9 month old white BT breaking out

stancypants

hello all, my 9 month old bull terrier just started having allergic reactions in the past week and i cant figure out what is causing it. He has been on TOTW Pacific Stream since he was a puppy and now he is starting to get these massive whelps all over and he is very itchy. ill give him a benadryl and they will go away for a short time then come back. Could it be his food ? any advice im going crazy trying to figure out what is causing it but the only thing i can think of would be his food. any help would great.

BulliesofNC

TOTW is a great food but it every dog reacts differently to specific foods. He may have been doing great on TOTW but as he matured developed allergies to certain ingredients within it. It wouldn't hurt to see how he does on an alternate food. It's been a long while since I've used TOTW but I'm not knocking it because I know others love it and their bullies do great with it. I prefer Victor because I have yet to find any Bull Terrier that reacts to it in a negative way and it actually has a much better nutritional value.

I would also suggest providing him a good supplement that can boost his immune system which will always be the key to keeping a Bull Terrier strong, healthy, and resilient from ailments which should never pose a problem for them. Sadly, once the immune system drops almost anything can cause problems that should have never became a problem to begin with. Many time when skin issues erupt people immediately jump to blaming the food, shampoos, pollen or outside elements, chemical, etc. It can be a guessing game for months and sometimes years but you may success in boosting his immune system to the point where you don't have to worry so much about food types, ingredients, bug bites, etc because they will have little effect on you Bullie unless your Bull Terrier has a serious allergy towards something specific. based on how long your Bullie has been on TOTW I don't see being allergic to something in the food but over time and a drop in his immune system that may have come from stress of some sort he just be becoming less tolerable to the food.

Switch food, provide him some extra exercise, and get him on a good supplement.
 

Djammy

I agree to the things Steve said. Btw. @Steve, I have eventually made the switch to Victor and I am super happy with the food. It is not only a great substitution for Merrick, it seems to be even better!

I may repeat one or the other of the things, steve already said, because I was typing the following while he answered.

The dog is looking bad right now - Did you go have him checked at the vet’s already?
If so, did he prescribe anything?
If not, I would have him checked and discuss ALL options - also the ones besides antibiotics and steroids for now, IF it is still possible to go without them.

Benadryl, however, is only an itch reliever. It does NOTHING to SOLVE the problem and does not even reliably work in every dog.
So, if the bumps disappear during giving Benadryl, that’s probably only a short term effect and will probably only last as long as you give the medication, if at all.

I am going to copy a few things below, I have written here before.

But first of all: There is NO way to just GUESS what this can be.

Bumps can be caused by so many different triggers: Food, cleaners, environment, microorganisms, bugs, poisonous plants … the list goes on.

VERY IMPORTANT, before everything else - just as Steve mentioned:
Our health literally strives or suffers through our guts. The same is true for our pets. If the nutrition is balanced, skin problems can still occur, but the body will be far better able to fight them on its own and supporting medical measures have a far better chance to help quickly.

If he is not getting it already, just as Steve I’d strongly recommend adding supplements to boost a strong immune response, such as Salmon oil, NuVet and yoghurt (if he tolerated dairy products).

ALSO VERY IMPORTANT: Keep the patches disinfected, clean and dry to prevent secondary infections. Because once that happens, it will put a lot more stress on the immune system and antibiotics/ steroids may be the only option left.
Also make sure his favorite places are also clean and dry at all times. If you suspect detergent as the trigger, use something mild like this especially formulated for pets
http://www.amazon.com/Natures-Miracle-Remover-32-Ounce-Bottle/dp/B0002ASLMW/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1437492944&sr=1-1&keywords=dog+cleaner
or even just water to frequently wash his blankets and clean his places etc.

To find the trigger you should really consider and evaluate what happened before the first breakout, things you have changed lately … even cleaners, ne toys, blankets, new treats, food leftovers you may be feeding - EVERYTHING!
And be prepared that the search can take a while and require some trial and error.

Make sure the food you feed and whatever you may switch to is grain-free.
Grains do not necessarily trigger allergies, but experience has shown that grain-free foods are usually much better tolerated and more gentle on the dog's guts.

