Hi 👋

[Stormsmummie]

Hi everyone, I have joined to ask advice and support on having a French Blue. Any experienced owners advice is welcome. Thanks

 

[Stormsmummie]

Nice to meet you all.

 

[Rusty’s Owner]

Hi everyone, I have joined to ask advice and support on having a French Blue. Any experienced owners advice is welcome. Thanks

Welcome!

Do you currently have the blue Frenchie?

 

[Jeffc]

I have two, one has pretty significant health issues. My other one has health issues as well, but not as major “knock on wood “. These are the only Frenchies I’ve ever owned so I’m not sure what to attribute their health issues to. They are expensive to purchase upfront, and it’s even more expensive to maintain there health. We take beyond the best care of them and issues continue to arise.Not to discourage you from getting one, but be prepared to spend lots of additional $ besides the purchase price. I hope this helps let me know if you have any additional questions.

 

[Stormsmummie]

Welcome!

Do you currently have the blue Frenchie?

Yes I do her name is Storm and I love her to bits

 

[Stormsmummie]

I have two, one has pretty significant health issues. My other one has health issues as well, but not as major “knock on wood “. These are the only Frenchies I’ve ever owned so I’m not sure what to attribute their health issues to. They are expensive to purchase upfront, and it’s even more expensive to maintain there health. We take beyond the best care of them and issues continue to arise.Not to discourage you from getting one, but be prepared to spend lots of additional $ besides the purchase price. I hope this helps let me know if you have any additional questions.

I have two, one has pretty significant health issues. My other one has health issues as well, but not as major “knock on wood “. These are the only Frenchies I’ve ever owned so I’m not sure what to attribute their health issues to. They are expensive to purchase upfront, and it’s even more expensive to maintain there health. We take beyond the best care of them and issues continue to arise.Not to discourage you from getting one, but be prepared to spend lots of additional $ besides the purchase price. I hope this helps let me know if you have any additional questions.

Hi Jeff thanks for replying I actually adopted Storm she was a rescue. She is now 15 months old she has been spayed as she already had puppies on her first heat with her previous ownersq and also had the BOAS surgery. Currently she is 8mg per day of Aproquel but I am sure it is helping with her allergies that much. Do yours have Allergies?

 

[Jeffc]

Hi Jeff thanks for replying I actually adopted Storm she was a rescue. She is now 15 months old she has been spayed as she already had puppies on her first heat with her previous ownersq and also had the BOAS surgery. Currently she is 8mg per day of Aproquel but I am sure it is helping with her allergies that much. Do yours have Allergies?

My female has allergies and is also prescribed Aproquel.

 

[Stormsmummie]

I actually meant to write I don't think the Arpoquel helps that much... I also wipe her paws daily with CLX wipes but she still bites them a lot... I am hoping the probiotics help...! She's a lot more maintenance than my previous dog a Cocker Spaniel but I love her so much that I don't mind!!

 

[Cbrugs]

Mine use to be on Apoquel and then we switched to Cytopoint which has worked wonders for his allergies. Also, what are you currently feeding?

 

[Jeffc]

I give my pups goats milk and plain fat free Greek yogurt as probiotics. You might try that.

 

[Rusty’s Owner]

Yes I do her name is Storm and I love her to bits

She is adorable!

I have a Frenchie that has bad allergies since he was 5 months old(he is 3 years old now) and diet is the first place to start. I would try to get her off apoquel if you can due to the terrible side effects(my other dog was on it for allergies-not my Frenchie).

What do you feed her??? Brand and protein??

Does she itch? Or have bumps/hives? Ear or eye infections? I’m asking because my Frenchie has bad allergies and i give him Bovine Colostrum which has been really good and helpful to his environmental allergies and the diet change has been amazing for his food allergies.

You need to boost the immune system, unfortunately apoquel does the opposite.

How long has he been on the apoquel?
He will eventually rely on apoqul but if you just started him on apoquel you can try alternatives instead that don’t have those side effects. If it’s not real helpful I would try to get her off it. My vets recommended apoquel or Cytopoint and I declined because they often do more harm than good and they block the immune system, I have managed to improve his health and allergies thru diet and a couple immune boost supplements.

Raw diet or low carb diet would help.

Bovine Colostrum, probiotics, bone broth, omega 3 oil such as herring oil can really help.

 

[Stormsmummie]

Mine use to be on Apoquel and then we switched to Cytopoint which has worked wonders for his allergies. Also, what are you currently feeding?

Thanks for that Cbrugs, I will check out Cytopoint, She is on a single protein diet of Venison from Natures Menu, and vension treats as well. But she does get a small bit of cheese (to get her meds down her! it never fails!) Also on tbs of live yoghurt and a probiotic as well.

 

[Stormsmummie]

She is adorable!

I have a Frenchie that has bad allergies since he was 5 months old(he is 3 years old now) and diet is the first place to start. I would try to get her off apoquel if you can due to the terrible side effects(my other dog was on it for allergies-not my Frenchie).

What do you feed her??? Brand and protein??

