New to the forum!

[Rusty’s Owner]

Hi everyone!

This is my very first post/thread, I have only gave 2 other people advice for their Frenchie.

I thought I would tell you about my Frenchie, Rusty!

Rusty will be 3 years old in a few weeks.
He is a great dog and my very first Frenchie. He loves to play ball/fetch.

He has a few Heath issues:

Allergies/atopic dermatitis and food allergies(he sees a dermatologist and is on allergy specific immunotherapy injections as well as a few home cooked recipes that a vet nutritionist formulated for him a few months ago- they ARE balanced )- he won’t eat any kibble or canned food at all, might consider raw in the future since cooking for him takes a lot of time, but not for a while I will change anything since it’s allergy season starting.

Has anyone don’t the allergy specific immunotherapy injections(the dermatologist did the skin test to know what environmental allergies he is allergic to)-anyone have done this before??? He has been on these injections for 8 months. I have to bath him every other day to maintain his skin so he doesn’t get anymore skin infections. This is the gold standard for allergy treatment for environmental allergies(I don’t want to use apoquel or Cytopoint). Anyone have success with the allergy specific immunotherapy injections??

He requires a snack before bed due to vomiting in the morning from empty stomach- which he Has not vomited ever since I did the snack right before bed.

He used to get struvite crystals in urine, I use supplements and the home cooked and that has stopped the crystals from returning. I also add water to his food.

He had an eyelid tumour removed when he had the allergy skin testing done.
He has idiopathic head tremors-he hasn’t really had any since I started cooking for him.

He still has ingrown eyelashes that were plucked before and they returned.

He had his elongated soft palate surgery in November and it’s definitely made a difference.

His home cooked diet is low carb to keep the tumour from returning- these recipes I rotate thru:
Turkey and butternut squash
Buffalo and butternut squash
Beef and sweet potato
Pork and sweet potato

He likes the variety! He is such a picky dog!!

I look forward to being a part of this Frenchie community/site.

I would like to be able to get advice and offer advice as well

I have attached a couple photos of Rusty!

 

[Jeffc]

He’s a handsome boy. Welcome there are many knowledgeable and helpful people here.

 

[2bullymama]

Welcome to FBN! Rusty is one handsome fella!

I tried the serum shots with my first bulldog for I think two years and there was absolutely no benefits for him. We switched to raw food and he cleared up on most issues, environmentAl we’re still a problem, but it cleared up his food issues.

my current bulldog is allergic to all things green, so we do Cytopoint shots every 4-6 weeks which work great for him. He has been on raw since we got him at 10 weeks without issue. We buy local from a place about 1 30 minutes from our home.

 

[Rusty’s Owner]

Welcome to FBN! Rusty is one handsome fella!

I tried the serum shots with my first bulldog for I think two years and there was absolutely no benefits for him. We switched to raw food and he cleared up on most issues, environmentAl we’re still a problem, but it cleared up his food issues.

my current bulldog is allergic to all things green, so we do Cytopoint shots every 4-6 weeks which work great for him. He has been on raw since we got him at 10 weeks without issue. We buy local from a place about 1 30 minutes from our home.

Thank you for your reply and sharing your experience with the allergies.

The allergy specific immunotherapy injections have been helpful for Rusty but havent fully cured him for the environmental allergies(I wasn’t expecting him to be cured from it). They say it can take up to 1 year and it’s only been 8 months since we started. His skin is 80% better than it was and we still have to use the topical treatments from the vet dermatologist he sees. He gets bathed every other day, eye rinse with eye stream daily, ear wash twice a week. When allergy season starts we will have to do topical treatments every day.
Unfortunately he now has a ton of bumps on his face which I can’t use the medicated shampoo on his face cause it can’t get near his mouth or eyes. So now we have to go to the dermatologist next week and see what else I can put on it. Every time his skin gets bad he always gets a skin infection and is fully antibiotic resistant to all antibiotics so there is nothing to treat a skin infection. His skin is really good other than his face.
The difference his injections have made as well as the topical treatments are great but that doesn’t mean he won’t get bumps and reactions!
He can’t have apoquel or Cytopoint or Atopica or Benadryl, they all have made him sick!

Thanks for sharing what worked for your bulldog!

Rusty is allergic to all grasses, pollen, mold, mites, dust and trees and bushes and also the yeast that live on his skin! And dander as well and some foods such as salmon, and acorn squash and all grains, wheat and certain preservatives and other fish!

It definitely is hard to deal with environmental allergies.
He gets bovine colostrum, berry blend, broccoli sprouts greens blend, immunity mushrooms for immune boost and allergies, herring oil(this has helped and he isn’t allergic to it), probiotics, bone broth. All those supplements have also helped his allergies and inflammation and he is not allergic to any of them, just helps his allergies and immune system.

I cook for him which has definitely helped, I have considered raw for him but just haven’t tried it yet. He only gets beef liver for treats. The dermatologist and the regular vet are against raw food so it’s hard because he has so many health issues that he had to go to the vet 30 times last year which is SO much. So if he is on raw and does not tolerate it for any reason I can’t tell the vet he is on raw and that is the only reason he is not on it lol.
Thankfully I do have pet insurance which has been great.

