More advice for a Frenchie's diet

[Daytonamags]

This is another posting about dog food brands for French bulldogs who may have allergies. I do not want to do complete raw.

My boy came from Ga about 4 years ago with no allergies. He was eating Meal Toppers from Stella and Chew's and Pro Plan and was doing well.

Then he started sneezing and itching for we started him on apoquel.. Vet thinks he might be ammune to it so I am trying a cytopoint shot on Wed.

I switched him to Zignature that was recommended by someone here on this forum. He loves food but now has (and has had) spotchy skin and red bumps.

Has now finished 2 antibiotics but hair is not growing in quickly. Any suggestions on food, why spotchy bumps are still there. Would like to get to the bottom of this.

Thanks.

M Greco

 

[2bullymama]

Which Zingnature are you using… go with a single protein like turkey or duck to start

 

[FrenchieSurprise]

I would be sure you are feeding a grain-free diet for now, reading ingredients on the label. I think ProPlan has corn ( lots of corn sensitivity) but if you are using a limited-ingredient Zignature, it is grain- free. I have also read that there is a significant occurrence of chicken protein allergy in bulldogs, so choose a limited ingredient, grain-free non-chicken diet, agree on a single protein source.
I would also be sure all treats and any toppers have limited ingredients and no chicken, grains including corn or wheat.

Is it possible your boy has sensitivity or allergy to your laundry detergent or fabric softener , or something else in your environment? It’s not always the food. If there were any changes in your home environment prior to your Frenchie’s allergy symptoms, they may be the cause. Shampoos and any grooming agents can cause allergy or sensitivity (yours and your Frenchies!) Did you change your moisturizer or perfume? Have to think about anything your boy is exposed to, remembering it can take some time and more than one exposure to develop allergies.
Consider switching to a detergent for his bedding and your clothes, linens, towels ( anything that touches his skin) that has no perfumes or dyes, and if using a fabric softener, the same. A friend of mine was using a new carpet cleaner that caused allergic dermatitis in her Frenchie, found with detective work. If your Frenchie isn’t improving, you may want to talk with your vet about referral for an immunology evaluation. On the other hand, the diet changes and removing potential allergens in his environment can only help. (sorry so long, but hope it helps)

 

[FrenchieSurprise]

Also while talking about diets, and this may have already been posted, (if so please excuse): raw diets involving chicken and turkey ( any bird) should be avoided as the H5N1 avian flu (bird flu) has been found in contaminated poultry meat. There have been at least 2 cats that have been documented to contract the illness from commercial raw chicken diets, and died. Other cats contracted the illness and died after drinking raw milk, as dairy Cows have also been infected. While I have not read about raw beef diets passing on the infection to animals, there is concern and recommendation to consider avoiding raw diets in pets, avoid pet contact with wild waterfowl ( report of transmission), and washing hands thoroughly if handling raw meats or raw diet for pets. ( Will try to attach a link to article with some of this data, FEB 14, 2025, Origon vet association)

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI): Two Cats in Multnomah County Became Ill & Were Euthanized After Eating Raw Food Positive for HPAI | Oregon Veterinary Medical Association

 

[Tori39648]

This is another posting about dog food brands for French bulldogs who may have allergies. I do not want to do complete raw.

My boy came from Ga about 4 years ago with no allergies. He was eating Meal Toppers from Stella and Chew's and Pro Plan and was doing well.

Then he started sneezing and itching for we started him on apoquel.. Vet thinks he might be ammune to it so I am trying a cytopoint shot on Wed.

I switched him to Zignature that was recommended by someone here on this forum. He loves food but now has (and has had) spotchy skin and red bumps.

Has now finished 2 antibiotics but hair is not growing in quickly. Any suggestions on food, why spotchy bumps are still there. Would like to get to the bottom of this.

Thanks.

M Greco

The biggest help to me was having my boy allergy tested. He ended up being allergic to Chicken, Turkey, Tomato's, oats, flax, peas, corn to name a few. Then I went through I can't even tell you how many foods and read their ingredients list and was able to narrow it down to three brands that didn't have some sort of ingredient he wasn't allergic to. If I had to do that by trial and error, it would have taken years to figure out what he could and couldn't have. We also started him on immunological shots just as a person takes allergy shots. the testing and shots cost me around 300 USD, so it was worth it for us. The three brands we can use are Canine Caviar, Arcana and Badlands Ranch. best wishes to you and your baby allergies can drive you both insane.