How to prevent severe insect bite allergies in my English Bulldog?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. The best way to prevent allergies is by preventing the possible allergic component if one is known. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Once it is established that food allergy is present, you can either feed him with hypoallergenic diet or exclusion ones (based on one source of carbohydrates and one of proteins). This food should be given at least for 6 weeks before appreciating results. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat Shabana with a high quality flea treatment (e.g. advocate or advantage), then get her to the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try discovering the cause of the allergy. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). simultaneously you should start her on a prescription hypoallergenic diet for at least 2 months. Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider putting her on a long term allergy treatment (Atopica or Apoquel).

I'm so sorry Winston is having allergy problems. If his symptoms are all skin related I would recommend first getting a referral to a veterinary dermatologist. They can help determine what may be the cause of the skin disease and if allergy testing is necessary. Allergies can be either from environmental causes or food related, if food related a very strict food trial is the best way to determine that. Typically a Futrell is done with a prescription diet of novel protein and novel carbohydrate sources, meaning that there is nothing in the food that Winston has ever eaten before at all. So that typically requires a specific prescription diet of novel protein source or a hydrolyzed diet. While undergoing the field trial a dog cannot eat anything except for that specific food for a period of three months in order to determine if food allergies are the problem. No treats no table scraps nothing they can scavenge outside, etc. so few trials require a good bit of effort and dedication from the owner. Which is why I recommend a dermatology first to make sure a good trial is even necessary. Some bulldogs suffer from Atopy a skin condition that may mimic allergies but no identifiable trigger. Good luck with Winston. Itchy skin dogs can be a challenge for owners and vets. I hope he gets relief soon.

I like the Seresto collar. It is effective and one collar lasts 8 months. It can even get wet! It has different medication than those other products you mentioned and since it is very slow release he may not react to it. All you can do is try I suppose. https://www.petbasics.com/dog-products/seresto-for-dogs/?pref=dog Hope this helps. Best wishes.

That is very scary and I am glad she has recovered! You need an epipen for Lilo. Speak with your veterinarian about getting one of these to keep on hand in case she gets stung again. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Allergies are a common problem in this breed. It can be from food or the environment. You have several options left to try though. You can change the food to a hypoallergenic form such as royal canin rabbit and potato or a food that is similar to contain a single protein and single carbohydrate. Because it responds well to steroids, that strongly suggest there is an environmental component also. They medicine similar to cortisone but without the side effects called Apoquel that is worth looking into. It helps with inflammation and scratching. These can all be combined with the antihistamine you currently give. I would also recommend a medicated shampoo bath weekly to help with the skin. They do make allergy testing in the form a blood sample or more accurate with a skin test to find out exactly what the cause is. this is more expensive, but a specific vaccine can be made specially tailored to him based on the results to desensitize him to the allergens. You have several options to explore to help keep him comforatble