Meet 9wk old June!
Hi!
My name is Jackie! I'm pleased to say myself and my boyfriend John are proud new owners of a beautiful female bull terrier we named June! She is a little ball of energy and the adjustment has been a little difficult I've been doing a ton of research but the biting hasn't let up even a little. Any advice? I would appreciate it! Thank you!
My name is Jackie! I'm pleased to say myself and my boyfriend John are proud new owners of a beautiful female bull terrier we named June! She is a little ball of energy and the adjustment has been a little difficult I've been doing a ton of research but the biting hasn't let up even a little. Any advice? I would appreciate it! Thank you!
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Comments
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
welcome to the community! Such a cutie you have there!
I have recently written a ton of posts for my blog on this issue. Although you have received great advice already here, you may find some more helpful input and ideas there.
Enough reading stuff for a looong no.2
If you can get a hold of it, pure aloe gel without preservatives works great (that's the stuff used by humans after getting sunburned). Make sure to put it on in thin layers so doggie doesn't lick it right off.
Too much aloe gel ingested by the dog can be harmful. Minimum amounts are tolerable.
Alternatively you can try to find a conditioner or wash with aloe - specifically formulated for dogs - and leave it on for about 10 minutes before rinsing it off.
If none of that is available, VIRGIN (!) - meaning unrefined - coconut oil is also an alternative to soothe irritated skin. You can even feed a teaspoon full of it a day to your dog for the health benefits.
To use the healing and soothing effect, apply very thin layers of the room temperature oil in a thorough rub. Make sure the layers are not too thick, however, because coconut oil also has a comedogenic effect and can clog pores.
Salmon oil is a very great moisturizer from the inside and aids the skin's ability to heal.
This is a useful option to introduce as a daily supplement within the next few weeks or so for longer lasting skin supporting effects from inside. Best idea to do this is after your pup has been housebroken and is stable on its food - no runny stools etc., because fish oil can promote soft or runny stools, which could make the potty training even harder.
But, if you've noticed the spots getting even worse, it's probably the best idea to not put anything on and see, if they vanish on their own. Because even the most mild remedies - one of which aloe is - bear a risk of being allergy triggers themselves.
Is she still being exposed to the environment that you are assuming to be the trigger of the rash?
If not, did you recently change anything else in your home or with her before the rash?
Food? Cleaners? Laundry detergent she could have gotten in contact with? Something like that or something outside, maybe a new potty route with different plants?
Try to systematically trace back anything that has changed or has recently been introduced and that she could have been in contact with or eaten.
If you are dealing with allergies here, the trigger is not known and she is still exposed to it on a daily basis, no aloe or any other home remedy can solve the problem.
Benadryl is the same story, it only treats symptoms. And it is working differently with every dog. Some do not respond to it at all.
There are recommendations for the dosage to be found online:
http://www.petmd.com/dog/care/can-i-give-my-dog-benadryl-and-if-so-how-much
But your puppy may still be too small to break a pill down into an appropriate dose. Also, especially in very young dogs, I would always use utmost caution with self-medication and rather ask the vet before. Such small bodies have lower error tolerances.
If nothing helps, it will probably be the best to see the vet with her before things go overboard.
Large rashes have a potential of getting get out of hand and being followed by secondary infection, which can also impact the entire body, if the dog is itchy, for example and licking or scratching a lot and the trigger is not removed.
I would make one switch after the other and leave some time in between to notice possible improvement.
Keep sore spots and scratches thoroughly disinfected (e.g. shampoo or solution with benzalkonium chloride or chlorhexidine) and her bedding superclean with a hypoallergenic detergent to avoid secondary infection.
If she is new on the food and the time frame suggests that could be the trigger, you could try and switch her food. In that case I would try other ingredients that the first few ones on the label (duck etc.). But that is still only trial and error.
I don't know the brand, but the info on dogfoodadvisor.com and the list of ingredients suggests that this is a food of solid quality.
I personally avoid to feed my dog foods with grains in general. Because while rarely the trigger itself, grains give the digestion of many dogs a hard time. The GI tract is the central of the body. If this central is struggling with things, healing processes can become slower and the immune system suppressed, leading to the body having a harder time to fight off ailments that would normally not be such a big deal.
Adding an immune boosting supplement is a very good idea - long term.
But keep in mind that even these things - although rare - can cause reactions.
Therefore, adding or switching only one thing at a time, if you need to find triggers through exclusion is vital. It's a different story, once you know the core of the problem.
In that case you could go full throttle with ALL of the good stuff and just avoid triggers.
If you don't suspect the food as the trigger, right now I don't see a reason to switch. Because she will be switched at some point anyway from the puppy food.
In case you really suspect all the grabbing as the cause, she should not stay at your husband's workplace for a few days to see, if that brings improvement.
Keep a close eye on the sore spots. And again, if you feel too confused and like the situation is getting out of hand, contact your vet. Sometimes the money for one exam is well spend to hear from an expert - who has actually SEEN the problem - that there is either no reason to worry or what you can do to help.
What we are increasingly doing here is merely fishing in a murky puddle. If it keeps getting worse, a vet should really take a look at it in person. Ideally BEFORE the situation reaches the point when nothing but antibiotics and steroids can bring relief. They are the worst for the body.