There is a chance that your dog could be reacting to a ingredient in his food, even though you have fed it for a while.
Sometimes allergies kind of “boil underneath” and the body is able to deal with them for a while until the immune system no longer manages to keep up. That's also why strengthening the immune system is so important.
In case you have reason to believe nutrition could be a trigger, a food switch could help. Because it can be main ingredients as well as additives, a RAW diet with limited ingredients is the best way to rule triggers out.
But you will have to give things some time.
Even if a food switch resolves the situation, it will not happen over night.

If you live in a warm climate, heat and humidity in the summer are a factor that doesn’t exactly help when rashes occur. Neither are the different ants, bugs, mosquitoes, fleas etc.
Make sure you have your dog on good flea, tick and worm control. Because these are all factors that can contribute to skin ailments (flea bite allergies e.g. or intestines weakened by worms).

It may take a while to get to the core of the problem. But until then topical disinfectants such as ointments, wipes, washes, shampoos etc. are very useful help to at least manage the symptoms.
You can also try things like Epsom Salt soaks for example (note: stings in open wounds in higher concentrations, so not too much of it).
Also something to spray on, such as SynergyLabs Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Antiseptic & Antifungal Spray for Dogs and Cats may help to keep the disinfecting effect up a little longer than a rinse
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037Z6VLM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

As long as you have not found the cause it’s very important to continue with the comparatively mild home remedies, such as keeping everything clean and disinfected and examining your dog frequently for bumps or yeasty spots, smelling the paws and watch for excessive itching.

These can all be signs before you even notice a breakout.

Even if no symptoms are present, I bathe my dog Djamila 2-4 times a month during summer - using something disinfecting every time and change her bedding frequently. Because especially in the summer months I usually notice some yeasty buildup between her toes, on belly and in other spots.
Only use shampoos, conditioners and medicated shampoos that are formulated for dogs, because products for humans have the wrong ph, can additionally dry out the skin and make problems even worse.

If things develop into to unnoticed sores opened from scratching and then inflamed by infection that will only lead to another round of antibiotics. So it’s important to avoid it coming to that point, if in any way possible. If only relying on antibiotics and medicated shampoo once the rash is in full control, that can lead into an ongoing cycle of on-off antibiotics. They may help for the moment, but they still only fight symptoms and not the allergies (core problem) and they have rather harsh effects on the entire health in the long run, because of stressing the guts, resistances etc.

stancypants

@BulliesofNC and @Djammy thank yall ! I did have him on NuVet for a couple months and just ran out and havent gotten any more in yet, so that could be the issue. Just ordered some more so hopefully that helps and ill try Victor also to see if that helps. 

stancypants

@BulliesofNC and @Djammy which Victor food do yall recommend ? found a place near by that sells it 

Djammy

I am currently feeding this and am happy to even have found it at a local retailer, and not only on the internet:

Victor Grain-Free Active Dog And Puppy

BulliesofNC

I don't think you could use a brand of Victor food that wouldn't be recommended. I usually use the "All Stages" but I switch types from time to time just to provide my bullies a new flavor.

stancypants

I got him the Yukon River he seems to like fish. ill check in and let you know how he is doing 

philsergeant

If he LIKES fish then he probably should be kept off it.  If you finding extreme allergies, which you apparently are, then I would make sure he ONLY has chicken and maybe rice. or find a kibble that has only chicken and no potato, no egg, no grain obviously, no red meat... Cut him back to real basics until his skin clears, stabilizes and settles and then and only then try other kibbles, slowly and see if he has a bad reaction.  But avoid all treats, snacks, chews... until all possible sources of the problem are eliminated.

ChicotheLandshark

Just had our first major breakout...within 30 minutes of feeding Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon and Potato in the blue bag. Not pretty...Back to the Natural Balance lamb and brown rice puppy formula for a week or so to stabilize. Then I will look into Victor. I haven't seen it in my area of Texas. He was SOOO swollen I had to take him to the vet. Pretty sure it was the food as it came on so quickly after eating it for the first time. It had chicken and egg in it. Honest mistake for Chico's Dad...

philsergeant

I amazed that some people report that they actually get away with giving their Bullies fish and potato... but they do... I keep mine away from fish, potato, red meat, and, naturally, grains.

BulliesofNC

My bullies would be pissed if they were no longer afforded the opportunity to eat red meat and fish.

philsergeant

Ah! But then, your Bullies are a LOT more resilient that the average Bullie!