Hello Jan,

My name is Erica I have a 81/2month old brindle frenchie lately I’ve noticed around her eyes she seems to be loosing hair and today one of her eyes looks a little puffy. I use puppy wipes to clean her face but have stopped using them just in case I didn’t know if it was from the wipes or maybe her food. We use  purina pro plan just wondering what I could do at home first to prevent going to the vet.

Thanks, Erica

Hi Erica,

From your description & your dog’s age that sounds like an outbreak of demodectic mange or a proliferation of mites.  Mites normally live peacefully on a dog’s skin but can get out of hand and start to multiply.  Since they live in the base of the hair follicle they will cause the hair to fall out.  Around the eyes is one of the places it shows up.

Most cases of mites will resolve themselves on their own with no treatment.  It is difficult to treat by the eyes because most products should not be allowed in eyes.

Diet is important in your dog’s immune system’s ability to fight off invaders like mites.  I would suggest you get a higher quality diet for your Frenchie.  Go to your local specialty dog food store (not a big box store) and get a human grade food made with no corn, no wheat, no soy, no chicken.  Try a lamb and rice formula I recommend in my book such as Prairie or a fish diet like Taste of the Wild.

Good luck - keep me posted.

Your Bulldog Pal,

Jan

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Hi Jan,

My French bulldog is 13 months old.  We have been battling some skin issues with her since she was 5 months old.  It started with a yeast infection in her right ear.  Since then she ahs had 3 infections in the same ear.  We try prescription washes and solutions, with little help of preventing the situation or solving the issue.

She also has a severe paw licking issue, and gets a pimple looking rash on the hairless part of her belly.  We feel bad for her and want to resolve this issue for her sake. I started her as a pup on the Whole Pet Diet, then moved onto the B.A.R.F. diet, and now per my vets request Royal Canine Hypo- Allergenic Hydrolyzed Protein dog food. The same symptoms have persisted.

We have had snow for about a month and I noticed that my dog wasn’t liking her paws as much.  I am starting to believe that she is allergic to grass. The second the snow melted away and grass appeared, her belly broke out in a rash again and the paw licking started up again.

My husband wants to treat her with the allergy injections, but it is costly. What would you recommend for your frenchie?

Thanks, Sara

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Hi Sara,

I have a couple suggestions.  First, do not feed her that Royal Canin formula, it’s soy and I don’t think dogs are meant to eat soy.  Feed her something high quality (raw or other) that is not chicken based but rather venison or duck or salmon, etc.

Next, her condition could be contact allergies since she’s better in the snow when her paws get cleaned off. Be sure you are not using any harsh chemicals anywhere she walks.  Clean her bedding once a week with dye and chemical free detergent.

You can give her the allergy shots and she will look better for a while. But they are steroids and have very bad long term effects.  I do not recommend them except maybe for a very short time to get severe allergies under control.

Try giving her dye free children’s dose of Benadryl (pink box) instead.

For her ears, be sure you keep them dry.  Yeast thrives on moisture. Try using an ear cleaner like Oti-Clens several times a day until her symptoms subside.  It’s available at pet stores, follow directions on box.

Do not over bathe her, it will only increase allergic problems.

I have a lot more suggestions on how to treat allergies plus food recommendations in my French Bulldog Health System.

your bulldog pal,
Jan

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Thank you for such a quick response.  I look forward to any information you might have regarding the “frenchie”.

My little bulldog is miserable.  Her one ear continually has a redness to it, causing her to shake her head.  I take her to the vet and she is prescribed anitbiotics and ear drops.  It goes away for a short time then it returns.

She is constantly doing the sit and spin.  Her eyes are watery.  She constantly licks her paws which are red and inflamed.  And occasionally, her underbelly toward her back legs breaks out in a rash with little red bumps.

I recently stopped giving her processed or purchased dog food and started making meals for her myself.  I omitted anything to do with corn, included baby food, brown rice and hamburger or chicken with shredded vegies or potatoes.  It appeared as though she was getting better, then all of a sudden it all comes back again.

I bathe her once a week with oatmeal soap to keep her clean enough to know that her fur is not collecting anything.  She is primarily an inside dog and goes outside occasionally.

Someone suggested a product that I can purchase on line that controls the yeast levels.  Do you know anything about this?

Judy

—-

Hi Judy,

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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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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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Hi Jan,

Thank you for your regular and most helpful information that we receive on a
regular basis.

We have a Bulldog who’s name is Gilbey, and he’s almost 9 years old (see
picture attached). We have had Gilbey since he was a pup and he has always
been in fairly good health. However, he has developed a rather severe case
of arthritis as he has become older and has come to the point now where he
can hardly walk sometimes. Other than this he is in very good health and
although he gets regular exercise and we watch his diet (currently weighs
around 30kg) it is sad to watch his mobility and lust for life be eroded by
this awful disease as time goes by. We have him on the Hill’s F/D Diet and
we supplement this with a product called Mobiflex to assist with the
deteriation of his joints. We have heard that magnets can help with
arthritis but we’d like to find out what we can do to make life a little
better for Gilbey. Can you possibly assist in this regard?

