Help - My Vet Knows Nothing About EBTs

Bungalowbill61

Hello - I just found this forum and am overjoyed to find so many other EBT lovers.

I have a 3.5 year old male EBT named Franklin. He was supposed to be a mini but he is 60lbs, not so mini. He is the first EBT I have owned. He is quite a handful/character but I couldn't imagine life without him.

I take him to a local vet and he is the first EBT they have ever treated. He has had a couple minor health issues. Mostly irritated paws and/or skin that the vet has attributed to allergies and prescribed Apoquel. Apoquel helped his skin but this summer he started having diarrhea constantly. The vet ran him through every test but found nothing and there was also no blockage that could be causing it. Eventually we put him on Royal Canin gastrointestinal food which fixed the diarrhea issue.

However, now he is breaking out all over his face and the top of his head, see pics below. My vet seems to be at a loss but after reading through posts on this site I am thinking that the Apoquel may be impacting his immune system and Royal Canin gastrointestinal food, which is full of grains, is causing him to break out/have an allergic reaction.

Has anyone else found success clearing up EBT "acne" by switching to a grain free food with the supplements Bullies of NC suggest here, https://bulliesofnc.com/bull-terrier-nutrition/

The acne doesn't seem to bother Franklin, neither did the diarrhea, he is still his rambunctious, overly inquisitive self, but his face looks awful and has to be uncomfortable for him.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Matt

Willowebt624

I have had a bully (that i can finaly call my own) for 6 months now and could tell you the same the vets dont know these dogs youve came to the right place im sure somebody will help you with your big mans small issue! Grown up around these dogs and vets have always been the same!

Billie_Tina

Hi Matt and Franklin, welcome
I have found such great advice and information on this forum. To answer your question, yes I have switched my girl over to food and supplements recommended by BulliesofNC and found that it is helping my girl with her skin issues. It takes time, but I see huge improvements in her overall well being. Her immune system is getting stronger and the skin issues have subsided

JParanee

I have white dogs which seem to be always prone to skin issues

Victor dry food
Raw blend
Cottage cheese
Gelatin
Nuvet vitamins
Coconut oil

Keeps them in good shape skin and all

Brooklyn

Yes, out EBT for months had diarrhea, thinning coat and breakouts around his neck and the nose. Once I switched him to the grain free food, his diarrhea stopped, his coat and pimples improved. I noticed he still gets pimples when he scores a cookie or piece of bread or gets too much chicken as treats. Recently I switched him to the grain free, poultry-free, chicken meal free kibbles. His coat got even thicker and more shiny.

Brooklyn

https://wagwalking.com/condition/grain-allergies
https://www.petcarerx.com/article/is-my-dog-allergic-to-chicken/1586

that1Boomer

I have been feeding grain free and chicken free since we got McKenzie. She occasionally gets a pimple. But they usually clear up very quickly. Her coat is nice and shiny. Mind you, she is very picky with her food. But not people food. She goes out of her way to bug the heck out of you if you have milk. But believe me, the milk does not like her. It is a gas fest if you give even a drop if it. We just recently started Nu-vet. No change we can see. But a vitamin is not always something you can see and certainly not in a few weeks. I would get a grip on the diet and don't expect an overnight cure. It will take some time to hammer out what works for your boy. As always, the best of luck. It is trial and error. My vet had no idea how to treat an EBT either. But she has learned a good bit by seeing mine. I just get a second opinion when things don't pan out well. WE both learn.

Bungalowbill61

Thank for the feedback guys.

I ordered some grain free food, grizzly salmon supplement, and NuVet.

Has anyone else had their bullie on Apoquel? If so, any negative side effects? I am probably going to take Frankie off of it completely once his new food arrives. Now that winter is here his allergies shouldn't be as bad so its a good time to take him off of it.

TheFairyDogmother

Hey There I just wanted to add about secondary yeast infections- they can often come After an allergic reaction- though your boys main issue is his head- yeast can also cause stomach/diarrhea issues as well as the feet issues so many EBTs suffer from- Apoquel will knock out the skins good bacteria causing a PH imbalance which allows yeast to thrive. Yeast is a great 'imitator'.

The Nuvet has probiotics and prebiotics which will help but go through the ingredients- grain free is better ,but I find eliminating all carbs ( you often find pre prepared foods have other carb foods like sweet potato, carrot etc) - these carbs are turned into sugars in the body and sugars not only feed yeast, but cause inflammation ( which you may not see the worst of because the apoquel is supressing it).I'm a raw feeder, using dry foods/ kibble is really tricky because nearly all of them has something I dont like in them lol.

Skin issues are tough and you kinda have to go at it from all sides- diet, topically and with supplements. I have never had a dog on corticosteriods- or the other new favorite cytopoint-but its not a path I would go down personally, for many reasons.

that1Boomer

My last EBT had issues with immune system at about 8 years old. They put her on a low dose steroid to relieve swelling. Well, that lasted all but one year, on and off looking and acting better. But we now look back at videos of her and realize how she went downhill fast. The steroids just took everything out of her! Including her life at just 9 yrs old. We have made a promise to ourselves and our present EBT to never do that course of action ever again. After it was all said and done, we asked many questions and found out so much more from others that faced common experiences. The vet had no idea what was wrong and in the end we changed vets for a second opinion. Our current vet is learning with us, as they have very little experience with EBT's. But at least they were honest with us. I wish I would have known what I do now back when Murphy was suffering. If only I could have helped her more. No long term Steroid treatments for my McKenzie. Steroids have there place, but not for long term.
Sorry for being so long winded, I would just hate for another person to ever experience what we did with Murphy. Hearing and reading it is sobering.

Bungalowbill61

Thank you TheFairyDogmother. I definitely think Franklin has a yeast infection. I can smell it in his paws. I did purchase him a grain free with sweet potato but am not rethinking that and will look for other options. What do you typically feed your bullie on a raw diet?