Can someone help me please

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you going have to find money sorry, it could eb anybody looks ver painful

Do you not have him insured? You really need to have him under veterinary care if he's that uncomfortable. What are you feeding him?

Not insured no, I never even thought about it till now as this is the only time he has ever been bad.

When I say constant scratching it's not like he is doing it 24/7, like now he is sleeping. But once in a while he gets up to lick his paws and scratch like crazy. He is also dragging his bum across the floor, like something is irritating him.

He has PAL dog food and numerous other things, like Iams once in a while and dental sticks etc. But he has always had these so I don't think it's a allergic reaction.

Maybe it is just a job for the vet.

If you are not currently employed there is a scheme for animals called the pdsa at £7.50 for three months you only need to make a contribution when visiting the vet you must seek a vet you need hoising benefit and council tax benefit proof and you have to send them to the pdsa. Payment accepted is either bank or postal order.

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Okay, it may not be a reaction to the food, but that food won't be helping his immune system and ability to keep healthy fight infection because it has very poor quality ingredients. Could you afford to swap to a slightly higher quality diet?

cj86 wrote:Yeah I am working on getting him the vet soon, not sure how long it will be but will try and not keep him waiting too long.

I a going to look into the insurance thing too, thank you.

OMG is this a wind up?

The gash on his face looks nasty! You say, "He also has devoloped a nasty gash on his face which I think come about form his scratching, the only problem now is that it doesn't heal. It keeps opening up and seems to get bigger each time."

How long has he been like this then, if its not healing and is getting bigger?! You may not have much money (nor have a lot of us) but by leaving things so long you risk these symptoms getting worse and infected, leading to more expensive treatment than getting it sorted at the start of it!

you really need to get your dog sorted out at the vets.

Looks like a reaction to something, you need to start ruling things out, if its a dust/grass allergy, start bathing him daily with cool water, to cool down his skin and wash off anything that is irritating him like grass seeds and dust, are the areas hot to the touch? this could mean infection and pain when areas of the body are hotter than others.
Honestly if you can not afford a dogs medical care..one shouldn't have one, sorry to be blunt but its my opinion, do you smoke? do you drink? anything else? quit it and get him to the vets. that gash on his head looks infected, he may have something as simple as a skin infection/mange and will need medicated shampoo's and or antibiotics.
some vets will accept installment payments.

Poor dog, beg, borrow or steal but please take him to the vets ASAP as it is he who is pain.

*Ouch*

I have a sparse haired white staffy/bully cross and such dogs are more prone to problems with their skin. Your dogs skin looks increadibly sore and must be driving him crazy. You need to get him to a vet ASAP Please - contact the PDSA if vet costs are an issue before your dog suffers. If the cost is too much you may need to talk to the RSPCA for your dogs sake.

Pink had a similar looking infected rash complete with blisters. It took a prescribed course of steroids to surpress the dreadful itch coupled with the right anti-biotics for her skin to heal. The total vet bill was £60. Thankfully I have both insurance and a 'vet fund' of cash for emergency use although in real medical emergencies my vet has allowed me to pay the bill later. Some vets are willing to accept pay what you can and then in instalments if they know you.

The most important thing is to get his skin treated by a vet.

Once you know what your dealing with you can then become a detective and try and work out what caused the problem to develop in the first place. Some bull terriers can have sensitive tums that make their skin itch so they scratch till they bleed, others react to things around them such as grass or biologial washing powder in their bedding.

Pls find the money somehow to take him to the vet, he shouldn't be suffering! If you are unable to care for him please consider rehoming him sooner rather than later, to a good home! No dog should be subjected to this.

Please please please get him to the vet, it's not very fair to have him suffering so much

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Get the dog wormed as well

cj86 wrote:Okay have his appointment for next week, Thursday I will be taking him up. Trust me he is not in tremendous pain or anything like that, I would never sit back and watch him in pain, I love him very much, is just more of an annoyance for him. He is still bombing it round the park with his ball and eating his food, and sleeping lots as he is lazy. I noticed when he has a distraction he doesn't scratch as much, so I will keep an eye on him.

I will see what the vet says and go from there.

I will report back and let you know what happens.

Im glad. Yes please let us know how you get on.

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My son deeply scabbed up his elbow a few years ago and I always thought you left them to dry and heal/fall off. But the nurse ( when he injured it we didn't know if he had damaged his elbow so had trip to hosp to check) she said once it begins to dry and crust, gently put some Vaseline on it. Helps stop the itching. It healed really well too. Don't do it while its open, but may be worth a try? Mind the eye area of course.

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From expereince there are two types of scabs- normal healthy ones where skin forms underneath and the less healthy one where anerobic [none air breathing] bacteria like to get busy and party underneath. These tend to be rather itchy and continually come off without healing until the right anti-biotic nails the bacteria that prevent the skin from healing. These kind of scabs tend to move as the bacteria produce a slighly slimey home from home between the damaged skin and scab. Do not put vaseline on such scabs as that just helps the bacteria multiply. Might be wiser to keep it clean with a suitable dog antispetic wound wash then pat it dry with a clean piece of none linting kichen towel. Do not rub such wounds as the skin tends to be fragile and rubs off.

Do what you can to distract him for now. There are some ideas for simple fun toys on the forum you can make at home. Brain games will also help wear him out and occupy his mind away from his skin.

Do what you can to keep him comfortable but be ready to take him to the vet if the infection spreads rapidly or the damaged open area is more than the area of your palm- both those events would constitute an emergency as your dog could become acutely unwell very quickly. Hopefully neither of those two things will happen but its a risk with a white haired bull terrier.