Kind Regards,

Sam Taylor

——–

Hi Sam,

Congratulations on a long lived bulldog - he looks like a real love!

You can give Gilbey a dog supplement with Glucosamine and
Condroitin.  Cosamine DS or In Clover’s Connection
http://inclover.com/connectin_dogs.html

You can also give him a baby aspirin instead of the Mobiliflex
(ask your vet first).

Mobiliflex is a nsaid anti-inflammatory drug with some powerful
side effects such as nausea, dizziness and even pancreatitis.
My Vivy nearly died after being put on Rimadyl - another drug
in this class of anti-inflammatory.

I’d suspect the nsaid if he has become less active after being on it.
It is possible he is feeling bad from the side effects:
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100001713.html

Be sure your vet tests his liver function when on the anti-inflammatory drug.

Exercise is good for him so keep him moving.

I would also say that Hills is not a very high quality food and I’d
suggest you switch him to something from one of the very high
quality brands like Innova or Nature’s Variety (Prairie).

I don’t know about the magnets, have not tried them but have
heard of people using them with success.

One other option you could try is acupuncture - it is known to
work really well on dogs with arthritis.

I hope this helps.  Please let me know how Gilbey does.

Your Bulldog Pal,
Jan

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Hope your day is going well.

I just noticed Dexter has gotten into a habit of literally eating sticks outside.
He’s only 8 mths so i’m hoping it s a faze. Is there something possibly lacking
in his diet?? Im going crazy and dont want to let him out to play. I try to
clean the sticks up but we have a lot of trees.

Thanks
Jodi

—

Hi Jodi,

It’s a phase, thank heavens!  Chewing behavior is normal for a young bulldog
and it’s sometimes difficult to keep them away from things they shouldn’t
eat.  Sticks are ok for Dexter to chew on but not so good if he eats them
because splinters can damage his esophagus and stomach.

He will outgrow this but in the meantime you could try to distract him with
something else like a prized toy or a ball.

There’s nothing missing in his diet, it’s more of a puppy thing.  If he eats
dirt that can indicate a dietary deficiency, but in general this sort of chewing
is instinctual.

Here’s a site with some good advice on alternatives to sticks:
http://www.colliecorner.com/stick-to-toys/new_page_alts.htm

I hope this helps.  Please let me know how it goes.

Your Bulldog Pal,
Jan

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Hi there Jan,

My name is Angela and I have written to you in the past pertaining to
my wonderful little bully, Dolly. She had been having head tremors at that
time and you really helped me out with the information you provided.
You will be happy to know that for the most part the tremors have subsided.

I do have another question for you about Dolly that you may be of some
assistance. My husband and I have your book, “The Healthy Bulldog”, which
we love and refer to on a lot of occasion.

We just can’t seem to find what we’re looking for when it comes to her ears.
For the past two weeks she has these tiny red bumps inside her ears.
They are crusty with dry blood on them. There is not an odor or any puss.
It actually looks like the end stages of the chicken pox. One ear worse than
the other. She has just began to scratch at them.

Since she was a puppy, she has always allowed me to clean her ears out
with aloe and vitamin E baby wipes, but lately she runs from me and hates
for me to come near her with the wipes no matter how gentle I am. It is
strange for her to not like her ears cleaned considering she used to love it.

My hubby and I also are very proud owners of another male bully named
Samson and two very precious toy poodles, Tiki and Sweet pea. I have
been watching their ears and they are fine. No bumps or crusty blood.
Brian, my hubby, seems to think it may be an allergy to her food, but
she has been on the same food since we first got her.

Could she be developing this allergy as she gets older? We think
it may also be a yeast infection. She also has a couple small bald
spots on her neck due to scratching.

I just wanted to pick your brain and see what you thought. We will
be calling the vet if need be. Please forgive my long email. I know
your busy and I do appreciate any ideas you may have.

Thanks a bunch, Angela

——–

Hi Angela,

It is probably not yeast because with a yeast infection in the
ears, there is usually brownish smelly discharge or waxy stuff.
And it’s sour smelling.

It could be food allergies - what are you feeding her? And is she
on any medications or supplements?

Food allegies can create bald spots and ear infections.  The scratching
is a classic sign of allergies.

She can develop an intolerance to her food over time.  Being
fed the same ingredients, however good, constantly can lead
to a reaction to some small ingredient.  I recommend changing
food every 3-6 months to avoid this.

Although food may be the underlying cause, there are some
remedies to make her feel better now.

You can give her a dye-free benadryl children’s dose (pink box) -
it really helps short term with allergic reactions.

You can try using some calendula cream in her ears - it’s a soothing,
healing cream.  You can get it at a natural foods store.  It may clear
them up in a few days.

