Hello Jan,

Do you know how any natural ways to cure Giardia?
I have heard Oil of Oregano or Grapefruit Seed extract?

Thank you

——

Hi Giancarlo,

Giardia is a parasite that is fairly common in dogs in certain areas.  It usually goes away on it’s own.  If it’s chronic or persists over two weeks or there’s a lot of blood in the stools or if your dog gets listless, then you should seek vet treatment.

The danger of giardia is dehydration from too much diarrhea so be sure he gets enough water. To encourage him to drink you can add some broth to his water - he should then lap it up!

You vet will most likely treat the infections with Metronidazole (Flagyl), an anti-fungal medication which is effective but not a good long term solution.

Oil of oregano is pretty hard on the stomach so I wouldn’t recommend using it. One I do use is a herbal remedy with black walnut, clove, and wormwood variations which you can get at a natural or health food store.  Get the liquid form so you can control the dosage. I haven’t tried the grapeseed oil but have heard of people using it.

Personally I’d do the black walnut treatment and wait to see if it resolves itself.  I would also work on boosting his beneficial bacteria to and boosting his immune system by adding probiotics (beneficial bacteria) and L-Glutamine (an amino acid to aid digestion) to his food.

Both are available at natural foods stores.  Bear in mind the normal dose is for a 150lb human so change for his weight.  You should  also add omega 3s in the form of fish oil or flaxseed oil.  These should help boost his immune system and prevent more infection.

your bulldog pal,

Jan

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Hi Jan,

regarding the bully nose, I noticed that it gets very dry
so i started to put vaseline on it and now it seems as
though his nose is shedding itself and black parts of
his nose are peeling, do you have any suggestions??

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Hi Jan,

I was just wondering if well water can hurt or give dogs bladder infections? We just moved here the end of November and we give Lucy water from the faucet that does not have a purifier on it. Should we give her bottled water?? We didn’t know if she is urinating more because of the water or her tail problem. I know you’re not a vet but I trust all of your input. We have just bought her Precise weight management dry dog food. She seems to like it.

Talk to you soon,

Cathy

=====

Hi Cathy,

I think if the well water is ok for you to drink it’s fine for her.  If you filter it, then give her filtered as well.  Bladder infections don’t usually come from water.  Bad water may have parasites and bacteria which would cause problems for you as well as her.  And bacteria is what usually causes a urinary tract infection.

It’s possible that her tail infection has caused a urinary infection.  A UTI starts with bacteria on the outside of the urethra that proliferates and then moves up the urethra to the bladder.  And it could be the same type of bacteria in the tail infection.

You might want to try adding a tablespoon of natural apple cider vinegar to her water bowl (Braggs makes one).  This will help change the ph balance of acid in her system and can help suppress some of these bacteria.  Give her fresh water daily in a ceramic, glass or stainless bowl (no plastic).

Did your vet check her for a urinary tract infection?

Signs of urinary tract infection are not always obvious but include increased drinking of water, and frequent urination often with little urine produced.  It’s best to test with a urine sample - you might want to have it checked just for peace of mind.  Since he’s seen her recently your vet may let you bring in a sample.

When our bulldogs get one infection, it takes a toll on the immune system and a suppressed immune system can lead to other opportunistic infections.  Keep her calm and safe.  It may sound strange but dogs can pick up our energy and she can tell if you are upset so try to treat her as if everything is normal.

Keep me posted.

your bulldog pal,

Jan

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Hi Jan.

Would like to ask a couple of questions please..:

Q1; Just like to enquire if you have any recommendations for best breeders?

Q2; Also which age is best for a female pure breed English Bull Dog to get pregnant?

Thank-You.

Sincerely

Bailey

=====

Hi Bailey,

I think the best way is to go to the shows and meet the dogs and breeders,
you can see upcoming shows here:
http://thebca.org/Bulldog%20Specialty%20Info.html

The Bulldog Club of America has a reference list for breeders on their site:

http://thebca.org/Breeder%20Referral.html

As for breeding your bulldog, in my opinion she should not be bred before
the age of two and she should have a complete physical to check for any
health or bulldog genetic abnormalities to be sure you are not passing on
heartbreaking bulldog defects.

your bulldog pal,

Jan

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Hi Jan,

I really want to get a female puppy from a quality breeder or rescue.
Do you have any suggestions?  I have looked at what seems like 10,000
puppies on the internet, tried to get as much information that I could,
I have taken all kinds of internet quizzes and really just want to make
sure I get a healthy wonderful little puppy.