The more he damages his skin by scratching the more wide spread the infection can get. When Pink was really sore and itchy I gave her an old cotton sheet boiled washed in none biological liguid [use the liguid as it does not leave the soap residue that powders leave behind] on top of her bed. It was easy to strip and wash and replace with another clean cool piece of cotton. I also cheated and used large pop bottles filled with water that I froze in the freezer. Dress them with a large sports sock and you have an instant cooling bottle. Being too warm can make the itch far worse so letting your dog have the option of a cool spot they can lean on when they feel they need to can help.

Hope that helps and good luck at the vets.

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I don't want to worry you but there's this horrible disease going around mainly in the New Forest called Alabama Rot where the dog gets lesions etc :-

http://www.countryfile.com/news/alabama-rot-dog-disease-what-you-need-know

i hope your vet gets it sorted for him

Great you're getting him to the vet!

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Thank you for letting us know how you got on at the vet, a few of us do have dogs who react to all sorts of odd things and yes it can be a bit of a detective trail to work out what causes what.

Hopefully the injection will help calm the itching down and break the itch-scratch -open skin- itch cycle.

Pink when I first had her had itchy lumps from eating Pedigree Chum and biscuits at the rescue; I switched her to Purina Sensitive Kibble [1 small cup per day so a small bag at £5.99 lasts her a month] and one tray of Natures Diet [about 90p-£1 per day] with half a cup of terrier meal [£4 per month] as she likes a bit of crunch. Try and avoid the cheaper kibbles filled with colourants as they are added to make the food look more appitising to humans, dogs use their nose.

I use a thin duvet and childrens fleeces from the range for her bedding. This makes it easy to damp dust her crate and wash her bedding. It also dries fairly fast. I use none-biological liguid to wash Pink's bedding and soft harnesses. This helps keep dust mites down although its the dander the things produce that causes the most itch.

I tend to use simple cleaning products such as white vinegar and none aresol polish. I once used a supermarket spray polish and Pink spent all evenng sneezing and scratching her face.

I had to stop walking her in long flowering grass druing the summer as she broke out in itchy hives on her tum. Short none flowering grass was not an issue nor was walking in woodland.

I also put cotton covers over my soft furnsihings so I can easily clean, thankfullly downstairs is all hard floor with throw rugs that can easily be washed and dragged out to be blasted by sunlight on warm dry days.

Good luck. Your welcome to come back and ask folk what they have found helpful for thier dogs and so on as you work out what will make life more comfy for your lad.

Thanks for the update. Hope it helps relieve the itching. Good luck finding out what sets it off.
As Cait said there are lots of people on here with dogs that suffer with allergies, so there will be lots of help and advice.

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I would give the vet a call asap sounds like they should be able to advise over the phone

Preds are steroids and not something to be messed around with - they can be useful in the short term but if he's having that many side effects they may need to lower the dose or try a different treatment. For now though, stop the steroids and call the emergency vet for advice - they may be able to just give advice over the phone as Jules has said. There are always horror stories online - best to speak to a professional.

I agree with Rachel above. Speak to the Vet and don't rely on the stories you read on the internet.

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So glad that your mind has been put at rest and your boy is improving.

Steroids are great for this type of thing and usually only used short term.
Its worth the extra drinking and peeing to get it sorted, but these side
effects can be worrying if you don't know that they are normal.

Pleased to hear things are improving

Glad to hear things are improving but can understand your worry. Short term, steroids are a great help

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Im glad he is all better he looks so comfy wrapped up in his bed.

It makes me so sad to see someone write "I can't afford to take them to the vet". They rely on you, they can't take themselves, if you can't afford a vet check up, it's prob best you don't have a pet until you can afford standard vet bills. I am not trying to be harsh but that breaks my heart.
But in saying that I am glad you finally did it and he is now doing well.

Nalabala wrote:It makes me so sad to see someone write "I can't afford to take them to the vet". They rely on you, they can't take themselves, if you can't afford a vet check up, it's prob best you don't have a pet until you can afford standard vet bills. I am not trying to be harsh but that breaks my heart.
But in saying that I am glad you finally did it and he is now doing well.

Did you not read the thread?

He has been the vet, do you think I would let him suffer?

I have had him since 2007, do you think I had no money back then and decided I should get a dog? Times changed, specially in this world and how it is today, do not tell me to get rid of or re home my dog due to a rough period with not having much money. That is like telling a mother to get rid of her kid because she is low of money, that is how it is to me, there is no way I would get rid of him, in fact I feel insulted being told that!!!!!

Thank you very much you to the people who actually helped, but will not come back here as I do not feel like being preached too.

Please delete this account

cj86 wrote:

Nalabala wrote:It makes me so sad to see someone write "I can't afford to take them to the vet". They rely on you, they can't take themselves, if you can't afford a vet check up, it's prob best you don't have a pet until you can afford standard vet bills. I am not trying to be harsh but that breaks my heart.
But in saying that I am glad you finally did it and he is now doing well.

Did you not read the thread?

Yes, I did. Hence my last comment saying, "in saying that, I am glad you finally did it and he is now doing well"
It was a general comment I made, along with others in this thread as it happens very often that people can't afford to take their pets. Yours was an example, but one that had a happy ending.
I am sorry that you didn't read my whole post and thus took it wrong.

Nalabala your point was reasonable hope you don't take cj86 jumping ship to hard I think that was a bit of a knee jerk reaction.

Cheers

Or maybe a guilt complex !