long term, you have to eliminate the yeast.
P.S. Watch out for antibiotic reaction, Bullies can have them, keep an eye on red tummy or ears.

Quinnofhearts

alexa, it's a good start to get her off TotW. Bullies are prone to skin issues and a good diet is essential to their well being. You get what you pay for with those lower priced foods. I don't think TotW is a *bad* food per se, but after switching my dog from TotW to Acana I noticed a huge difference, inside and out. If it is a yeast infection (red paws usually signal yeast and/or allergies) I would stay away from the oatmeal shampoos. Oatmeal shampoos can sometimes make yeast problems worse. Also make sure your dog stays dry, no dampness between the toes from potty breaks. And don't let your vet talk you into steroids.

Not sure what the lumps could be if the vet is actually removing them...skin tags aren't caused by allergies I don't believe. Pictures would be good, if only so we can see how cute your dog is.

Poor girl, who knows what happened at daycare. My dog would sometimes limp from extreme playtimes, I believe maybe it was just a sprain or sore muscles in each case. No lasting damage it seems. We have a lot of trouble with broken/torn nails, but that is a bit more obvious. My dog also managed to step on a bee once...she was limping, and when I got her back home I actually saw the stinger and had to pull it out. She was miraculously cured after that. (silly dogs)
Anyway, I hope you can figure out a solution to get those paws pretty and the dog happy!!

alexa

Thanks for the info.
Yeah, daycare is a blessing and a curse sometimes. Mostly a blessing though, I've watched her and she has a great time. It's starting to get very hot here in CA, so they're bringing out the pools ...they have so much fun in those.

bigbear1tracey

Right I have to be totally honest I've never heard of doggy day care how stupid am I never knew such places existed lol I've just Googled if for my area in the uk and there's bloody tons of them and seen some on utube they look like so much fun for the dogs I know my old dog Lucy would be a no go she would break out and rum home chaos also would be a no go cause he's would have heart failure being away from me my friend can't even hold him so I can go in a shop he's goes demented but sophie would love it if need be what a fab idea .

alexa

Haha. 

I was worried at first because Maya plays so hard, I thought she would get kicked out. But the employees love her and say she has matured, knows who she can play rough with and who will bite her nose off Some people laugh when I tell them, but I could never leave her alone at home all day...too sad.

bigbear1tracey

I think it's brilliant I'd imagine it's something u looked into big time making sure u know they going to look after your baby I think I'd be a nervous reckon as no one has ever looked after my dogs and ever since I lost my staffy 2 months ago I've become so protective of my baby's if I've needed to go out do anything I'd go now I won't leave them they go everywhere with me apart from shops I'm afraid they to big to put in my hand bag lol .

TucoTheBullie

Hi all I'm new on here! I got rescued a bullie yesterday who has some very bad skin problems, so I'm going to try out a meat and rice diet with added vitamin E and coconut oil! Would this be a good combination do you think?!

bigbear1tracey

Hello @TucoTheBullie I can say most of us have our bullys on a grain free diet if u r going to use to use raw meat into your dogs diet and he's not had it before I think u have to do it gradually but one of the other members will give u more advise on the raw diet introduce the coconut oil gradually to I use this daily and they love it also can be rubbed into skin I hope u will be very happy with your bully and welcome u will get lots of good advise of people who r totally dedicated to this beautiful breed our bullys .

Hi from sophie

TucoTheBullie

@bigbear1tracey thanks for the welcome all advice will be greatly received as tuco is my first bully! Your dog is stunning tuco is also a pure white! Would upload a pic however it won't seem to let me! He has been on a raw diet for some time now as that's what his previous owner had him on, however his treatment for the skin problems I don't think are right and I'm going to try something new as the

TucoTheBullie

Posted by mistake and not sure how to edit so........ Old solution is clearly not working for him fingers crossed time will tell he is a beautiful boy just need to help sort his coat out as he has some very large bald patches on his rear legs

Roman

As far as i know the coconut will help plus salmon oil added to his food as was also stated before bullies tend not to do so well on grains but if he is already a raw feeder that should be ok how old is he and what is his diet like

TucoTheBullie

He is 2 an in perfect shape/size his only problem is like i say his skin! You think not to give him the rice then? If not what shall I replace it with? The last guy was spraying his skin with a bolax/hydrogen peroxide mix?! Like I say none of this can be working for tuco as his skins really bad hence why I changed it.

philsergeant

@Tuco.... Welcome and good on you for entering the wonderful world of BULLIE Ownership. The supplements ( salmon/ coconut oil/ etc.) will help but you must first wean him on to a good grain free kibble ( there are lots of strings here that talk about finding the best GF for your bullie... I find PureVita great but other use different brands just as good) ... Then adding raw as you can gradually... And I wouldn't use rice, but add veggies, raw eggs , things like that. Also second step is regular bathing, once a week at least with good medicated wash... We use Etiderm shampoo. But you will find tons of advise here, just do a search on "skin"

TucoTheBullie

@philsergeant thank you he's settling in just fine his character is coming out! Great dog glad to be his owner, I will certainly look at the threads about the grain free kibbles and try him on one meats are not an issue as I'm a chef and there is

TucoTheBullie

Plenty available, I have bathed him just yesterday with a medicated shampoo, he had lots of yellow staining (which has nearly all washed out) around his back end which I'm assuming means he was not looked after well at all! Also bought him new bedding so he's got a clean fresh start!

TucoTheBullie

TucoTheBullie

Here are the bald patches I'm talking about they also look sore........

tuco88

Holy cow, another Bully named Tuco! What are the odds? Welcome to the forum TucoTheBullie. On this forum I found out about using bag balm on sores, cuts, scrapes, and other skin conditions. You can find bag balm at your local drug store.

TucoTheBullie

Haha the odds cannot be very big on that name! Not sure what bag balm is ill research it now thanks

bigbear1tracey

Bloody hell what a poor boy he looks very sore if he had yellow staining around he's back end that says he's been left to lay in his own urine or mess to me no other reason for that I'm angered to see this beautiful boy in such a way thank god u have him because he was clearly not looked after by who ever had him first big hugs for tuco.

bigbear1tracey

Just looked at the photo again he must be in agony with that I'm so upset for him is he constantly licking at this if so I would get him a cone collar because it won't heal if he is and it will become even worse I'm so happy he's away from the other people I'd ring there bloody neck .

TucoTheBullie

He's in no pain or discomfort that I know of! No constant licking or scratching! I thought the same thing about the yellow staining! He's not a dirty dog no accidents in my place except one spray however is expect that from a male in a new place! He came with a crate I'd say he spent most his time in there! Since he came to me he hasn't been in there as I see no need for him to be in there, he is very stubborn but that's in their nature and I expected him to test the water to see what he can and can't do! He's currently cuddled up with me such a loving boy!

bigbear1tracey

I'm glad he's not bothered by it well that says it all left in a crate all the time in his own mess I'm so pleased he's having cuddles and looks so content why do people have any animal if they not going to treat them right I was in bed and had to get up as it really upsets me when animals r not cared for I hope u all have a wonderful life together now tuco can finally have some happiness .