Do you have a breeder you would suggest?  I would consider rescuing
one but really want to have my first frenchie be all my own you know.

How would you suggest I go about getting something like an eight week
old female pied with a cute little dot on the top of her head?  I know it
sounds specific, but man are they cute.

Thanks again,

Tim

——–

Hi Tim,

Do not get one on the internet - there are too many scams and puppy mills.
Start by going to the French Bulldog Club of America site, at this link:
http://www.frenchbulldogclub.org/

Look under events and see if any are listed in your area.  Then you can see
the dogs and breeders in person.  You could also go to a Bulldog show
because the bulldog breeders often know or also breed Frenchies.

If there are no upcoming events, look in their breeder directory at this link.
http://www.frenchbulldogclub.org/ht/d/sp/i/310/pid/310

You can also go to local French Bulldog meetup groups or local clubs.
These you can find by doing a google search for French Bulldogs plus
your city name.

You will be surprised how much information you can get from Frenchie
owners that you just talk to on the street.

Choose the breeder carefully.  Frenchies do have significant health issues
and can be costly if they become ill.

Jan

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Good Afternoon,

I have a question to see if you have experienced this or heard of this with other English Bulldogs.

Our 5 year old threw up her food (several X’s same day). Next day did same so we took her to vet. They did blood work, x-ray of stomach. There was a mass noticed. To make a long story shorter she ended up and had to have surgery. It ended up she had a stool blocking part of large intestine.  She couldn’t keep down even small amount food. They carefully massaged intestine, put anti-inflammatory and antibiotic to help prevent infection.

She’ll be at vet’s for several days so they can watch her, be available for any added medications and watch stool. Said she would have to push so to speak to get it out and they wanted to be able to do what might be needed for her to pass stool hopefully without problem.

Have you ever heard of one having this. I’ve heard of them not wanting to grunt a you might say and she is one we have to watch as she seems to get tight stools once in awhile and we have to give pumpkin to keep soft enough. If not, she’ll not complete job.

They did not open intestine and remove as they felt danger of infection etc was to great etc to great. Rest of everything looked good. No other blockage or foreign object.

Needless to say I have been a basket case, but now we’ll need to be even more checkful of this area.

Any suggestion to help prevent this from happening again. And how do you know if they’ve gotten cleaned out.

Thanks
Mary

—–

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In case we don’t have enough to worry about with our Bulldogs
and their allergic reactions to things in the environment . . .

There is virtually no government oversight in
the manufacture of pet toys.  In fact there are no safety
requirements like there are in children’s toys.  No government
standards for hazardous chemicals.  Consequently there can be
high levels of lead and other harmful chemicals in your
dog beds and toys.

An organization called Healthy Stuff has just released a list
of dog beds and toys with ratings as to how much lead or other
hazardous materials are used in the manufacture.

It’s an eye-opener!

Especially toxic are half of the tennis balls tested!  And lots of dog
beds - that’s a lot of exposure for the hours your bulldog sleeps.
I suppose I should be somewhat relieved to find that Kong toys
are on the “low” list, but why should they have any toxins.

Take a look - it’s in alphabetical order by manufacturer:
http://www.healthystuff.org/departments/pets/product.least.php

If you are really concerned you can write the government or
the manufacturer of your favorite products.  If they get
enough mail they do listen.

I’m glad there are folks concerned enough to test these products
and let us know.

On a lighter note, Archie and I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Our bulldogs give us so much to be thankful for!

your bulldog pal,
Jan

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Hi Jan:

Do you have any experience with persistent paw yeast infections?  My son’s bulldog has one in between his toes that won’t go away.  It only flared up again when the pills prescribed by the vet were used up.  The MalAcetic Otic they gave us isn’t working.  I hestitate to go back to the vet again and waste more money.
Any suggestions?  I don’t like to bother you, but I’m at my wit’s end.

