8-month-old's Stubborn Bald Spot

nelsonsmom

Hey everyone! I'm new to posting here, but not new to reading. I got my first bully pup, Nelson, last September; he'll be 8 months old on March 15. We've been dealing with a skin issue since mid-January. At first, it appeared as though he had a bruise on his lower back - it was black/dark under his fur, and pretty easily visible. I assumed that's all it was, because he often bumps into things when he's running around, or he'll take a spill on the hardwood when he doesn't slow down quick enough. But the "bruise" was there for weeks, and I began to wonder. One afternoon I took a closer look and realized that I could rub/scrape the black stuff off. It was like tiny bits of dirt. So I wiped it all off with a washcloth, which left his skin the normal shade of pink, with a slightly thinner amount of fur in the area.

Gradually, the spot lost the rest of its fur. The first thing I tried was "DerMagic Skin Rescue Lotion," which had minimal/no effect. I then then took him to the vet, who (after determining it wasn't ringworm) admitted he didn't know what was going on and prescribed some anti-inflammatory pills. I gave Nelson those for two days before stopping, as I didn't want to give him steroids if he didn't ABSOLUTELY need them. The vet also recommended I buy a medicated shampoo, so I got "Curaseb," which is supposed to help with bacterial/fungal/yeast issues. Hasn't made much of a difference. Most recently, I suspected that maybe he had Demodex mange, so I purchased a sulpher-based product called "NuStock," which, again, hasn't done anything to help his fur grow back. I also started giving him a melatonin tablet each night before bed in an effort to help stimulate the follicles.

The spot remains pretty unchanged, and in the last few weeks two other (much smaller; dime-sized) patches on either of his back legs have developed. None of them seem to be getting any bigger, which is a relief, but for the life of me I just can't figure out what's going on. Occasionally there have been more black specks appearing in his pores, which can be wiped/cleaned away. Occasionally there is some scaling skin. But most days recently, it's just looked like pretty normal pink skin.

He's had Victor Hi-Pro kibble since the beginning (the same his mom eats, recommended by the breeder), although it's not grain free. He eats that exclusively except for a can of Pedigree about every other weekend, just for his pleasure. I started him on NuPro supplements two weeks ago. I've considered taking him to the other vet in town, but they pretty much charge $70 just to walk in the door, and I really can't afford that right now if they're not going to have any better idea of what's going on than the first veterinarian did. I've already spent $200 on the first vet visit + self-diagnosing attempts. Suffice to say, I'm at a loss.

Attempting to include two photos below. One from January 24, the first day I applied the "DerMagic" lotion (which is why it looks greasy), and February 24, which is how it looks now (also visible is one of the other small patches on top of his thigh).

Does anyone have an idea of what this could be? I've searched through previous discussions, but at this point I'm curious to see what y'all might have to say about Nelson's specific issue. This is my last attempt to find an answer on my own before I break down and go to Vet #2. Thanks a lot.

nelsonsmom

A brief update to share this morning. I noticed last night while trying to clip Nelson's nails that his nail beds were a red/copper color. He loves to play in the dirt and I often can't see his nails much at all with the gunk that dries on them, so I'm not sure how recent this development is. In searching online for information, though, I read discolored nail beds are often an inflammatory response to a food allergy. Maybe his fur loss stems from allergies after all. (I'd been assuming it wasn't allergies since he's never been itchy, but I guess all dogs can display different symptoms?) In any case, I have nothing to lose, since all the other treatments I've tried have done no good. I bought a bag of grain free Victor this morning, which he'll be on now in addition to NuPro supplements. Fingers crossed.

Robles18

My boy also has a bald spot, it's on his tail though and I've switched his food with more fish oil and I feed him coconut oil 3 times a week and I've noticed there's little hairs growing back, very slowly though but it's progress.

BulliesofNC

The spot is most likely mange. I suggest having your Vet do a scraping to see if it is mange.

I think the change in his diet as well as the daily Supplement will do him a world of good. Please update us with his status.

BulliesofNC

@Robles18 - Your Bull Terrier has what's referred to as "Stud Tail."

There are a few discussions on this Forum that talk about this issue. Try searching it on this forum. In the event you can't find the information let me know.