If not, it could be mites.  Do you see any tiny brown granulated looking
spots?  Usually there’s an odor involved with a mite infection.
An easy cure for mites is to rub a few drops of mineral oil or
mullein oil (natural foods store) in the ear.  It will kill any mites.

It can also be associated with fleas, but I’m assuming that is not
the case.

It is also possible that there is something in the baby wipes that
is irritating her ears.  By stopping using them, you’ll know soon if
that’s the case.

If you take her to the vet, he should do a skin scraping to determine
what it is.  They often just prescribe anti-biotics without even finding
out what’s the cause.  And it doesn’t sound like she has an infection.

I hope this helps.  Please let me know how she’s doing and tell me
what you’re feeding her.

Your Bulldog Pal,
Jan

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Hi Jan,
My name is Kathy and I know your pretty knowledgeable about Bulldogs.
We have a 3 1/2 yr old male. He weighs about 87 pounds.

He has breathing issues too. We are wondering about a diet for him?
We currently feed him the Instinct brand of food. Approx 2 cups in the am
and 2 cups at night. (is that too much?)

he is a picky eater so sometimes we have to add chicken….canned or packaged to the food.
Do you have any suggestions for a low fat food that he might eat?

He is stubborn so sometimes we have to motivate him with treats.
I buy lowfat baked and limit those to maybe 1 or 2 per day.
He gets no exercise either. We have tried to walk him but he doesn’t
like it at all and will just stop and lay down on the spot when he’s had enough.

Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You,
Kathy

—-

Hi Kathy,

Your English Bulldog sounds like a real couch potato.  He may have the dog
equivalent of a beer belly!

A normal male bulldog weighs about 50-55 pounds, so unless he is really
big he is very overweight.  I’d suggest you stick with the Instinct, it’s a really
good food, just cut it down to 3 cups a day.

A low fat diet is not the best way for a young dog to lose weight.  Rather, you
should consider limiting his calories and increasing his exercise.

Adding chicken or other meats to his diet is also a good thing, just take
into account how much you add and subtract it from the amount of
kibble you feed.  Contrary to popular belief table scraps are not bad for
a dog.  If you think about it, all dog food is made from table scraps.

His breathing problems may come from being over weight, although he
could have palate problems as well.

And if you can get him to walk, he will also lose weight as well as live longer.
If he likes treats, get him to move towards you to get one, or better yet, run
around the house a bit or down the block.

Does he like to chase a ball? If you get him moving, especially
when it’s not too warm, he may wind up enjoying it.

When you walk him do not try to pull him forward.  A dog has a natural
instinct to resist being pulled.  Rather turn him to the side or entice him
with a really tasty treat.

Diet and exercise are the key to dog health.  Good luck.

your bulldog pal,
Jan

Comments(1)

Hello,

I enjoy your emails and helpful hints for my bulldog.  I have a problem.  My bulldog is 6 mos old and weights 52 lbs.  My vet has put him on a diet.  2 cups twice a day.  I started feeding him Royal Canin 32.  It has 32% crude protein and 18% crude fat and 3.6% fiber.  His muzzle and feet are red and the inside of his ears are broke out.  He is allergic to grass, the best I can tell.  He stays inside and only goes out on a leash.

I have now changed his food to Nutro Chicken meal, rice and oatmeal  it has 26% crude protein, 12% crude fat, and 5% crude fiber.  It has been 2 weeks  and his muzzle, feet, and ears are still red and itchy.  What can I do to help him lose weight and help with his skin.  Now that it has cooled off her in GA, we are taking him for walks and he runs around the yard playing with our outside dog 2 to 3 times a day.

Has has weak hip muscle (vet said due to his weight) and will drag himself before he will actually get up on all 4s to walk.  Is there a supplement he can take?

Thanks for your help
Susan
———–

Hi Susan,

You need to feed him less than the recommendations for his weight,
so 3 cups instead of 4.  My adult Archie is 52 pounds and only gets 3 cups a day.
He’s trim and fit and very active.  Excess weight puts stress on a dog’s joints.

Also Nutro is not the best food, it was involved in the recall, and it has all kinds
of ingredients that can contribute to bulldog allergies.  It’s not so much the amount
of protein but more what ingredients are making up the protein.  Grains have
protein but they are not the best source of protein for a dog.  Dogs need their
protein to come from meat.

Try switching him to Canidae or California Natural  lamb and rice.  They have
limited ingredients which are very high quality. Many dogs are allergic to chicken
formulas so the lamb and rice could make a big difference.

Switch slowly, adding 1/4 new food to old and each day up the new food
to make the switch over a week.

You could also add Omega 3s to his diet in the form of fish oil or flax
seed oil for dogs.  These will help his overall health.

Diet and exercise will help your puppy with his hip problem too.  Many
bulldogs have growth spurts that can affect their joints but they can
grow out of them.  It’s really important to keep him active and keep
him slim.  You want to be able to see his waist.

your bulldog pal,
Jan

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