Hi, I need help with a 4 year old Old English Bull Dog He has awful allergies. we have him on a grain free diet and have all his food allergies under control(we think) but he continues to have really bad break outs his whole underside gets red and raw and very smelly. He gets very bad ear infections with lots of fluid in them. He rubs his face so much it bleeds. The vet keeps giving him steroids and antibiotic but that only helps a little and is a temporary fix. I just switched him to Nutro grain free turkey it seems to have the least ingredients and i am looking into the raw diet. He comes from a liter of ten and there are three pups with the same problems. Any ideas would be appreciated!!

 Quote: Chris Stevens

Hi, I need help with a 4 year old Old English Bull Dog He has awful allergies. we have him on a grain free diet and have all his food allergies under control(we think) but he continues to have really bad break outs his whole underside gets red and raw and very smelly. He gets very bad ear infections with lots of fluid in them. He rubs his face so much it bleeds. The vet keeps giving him steroids and antibiotic but that only helps a little and is a temporary fix. I just switched him to Nutro grain free turkey it seems to have the least ingredients and i am looking into the raw diet. He comes from a liter of ten and there are three pups with the same problems. Any ideas would be appreciated!!

Yes, being predisposed to allergies has a big heritable factor.

You know that food allergies are by far the least likely of all possible allergies, right?

I ask this because of the apparent focus on food alone.

Because you are seeing such serious effects (bleeding, infections, yeast, etc.), I would urge that you get a referral to a derm vet asap. The dog is not only miserable, but vulnerable to a host of secondary problems.

You are right that the vet responses have not been anything but short-term bandaids, and to tell you the truth, it's far too large a specialty for GP vets to be expected to be up on it.

I will find you some detailed threads about this a little later, and there will be a few things you can do (and avoid), but I can pretty much guarantee that the first really productive step will be a derm vet. (Let me say here, though, in case it comes up: there are no reliable blood tests, or even intra-dermal, regardless of what any vet may believe, to ID food allergens in dogs .... just so you are not led down that costly and useless road .... and this is aside from the fact that food allergies account for way less than 15% of dog allergies.)

You might want to give more detail about the exact body geography of the itching, besides the face. The face is indeed usually involved with food allergies, but it is with many other allergies (and also external parasites).

Also, at what age the pruritis started, whether it ever seems seasonal (and what seasons), and what the cytology on the ears told you.

I want to add that I am completely sympathetic. Been there, done that, and know the frustrating misery for both of you.

Hi Connie Thanks for the suggestions i have never heard of a Derm vet i will look into that. He used to do much better in the winter but not this year he seems to be suffering year round now. It's his whole underside that gets very red and dry and sometimes puss oozes from him and he gets very crusty and smelly and his paws get red and bloody. I know it's not just the food i was just saying I think i have the food under control but hes not any better.

The poor dog.


Dermatology is a big field, and there's really no way a GP vet can be expected to stay up on it. It's a specialty for a reason. What I do wish is that more owners were steered toward the derm vet before a ton of time and frustration and money was wasted.

"Much better in the winter," even if now it's less of a change, points strongly away from food.

The pruritis you describe is severe, and the dog is an open door to both yeast and bacteria, as well as misery. I'd be making a derm vet appointment and then doing everything that will be described in the detailed threads that we have here, in the interim.

This is a little off topic, but I hope the breeder understands that that breeding should not be repeated. JMO.

I can't look for them right this minute, but I will. (I don't want to "re-type the wheel.")

You might want to do some "advanced searches," too (see upper right of your screen). Expand the date range to maybe 3 or 4 years to start.

Here's a post I always repeat when people are asking about allergies

http://leerburg.com/webboard/thread.php?topic_id=31107&page=8#348094

If he's having oozing from sores, I agree that the derma vet is a must. He's already having secondary infections from the allergies, and if he's smelly he most likely has yeast and bacteria. The derma vets will get this nailed down soooo much more quickly and save you money in the long run.

Let me know if you have any other questions. Where do you live? My derma vet is awesome and they have clinics in several states.