Attached is a photo of his paw.

There seems to be a couple of bumps and it’s yeasty.  On November 4, the vet injected him with Dexamethasone and gave him Enrofloxacin pills.  It seemed to calm down.  Now that the pills are all gone, it has flared up again.  I was soaking it in warm water and salt, plus pouring peroxide on the wound today which I think made it worse.  The vet put him on a special diet because he has a stomach infection - Medi-cal Gastro formulated for gastrointestinal conditions.  He was throwing up everyday and had loose stools.  He’s no longer throwing up since on this kibble.  The stools are better.
Have you seen this condition before in between the toes?

Thanks, Debbie

Hi Debbie,

The photo is not very clear but that looks like an interdigital cyst to me.  If so, they are notyeast, they are either ingrown hairs that get infected or a fungal infection - there is some debate.

The medical term for them is interdigital furuncle.  I think they are an ingrown hair that gets a mild infection.  They usually clear up on their own and I am of the opinion they should not be punctured because that can lead to infection.  And I wouldn’t go the antibiotic route because I think it not necessary unless there is a bad infection.  And I’ve found that the least amount of fussing with the sore is best.

Your vet prescribed a broad spectrum antibiotic for the perceived infection.

Here is some advice from various bulldog owners and breeders on how they treat them:

As for the cysts, I have used part of the process you’ve included: we usually soak the affected paw in Epsom salts water. I don’t worry about applying Panalog or other creamsunless the vet has recommended it.

Generally with a cyst or any lesion on the paw that I am just starting to treat, I just start with soaks. That way I clean the foot and can get a really good look, and Epsom salts helps to soften and start the lesion draining if it needs to. If it’s a cyst, is there a need for Panalog or other anti-bacterial (antibiotic) ointments or creams? Not necessarily, only if it’s infected. So, if draining it and/or keeping it clean is enough, then why bring in antibiotics and tinker with resistance and such? If pus drains, then I do use ointment, usually triple antibiotic or Bacitracin. Like you, if soaks (with or without ointment) don’t work in 2-4 days, or if it worsens, it’s off to the vet we go!

–Margaret

—-

What I have found is that many cysts are caused by ingrown hair. I soak the affected food in Epson salts for about 5 minutes. When drying the paw if you look on the underneath side of the foot between the pads on the toe that is effected you will probably see an area that appears to have a black head. You can usually use a tweezers and pull the hairs out without causing your pet much discomfort. This has always worked on my dogs.

——

a long coarse of antibiotics usually cephalexin. and give it some time. i have two that got cysts between the toes and used antibiotics 1 dogs went away and hasnt come back… the other girls cyst has been back several times now i dont even put her on antibiotics anymore, i keep it clean use panalog oint and basically just keep popping the cyst to drain it and within a week it starts to go away her last cyst i did this and it hasnt been back in over a year. i am a technician at a vet clinic and ive seen surgeries removing these cysts and 90% of them ive seen return anyway after several surgeries and alot of money it is very hard to get all of the stalk inbetween the toes so you often get regrowth any way…

well thats my 2 cents

chrissy

—-

There are as many interdigital cyst remedies as there are Bulldoggers. I think the cysts have multiple causes including fungus advancing to infection as the cyst develops.

Along that reasoning, I use a Nolvasan Surgical Scrub solution; 5% Surgical Scrub, 95% water, applied with a spray bottle and massaged onto the affected area. I apply twice daily and I’ve never had it last more than three days.

Nolvasan Surgical Scrub is a bit pricey,perhaps $55.00/Gallon, but a gallon will last a lifetime (Or more) It’s very effective for hot spots and simple skin problems. Most importantly, It’s an anti-bacterial agent and an effective fungicide, not an anti-biotic. A simple solution for a complex problem.

