Skin irritation & inflammation

[frankiethefrenchie]

Hi all

I am at a total loss as to what is wrong with my dog Frankie, so thought what better place to come to. Hopefully someone will recognise these symptoms & be able to help me pinpoint the problem

Frankie is nearly 7 months old and for the past 5-6 weeks, she has had a skin irritation around her vulva and in her ears. She started by scooting and scratching her ears one night and the next morning, she had scratched her ears so much they were red raw. She had scooted so much that her vulva was swollen and weeping, from when she had rubbed off the skin.

We took her straight to the vet and he concluded it was a severe skin irritation with the cause unknown, possibly an allergy. He gave us a cream to use on the affected areas for a week and it seemed to clear up. We went back just before christmas and there was only a mild irritation in her left ear.

It's 5:45am now and I've been up for the past hour because Frankie won't stop scratching her ears again

She is still scooting, mainly first thing in the mornings, although the irritation around her vulva has not come back. She scratches at her ears every day, some days worse than others.

I'm going to take her back to the vets, but wondered if anyone else had experienced anything similar with their French Bulldog that could help us pin point the problem?

I had recently changed her food from Purina puppy beta to Royal Canin, so I reverted back to Purina but no difference.

Please help us!

Thank you x

 

[MaplesMommy]

Do her ears smell? Often ears are itchy due to a yeast problem, although the vulva isnt a common area (usually its ears,paws,elbows)...

Either way Id switch to a better quality food ASAP. RC and Purina are both very bad food and are very high in carbohydrates which turn into sugar & yeast lives on sugar.

Your vet can swap for yeast and if thats the problem it can be fixed by eliminating all/most carbs from her diet, a probiotic & Omega 3 Oil and ACV to use topically in order for it to create a more acidic environment.
Coconut Oil is also anti fungal and can be used around her vulva (but she might lick it off).

For now Id ask the vet to swap for yeast & definitely switch to a better food.

 

[Cbrugs]

I agree with the above. Both Purina and Royal Canin are not of good quality. A lot of people on here feed Fromm, Acana or Orijen. Some people also homecook and others feed raw. You can look at food ratings at dogfoodadvisor.com.

Definitely ask the vet to test for yeast.

 

[Squishy Walnuts]

It definitely sounds like allergies &/or a yeast problem. I agree with the others, please find a better food for Frankie. You might have to play around with what works for her. Good luck!!

 

[2bullymama]

:welcome3: to FBN ... so sorry your baby is going through all this, but it most likely is the food -- as others have stated Purina and RC are not good foods at all -- all fillers and junk.

Look into a quality grain free kibble or even if interested go raw.

Acana
Orijen
Fromm
Earthborn
The Honest Kitchen
Taste of the Wild

are a few brands to look into

 

[Jakeyjake]

Poor Frankie! I agree with what everyone else has said above. Sounds like a yeast issue. I would just also make sure not to get water in her ears and keep her vulva dry and clean. I would also look for a food without potatos (white) as they are inflammatory and can definitely contribute to ear infections/yeast. When looking for a new food, the first ingredient should be a specific protein (as opposed to animal by-products, or corn, etc.). Dogfoodadvisor.com is a great resource. The guy who started the site lost his dog from a dog food recall and he has dedicated himself to helping us all make more informed decisions about what we feed our pets. Good luck and don't forget to transition slowly if you switch foods to avoid tummy problems.

 

[Alice Kable]

I agree with the yeast advice and getting her on a better food. We feed Nature's Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient which has ended our food allergy problems!