I agree about the derma vet. We always try elimination diets first but if that doesn't help we go to allergy testing through VARL. We use steroids and antibiotics to ease the suffering, along with special shampoos and conditioners, but the main focus is to find the cause of the allergic response and treat accordingly with the antigens and special diet if needed. We almost always put allergic dogs on cyclosporine.

Also, Chris, is the dog on fish oil (not in any way a "cure," especially at this point, but solid everyday protocol with any dog who has skin -- any inflammation -- issues) and how much? Vitamin E?

Are you rinse-bathing often? Washing dog mats and blankets often, and the dog's paws after walking across grassy areas, before walking on indoor carpet? (These steps do not mean I'm addressing contact allergies, which are actually not very likely, but rather addressing the carrying inside on the dog's coat pollen and other seasonal and non-seasonal outdoor allergens, where they are then breathed by the dog 24/7.)

Have you trialed the historically-more-effective-for-dogs-antihistamines (chlorpheniramine, hydroxyzine, etc.) in conjunction with the fish oil? Is the dog on probiotics (same kind of reminder)? ((Actually, this dog has passed these steps, I'm afraid, but I'm leaving them here as a reminder for others who are on the first step with a dog newly showing probable but milder allergic reactions. And you may be trying them as part of your maintenance tools after the worst has been addressed by the derm vet.)

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

Also, Chris, is the dog on fish oil (not in any way a "cure," especially at this point, but solid everyday protocol with any dog who has skin -- any inflammation -- issues) and how much? Vitamin E?

Are you rinse-bathing often? Washing dog mats and blankets often, and the dog's paws after walking across grassy areas, before walking on indoor carpet? (These steps do not mean I'm addressing contact allergies, which are actually not very likely, but rather addressing the carrying inside on the dog's coat pollen and other seasonal and non-seasonal outdoor allergens, where they are then breathed by the dog 24/7.)

Have you trialed the historically-more-effective-for-dogs-antihistamines (chlorpheniramine, hydroxyzine, etc.) in conjunction with the fish oil? Is the dog on probiotics (same kind of reminder)? ((Actually, this dog has passed these steps, I'm afraid, but I'm leaving them here as a reminder for others who are on the first step with a dog newly showing probable but milder allergic reactions. And you may be trying them as part of your maintenance tools after the worst has been addressed by the derm vet.)

I second all of the above that Connie has outlined here.

I have a severely allergic dog that I can keep pretty comfortable with regular bathing and the fish oil and hydroxyzine, used together have a great anti-inflammatory effect if used together.
Most of her symptoms are kept at bay.

Also the raw diet has helped immensely, so I strongly encourage a diet change as well.
The Derm Vet was the best money I have spent. They really know their specialty.
I can only say, that I would be cautious of Vet prescribed diets, as most of the time it would be Science Diet or Royal Canine, and are packed with all kinds of unfavorable ingredients, mostly very cheap grains that won't really help.


As others have mentioned getting the secondary infections under control are crucial to getting the dog more comfortable as well.
There are good shampoos that your Vet will have that are both antibacterial, anti-yeast. This will help get those secondary infections stopped.

I can also tell you that frequent bathing and even rinsing the pollens and dust particle off the dog works really well too.

Your Vet can prescribe you some hydroxyzine to trial.
You can give that up to three times a day. It has been enormously helpful with my female.
We don't even need any prednisone because the antihistamines with a good quality Omega 3 oil, have done the trick.

I hope you can get a consult with a Derm Vet and just see what their recommendations are.



I can completely sympathize with you, having a severely allergic dog is difficult. Much of the advice that I have received here at Leerburg has been a godsend.
Please keep us updated on your dogs situation. Hang in there Chris!

ETA: I would also try getting the dog a a good quality probiotic to add to the diet. This is the one I have been using, and I really like it. It has bacillus coagulans which is a strain that can survive the stomach acids, so it can really boost the dogs immunity in the gut. A healthy gut is important. (JMO)
Look down the page on the link for Plant Enzymes and Probiotic powder:
http://www.animalessentials.com/#products:63