Does she itch? Or have bumps/hives? Ear or eye infections? I’m asking because my Frenchie has bad allergies and i give him Bovine Colostrum which has been really good and helpful to his environmental allergies and the diet change has been amazing for his food allergies.

You need to boost the immune system, unfortunately apoquel does the opposite.

How long has he been on the apoquel?
He will eventually rely on apoqul but if you just started him on apoquel you can try alternatives instead that don’t have those side effects. If it’s not real helpful I would try to get her off it. My vets recommended apoquel or Cytopoint and I declined because they often do more harm than good and they block the immune system, I have managed to improve his health and allergies thru diet and a couple immune boost supplements.

Raw diet or low carb diet would help.

Bovine Colostrum, probiotics, bone broth, omega 3 oil such as herring oil can really help.

Hi RustysOwner, yes I have my suspicions about Arpoquel she has been on it since January this year. Food wise she is currently on a single protein diet of Venison from Natures Menu, and vension treats as well. But she does get a small bit of cheese (to get her meds down her! it never fails!) Also on 2 tbs of live yoghurt and a probiotic as well. I want to get her allergy tested as I am not sure about beef... so I am keeping her to a single protein until I know what her allergies are - its been an expensive month with 3 trips to the vet so I am going get her allergy tested next month.

 

[Rusty’s Owner]

Hi RustysOwner, yes I have my suspicions about Arpoquel she has been on it since January this year. Food wise she is currently on a single protein diet of Venison from Natures Menu, and vension treats as well. But she does get a small bit of cheese (to get her meds down her! it never fails!) Also on 2 tbs of live yoghurt and a probiotic as well. I want to get her allergy tested as I am not sure about beef... so I am keeping her to a single protein until I know what her allergies are - its been an expensive month with 3 trips to the vet so I am going get her allergy tested next month.

Does the food have grains in it?? How long has she been on the food? I’m asking because they can ‘develop new’ food allergies to what they have been eating for months to years. Rusty actually just developed a allergy to pork from eating it daily a few months ago(that’s why I’m suggesting Variety once you know what proteins she can have).
Grains are also a common allergy(especially Frenchies).

The allergy testing, if your wanting to do the food allergy tests they are only about 50% accurate(I did it for Rusty 2 years ago) and it’s a starting point, if it says she is allergic to lamb for example but she has never been exposed to it(just like Rusty’s test showed-using that as example), Rusty was never exposed/had anything with lamb in it so it’s not a ‘true allergy’ because they have to have had the food before to actually become allergic to it.

I highly recommend trying a different protein(Turkey, Bison, Boar, venison, goat, rabbit, beef, kangaroo, some fish-herring is good) those are good proteins options for allergies. I would start by avoiding grains and most starches, and give 1 of those proteins I listed a try, watch her for 1 month to make sure she isn’t getting worse, then try another protein I listed to rotate thru and do the same(watch her again for any reactions for 1 month) and then try 1 more and do the same. The variety prevents them from developing new food allergies.
I would have at least 3 to rotate thru or your gonna be back to square 1 with her becoming allergic to what she is eating again.
Beef is not usually a problem for allergies unless they have had it in the past. It’s a neutral protein, if they haven’t been exposed to the protein before I would give it a try. Rusty does well in on beef too.
Salmon is also a common allergy, I would try to avoid it.


Since pollen is out and environmental allergies flare up, try her on bovine Colostrum powder to help her with any environmental allergies(this is a huge help for Rusty and also my other dog that was on apoquel).
It helps with environmental allergies and itchy and inflamed skin.

Wipe her paws down after being outside every time she comes in incase she is allergic to grass, mold, weeds and others like Rusty is. Also a bath 1-2 days a week can help her.

I would try to discontinue the cheese, and maybe the yougurt to see, but continue the probiotics.


If the test comes back with saying her allergies are certain proteins she has had in the past then yes she is allergic, she can’t be allergic to something without actually having it before.

I totally get it about the cost of vet bills and seeing the vet lots in a short time, Rusty had 32 vet bills just last year ONLY. Thankfully I have pet insurance. Now he is on a better food and has only seen the vet 1 time this year(in January) -knock on wood as I don’t want to speak too soon. and considering it’s almost May, I think that’s really good because his health improved thru better food and a couple supplements.

I have been thru all this with Rusty and vet dermatologist and everything too and the thing that helped the most is DIET and bovine Colostrum. The baths and paw wipes help remove the allergens off them for relief.

Rusty was getting at least 2 skin infections in 1 month for the last 2 years and nothing helped and I declined on apoquel and Cytopoint as that causes other health issues, then I put him on a low carb food and bovine Colostrum and problem seems to be gone.

Low carbs/starch in diet=minimal to no inflammation

Allergies are inflammatory condition and if you improve the diet with low carb, then it’s anti inflammatory as long as the dog hasn’t been exposed to that protein before.