Once allergy season is gone and we have his allergies under control, I will consider switching him to raw

 

[Cbrugs]

Welcome!

Jax will be 9 in April and he is allergic to everything green outside. We did the intradermal skin test when he was maybe around 2 and started on allergy shots. He was also on Apoquel and got baths every week. I also switched him to raw feeding. I stopped the allergy shots and he switched to Cytopoint. He just got an injection this week and the last one was in October. He no longer needs baths every week either. One of his supplements is Canine Matrix Skin and Coat.

 

[Rusty’s Owner]

Welcome!

Jax will be 9 in April and he is allergic to everything green outside. We did the intradermal skin test when he was maybe around 2 and started on allergy shots. He was also on Apoquel and got baths every week. I also switched him to raw feeding. I stopped the allergy shots and he switched to Cytopoint. He just got an injection this week and the last one was in October. He no longer needs baths every week either. One of his supplements is Canine Matrix Skin and Coat.

Thank you for sharing your experience and what worked for Jax!
Did the allergy specific immunotherapy injections not work at all????
Rusty can’t have Apoquel, Cytopoint or Benadryl or Atopica. None of those options worked for Rusty and he got really sick.

Was it the raw food that have helped the most??
Rusty gets a allergy specific immunotherapy injection every 3 weeks and it seems to help and I have seen 80% improvement in his skin but I never expected the injections to cure his allergies.

I’m considering raw but my vets and the dermatologist also is against raw food so I can’t tell them if for any reason he doesn’t tolerate the raw.
I currently cook for him.
He has quite a bit of health concerns and was at the vet often(30 vet visits last year because of the health issues)!

Rusty will be 3 years in 2 weeks, we did the allergy skin test 9 months ago then did the Rush immunotherapy so it would be effective quicker.
Rusty is also a picky eater!
How long has he been on raw for? Just curious as I know it takes a while to see a difference(sometimes 3 months).

How long did it take to notice improvement for allergies when he was started on raw??

 

[Cbrugs]

Thank you for sharing your experience and what worked for Jax!
Did the allergy specific immunotherapy injections not work at all????
Rusty can’t have Apoquel, Cytopoint or Benadryl or Atopica. None of those options worked for Rusty and he got really sick.

Was it the raw food that have helped the most??
Rusty gets a allergy specific immunotherapy injection every 3 weeks and it seems to help and I have seen 80% improvement in his skin but I never expected the injections to cure his allergies.

I’m considering raw but my vets and the dermatologist also is against raw food so I can’t tell them if for any reason he doesn’t tolerate the raw.
I currently cook for him.
He has quite a bit of health concerns and was at the vet often(30 vet visits last year because of the health issues)!

Rusty will be 3 years in 2 weeks, we did the allergy skin test 9 months ago then did the Rush immunotherapy so it would be effective quicker.
Rusty is also a picky eater!
How long has he been on raw for? Just curious as I know it takes a while to see a difference(sometimes 3 months).

How long did it take to notice improvement for allergies when he was started on raw??

I can’t remember how long I did the allergy shots for but I didn’t want to give them if I didn’t need to and the Apoquel helped a lot. Then Cytopoint came out and that was the lesser of the two evils and that is what has helped tremendously. He’s been on raw for several years and it helps but not enough to give the Cytopoint.

A lot of vets don’t like raw because most of them don’t study nutrition. I tried every kibble possible and Jax didn’t do good on any of them and that is why I switched.

 

[Rusty’s Owner]

I can’t remember how long I did the allergy shots for but I didn’t want to give them if I didn’t need to and the Apoquel helped a lot. Then Cytopoint came out and that was the lesser of the two evils and that is what has helped tremendously. He’s been on raw for several years and it helps but not enough to give the Cytopoint.

A lot of vets don’t like raw because most of them don’t study nutrition. I tried every kibble possible and Jax didn’t do good on any of them and that is why I switched.

That’s great you found something that works!

I know vets sell “low quality food” and they all say no raw because of the bacteria but I am still considering it, I just won’t tell the vet lol.
I have tried over 14 different brands of kibbles and canned in all flavours and brands and he won’t eat anything of those(only what I cook for him) but it’s just so time consuming so that’s part of why I’m considering raw. The vitamin blend it requires is also very expensive so that’s another good thing about raw is I won’t have to use that blend.

I have only been told by the pet store to feed raw and told don’t feed it by the vets, now with more research and also hearing some of you members have had success with switching to raw im even more wanting to switch to raw but I think I’m gonna wait until allergy season is over and we have all his allergies managed.

Thanks for the help/info!

 

[Cbrugs]

That’s great you found something that works!

I know vets sell “low quality food” and they all say no raw because of the bacteria but I am still considering it, I just won’t tell the vet lol.
I have tried over 14 different brands of kibbles and canned in all flavours and brands and he won’t eat anything of those(only what I cook for him) but it’s just so time consuming so that’s part of why I’m considering raw. The vitamin blend it requires is also very expensive so that’s another good thing about raw is I won’t have to use that blend.

