Skin Allergy American Bulldog

I have a 2 year old female American Bully that has a terrible rash and odor eminating from her skin and especially her feet. After two visits to t$200 each and scripts for prednisone and script shampoo and a change to Nutri-Max Lamb , our poor baby keeps breaking out.. I read somewhere that this could be related to a yeast infection that she may be getting. Could anyone please suggest a plan of action and a different food brand as this is not working. I dont want to keep giving her the prednisone as i imagine it would be harmful for her to take for the long term. PLease Please Please Help!! Also, is the prednisone harmful for her in the long term.. Thanks for the help.. JTA and Especially Liza

[chelseygaulden]

Yes the prednisone CAN be harmful, but not definitely. Depends on how much and how often you give it to her. It decreases immune respose so it can increase her risk of getting bacterial and viral infections such as pneumonia. I have two pugs and an English bulldog. Both pugs were on prednisone (5 mg once daily) for skin allergies. One pug has had pneumonia 3 times in one year and is def no long taking the prednisone anymore, because is more than likely the cause. The other pug takes 2.5mg about 3 times a week now and his HORRIBLE skin condition is SOOO much better and he has never been sick a day in his life. So it's hit or miss sometimes with complications of prednisone. Just know that it can increase their chances of developing infections. Also, it will make her gain weight...which is usually not something a Bully needs help with, they are pretty big as it is ;)
Now my English bulldog had a yeast rash problem that I tried so many different home remedies to fix (maalox/baking soda/vinegar combination worked the best but did not completely get rid of it). She has grown out of it now tho because she never has issues. I feed her Innova brand dog food, my vet says that is probably why her skin is healthier. I don't know how much your Bully weighs but if she is anything other than underweight, giving her prednisone will more than likely make her gain weight. Try changing her dog food.

[jtaliza]

Oh yes.. My sexy girl is at about 95 lbs. but the only saving grace is that she has about a quarter acre enclosed backyard to run on at her disposal.. She also has friends on all three sides that she loves to run and play with so she does get a good workout. On the comment that you made about the yeast infection. Do you think that Liza could have a yeast condition? Reason I ask because that is the next thing I am trying to chase down. Is the Innova brand of dog food especially formulated for that type of condition or is it just better for Bullies. I feel so bad watching her shake with the itching and also smell like a bag of rotten egss after one or two days of having a bath. She is a house dog except for play time and she really looks and smells terrible when she is battling one of her bouts. I appreciate the help and info. I am going to look into the food as soon as I am done with you. Have a good evening. ***@****

[Misfits4Me]

Please read this:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/nutro.html

[deadgamegrrl]

I had a bulldog in the past that had a compromised immune system and seborrheaic (sp?) dermatitis.  She had large scaly patches that would periodically become raw.  She would itch and scratch herself more raw it I didn't catch her and smelled horrible.  She was on prednisone every so often but only for short periods as she also had a heart condition.  We used a prescription shampoo from the vet (sometimes you can also use human dandruff shampoo) but we needed to do it about 2x a week.  I also tweaked her diet to eliminate most allergens (This was before the days of many super-premium and single protein, grain free foods so it took some doing).  

Some dogs are sensitive to lamb.  Before, lamb was an uncommon protein so it was the go-to for allergies.  Then manufacturers started putting it in everything so it no longer works as well for many dogs.  You may need to try venison, or duck or another of the less common proteins.  I would stick with a grain free or a very limited ingredient list.  Innova makes the California Natural line which only has about 5 ingredients, as well as EVO grain free.  Taste of the Wild has some good alternate proteins as well.

Good luck!  I know how frustrating this is. My bully had a huge nose rope and she used to rub it raw on furniture in record time.  I used to tell her she was growing mushrooms under it lol!  For a short term fix, Gold Bond medicated Baby Powder can work wonders.  It soothes the itch, and helps dry the yeast.  Every bully owner needs it in their medicine cabinet!