Keep us updated!
I’m happy to help

 

[Stormsmummie]

Thanks so much for your kind and comprehensive reply, its a Single Protein cooked meat Venison with some veggies in it. No Grains at all I am just giving Venison at the moment.... yes I am concerned about the cheese tiny amount... but its the only way to get meds down her... atm. Once I have her allergy tested I will know more I guess... (I hope). Yes I am avoiding fish at the moment, I wipe her paws daily... but maybe I should do it more... but we are in and out of the garden all day so its tough... I use CLX wipes which are Chlorhexdrine and I apply organic coconut oil as well... She currently has a suspected UTI and is on antibiotics... so once they have finished, I will get her tested and then maybe remove the yoghurt but at the moment because of the antibiotics I think its good to keep her on it... as I have read you cannot overdose on Probiotics and I have only started the yoghurt this week coz of the antibiotics... but thank you so much for your info and I will look into the Bovine Colostrum for sure!

 

[Rusty’s Owner]

Thanks so much for your kind and comprehensive reply, its a Single Protein cooked meat Venison with some veggies in it. No Grains at all I am just giving Venison at the moment.... yes I am concerned about the cheese tiny amount... but its the only way to get meds down her... atm. Once I have her allergy tested I will know more I guess... (I hope). Yes I am avoiding fish at the moment, I wipe her paws daily... but maybe I should do it more... but we are in and out of the garden all day so its tough... I use CLX wipes which are Chlorhexdrine and I apply organic coconut oil as well... She currently has a suspected UTI and is on antibiotics... so once they have finished, I will get her tested and then maybe remove the yoghurt but at the moment because of the antibiotics I think its good to keep her on it... as I have read you cannot overdose on Probiotics and I have only started the yoghurt this week coz of the antibiotics... but thank you so much for your info and I will look into the Bovine Colostrum for sure!

Definitely keep the probiotics, especially since she is on antibiotics. I was just saying some dogs are allergic to yogurt, not all but some, goats milk and probiotic powders for dogs is what I give my dogs.

If she has a UTI, I would start her on a berry blend supplement(this is also good for allergies too), Rusty is on a berry blend due to UTI before and it’s really helpful(hasn’t had another since!). I use Four Leaf Rover Bovine colostrum which is really good. I will try to attach a photo of it and the berry blend I give Rusty.

How long has she been eating this venison food?? All her life??? Cause it could be since if there is no variety, he immune system reacts and develop allergy to what she has been eating every day for weeks to months without variety-thats how allergies start.

Allergies I know are so frustrating to deal with, but they are treatable/manageable, but if you can, I would try her off apoquel and see if it’s even effect for her cause if she doesn’t need it, I wouldn’t give it.

If you get bovine colostrum, give it 30 minutes before you feed her breakfast as it works better on empty stomach, then the food can be 30 minutes after. Most dogs love the powder!

The blue jar is the bovine Colostrum, red jar is red rover berry blend. The love bugs jar is the probiotics I give him. The Dermachlor 4 shampoo is what I bath him with(anti bacterial, anti fungal, anti septic) and then I use the duoxo calm mousse s3(pink bottle ) conditioner after the baths.

This treatment plan works wonders.

If you have any other questions/concerns let me know. When you get the results for allergy testing when you do it, let me know and I can help if you want?

I have done 3 courses on nutrition for dogs, and I enjoy helping others treat and prevent health issues thru diet and supplements. I also have been thru so many health issues with Rusty and my other dogs.
See below:

 

[Stormsmummie]

What is the berry blend called and can I get on Amazon? lol I am in the UK. She has been on the Venision for about a month and half, I am quite pleased with it, her poos are amazing lol. She was on Royal Canin Allergenic before, but I thought it was rubbish and I hate giving kibble anyway!

 

[Rusty’s Owner]

What is the berry blend called and can I get on Amazon? lol I am in the UK. She has been on the Venision for about a month and half, I am quite pleased with it, her poos are amazing lol. She was on Royal Canin Allergenic before, but I thought it was rubbish and I hate giving kibble anyway!

The berry blend is called Red Rover(Four Leaf Rover brand)

I’m not sure if you can get it on Amazon, I think I have seen the Four leaf Rover Red Rover and Bovine colostrum on some website (healthful pets UK)
I attached a screenshot of it and the website(I am in Canada but I googled it for you).

I too don’t give kibble to my dogs, I give Rusty Raised Right lightly cooked low carb grain free, it’s balanced and no synthetics(while foods only).

My other dogs are on Raw diet and doing very good(Rusty is picky and that’s why he isn’t already on raw diet).

Definitely stay away from RC and Purina, hills and eukanuba- all garbage/fillers and caused my other dogs kidney disease.
Maybe try raw for other proteins??

 

[Cbrugs]

Thanks for that Cbrugs, I will check out Cytopoint, She is on a single protein diet of Venison from Natures Menu, and vension treats as well. But she does get a small bit of cheese (to get her meds down her! it never fails!) Also on tbs of live yoghurt and a probiotic as well.

Venison is a warm/hot food so you could try a different protein that is more "cooling." I personally like to rotate between proteins so once one bag is done, I give a different protein in the same brand and so on. My 2 boys are both raw fed but my female gets Open Farm kibble.

 

[Stormsmummie]

Thanks to everyone for all your informative replies. Storm is certainly more challenging health wise than my previous doggo but I just love her so much! I am a total Frenchie convert!