Walt

—-

I agree with Walt’s solution -

That’s a great idea

I also use a home made concoction we fondly call “Oden’s Foot” It is 50% rubbing alcohol, 50% water - you boil the water and ad 2 heaping tablespoons of salt till it dissolves. Let is cool a bit then mix with the alcohol put in a sprayer bottle and spray several times a day -

this dries up themoisture and the cyst - this is a people remedy given my son when he had severe fungal infections of the toe nails - it works great you just need to be consistent and spray frequently

Kathy J

—–

The most common home remedy I read about was to soak or compress the affected foot several times per day, then apply antibiotic ointment. A few people recommended applying Preparation H or other hemmorhoid creams. We decided to do a bit of each.

Three to four times per day we’ve been soaking Elliott’s foot in Epsom salts. The easiest way we’ve found to do this is to fill the laundry tub up with 2 to 3 inches of fairly warm water, to which we’ve added a cup of Epsom Salts. We then stand Elliott in the tub, and sit beside him for ten minutes or so. Luckily for us, he’s a good boy, and just stands there patiently so long as we give him the occasional head scratch.

After ten minutes or so have elapsed, we put Elliott on a thick towel and gently pat his affected foot dry. I then fill a large, wide coffee cup with about an inch of hydrogen peroxide, and hold his foot in the cup for a few moments. The affected areas on Elliott’s foot, in particular the cyst itself and the surrounding hair follicles, respond to the hydrogen peroxide with bubbling, whereas the rest of his foot does not.  This shows that there is catalase enzyme present in these areas, which is one of the components released when blood or damaged cells are present.

After soaking in hydrogen peroxide, we again pat Elliott’s foot dry. I then apply either Panalog ointment, or Anusol hemorrhoid ointment.

We’ve been treating him using the above method since Saturday morning, and in that time period his swelling has reduced by approximately 40%, and the redness is almost completely gone. With any luck, it will be completely gone within another day or so, and with no antibiotics. Of course, if it doesn’t clear up, or returns, then we’ll try traditional Veterinary treatment and oral antibiotics.

Frogdog blog

And here are some links to more information and photos on the topic:

http://www.bulldogsworld.com/DigitCyst.html

http://www.provet.co.uk/Petfacts/healthtips/interdigitalcysts.htm

Good luck, let me know how he’s doing.

Your Bulldog Pal,

Jan

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Shedding & Healthy Coats
by Dr Jane Bicks, Healthy Pet newsletter

The splendor of summer is right around the bend.  We are approaching the season when children, freed from studies, populate the neighborhood, friends and families hold cook-outs, and we find ourselves preoccupied with the health our pet’s coats.

There’s a reason for our annual fixation.  Dogs usually begin to lose their winter coats in early spring, when it is gradually replaced by a shorter, lighter coat suited to the summer months.  The amount of shedding varies widely from breed to breed.  For example, the pet parents of German Shepherds will groan about the amount of shedding all year long, while those of us with poodles rarely have to get out the broom or vacuum, even with the arrival of summer.

While we’ve seen that growth cycles can be affected by mood, hormones, and nutrition, changes primarily occur due to fluctuations in the amount of daylight and temperature.

The length of daylight hours is believed to have a greater impact on the shedding cycle than temperature, which is why all pets shed during particular times of the year.  Even artificial indoor lighting can have an effect, especially on companion animals who stay primarily indoors.

And companion animals experience big differences in temperature when leaving and entering your home, which is most extreme in the summer and winter months.  These differences induce a constant state of change, setting up conditions that lead to increased shedding throughout the year.

And an unhealthy coat can have negative impacts on pet parents, too, in the form of allergies.  Contrary to popular belief, hair is not the culprit of allergies in humans, but rather dander and proteins in the oil produced by glands in the skin.

For all of the hair support systems to function properly, they require a variety of nutrients, including fatty acids, minerals and vitamins.  Additionally, a healthy coat requires a great deal of protein.  Almost 95% of the protein that’s ingested is used by the body to support hair production and maintenance.  Fortunately, nutritious foods like Life’s Abundance and Instinctive Choice provide the protein content necessary to supply your pet’s body with the protein necessary to help maintain a healthy coat.

Just as it is important to feed a high-quality, nutrient-dense food, it is also advisable to give your companion animals a balanced supplement that provides the additional nutritional support necessary to achieve the utmost in a healthy coat and skin.

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