White dog with red skin

by **randomroads** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:40 am

6 year old all white American Bulldog. When she was in the shelter the vet said she needed hypoallergenic food and they were feeding science diet. She has the bumps all over like dried up crusty zits that are shrinking. If you mess with them you can get the crusty part off very easily and it doesn't bother her at all. No itching, no chewing, no licking. She drug her chest and belly on grass/carpet/dirt and now her chest is an angry inflamed red patchy color but again - no licking, chewing, scratching or even noticing it's there.

On her belly, chest, armpits, and inside hind legs even into the hair her skin appears to be flakey, like if you get a sunburn, it heals, but is still flaking off very slightly. She doesn't appear to have any sun damage.

She's not on any kind of medication to suppress allergic reactions. When she's at rest her skin is a light pink color, and when she gets riled up she flushes bright red, including inside of her ears and around her mouth and eyes. She does not have any kind of strong odor, just smells a bit like a dog that needs a bath after being in the pound.

Any ideas? Pictures later today.

by **dogs4jen** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 3:08 pm

It sounds like hives, has she seen a vet at all? I would try some Benadryl, along with a better food if you haven't switched yet. Maybe Natural Balance would be good to try first. Salmon oil might help too.

by **randomroads** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 3:51 pm

The shelter has their own vet, but obviously they're only interested in keeping them healthy for adoption. She's seeing the vet at 3:15 today. I am currently her very small 1/3 cup 2x day of Simply Nourish salmon and sweet potato to get her switched over gradually. I've had her since Saturday, so it's too early to tell anything yet.

by **dogs4jen** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 10:40 am

How did it go at the vet?

by **randomroads** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 6:05 pm

My computer refuses to recognize my camera for some reason. I can't upload any pictures, but her skin is looking better after our visit.

The vet decided that she has a slight staph infection and that's what causing the inflamed areas to break out and get crusty. Her chest DID become a bit bumpy and crusty within the last few days. He gave some antibiotics and wants to see her again in two weeks to evaluate how she's doing. He wasn't too concerned and said he'd seen several dogs from that shelter have similar issues and he wonders if it's the chemicals they use to disinfect. He did highly recommend she wear a tshirt at all times to prevent her from aggravating her raw chest and sunscreen when we're outside.

All in all she's very healthy and I've started her on Simply Nourish Salmon and Sweet Potato.

by **MrPryce** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 11:22 am

It's not the chemical they use to disinfect... It's the dog food their feeding!

by **PitBull-Lady** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 9:54 pm

Being a hive and staph house (2 different dogs mind you) I thought of both after reading your post. Good thing your vet addressed them:) Having been in the shelter, poor thing is coming off of being a bundle of nerves anyway. Hopefully you got some antibiotics and are going to give her a bath.

Pay attention to poop over the next week and see what you get. My very white male has a very sensitive stomach and reacts to rich food (well, poor food too) You'll probably find yourself switching food a few times anyway, but the poop will tell you how she is doing too. Ask your vet what they think, but I like firm but soft poop. Not nuggets, and not soufflé but somewhere in between. Every dog is different.

Obviously, be concerned, but remember this poor thing has been through a lot. A nice soothing bath, some good care and a weeks time will probably for wonders.