I have only been told by the pet store to feed raw and told don’t feed it by the vets, now with more research and also hearing some of you members have had success with switching to raw im even more wanting to switch to raw but I think I’m gonna wait until allergy season is over and we have all his allergies managed.

Thanks for the help/info!

Feeding raw is no different than preparing raw meat for human consumption as far as bacteria goes. Wash your hands, wash the bowls, wipe your counters. I’ve never had an issue with bacteria and my dogs even lick me after they eat. I’m a vegetarian and tried everything possible to not feed raw but nothing worked. Switching to raw was the best choice for Jax.

 

[2bullymama]

That’s great you found something that works!

I know vets sell “low quality food” and they all say no raw because of the bacteria but I am still considering it, I just won’t tell the vet lol.
I have tried over 14 different brands of kibbles and canned in all flavours and brands and he won’t eat anything of those(only what I cook for him) but it’s just so time consuming so that’s part of why I’m considering raw. The vitamin blend it requires is also very expensive so that’s another good thing about raw is I won’t have to use that blend.

I have only been told by the pet store to feed raw and told don’t feed it by the vets, now with more research and also hearing some of you members have had success with switching to raw im even more wanting to switch to raw but I think I’m gonna wait until allergy season is over and we have all his allergies managed.

Thanks for the help/info!

Just rereading… if Rustynis allergic to mites.. then kibble will not work as mites live in kibble that is stored at room temperature. I know you said you stopped kibble so that is one less factor

 

[Rusty’s Owner]

Just rereading… if Rustynis allergic to mites.. then kibble will not work as mites live in kibble that is stored at room temperature. I know you said you stopped kibble so that is one less factor

Rusty has not had any kibble for 10 months as he never liked any kind and was super picky he never liked canned foods either and I ended up cooking his food and now I’m considering switching him to raw food diet but I only want to do it when I know his environmental allergies are under control so I know if for any reason he doesn’t tolerate raw or has a flare up I would know what he is reacting to. He is also very picky and my vet is against raw so that’s also why I haven’t switched him to raw yet, I will just not tel my vet or the dermatologist when I do switch him cause they are totally against it. That is the main reason I haven’t already switched him to raw

I also never will switch him back to kibble

I never knew kibble contains mites, but I know there is a lot of downsides to kibble too.
Storage mites he is allergic to as well.

He is also allergic to dander and dust and mold and so many environmental allergies too(grasses, pollen, trees and other things) thankfully I have fake grass in the yard but on walks it’s impossible to avoid.

I do buy freeze dried beef liver as the treats he gets.


How long did it take for you to see the benefits of feeding raw for the allergy issues to improve??? Does it take like 12 weeks or less to notice the benefits for even a little improvement in the allergy issues??

Just curious how long it takes?

 

[2bullymama]

Rusty has not had any kibble for 10 months as he never liked any kind and was super picky he never liked canned foods either and I ended up cooking his food and now I’m considering switching him to raw food diet but I only want to do it when I know his environmental allergies are under control so I know if for any reason he doesn’t tolerate raw or has a flare up I would know what he is reacting to. He is also very picky and my vet is against raw so that’s also why I haven’t switched him to raw yet, I will just not tel my vet or the dermatologist when I do switch him cause they are totally against it. That is the main reason I haven’t already switched him to raw

I also never will switch him back to kibble

I never knew kibble contains mites, but I know there is a lot of downsides to kibble too.
Storage mites he is allergic to as well.

He is also allergic to dander and dust and mold and so many environmental allergies too(grasses, pollen, trees and other things) thankfully I have fake grass in the yard but on walks it’s impossible to avoid.

I do buy freeze dried beef liver as the treats he gets.


How long did it take for you to see the benefits of feeding raw for the allergy issues to improve??? Does it take like 12 weeks or less to notice the benefits for even a little improvement in the allergy issues??

Just curious how long it takes?

We saw almost immediate results with our guys we switched to raw. no more cysts, hives or vomiting. It all stopped or diminished with it a week, it was faster than I thought.
our current two have been on raw since we got them

 

[Mavis]

Hi everyone!

This is my very first post/thread, I have only gave 2 other people advice for their Frenchie.

I thought I would tell you about my Frenchie, Rusty!

Rusty will be 3 years old in a few weeks.
He is a great dog and my very first Frenchie. He loves to play ball/fetch.

He has a few Heath issues:

Allergies/atopic dermatitis and food allergies(he sees a dermatologist and is on allergy specific immunotherapy injections as well as a few home cooked recipes that a vet nutritionist formulated for him a few months ago- they ARE balanced )- he won’t eat any kibble or canned food at all, might consider raw in the future since cooking for him takes a lot of time, but not for a while I will change anything since it’s allergy season starting.

Has anyone don’t the allergy specific immunotherapy injections(the dermatologist did the skin test to know what environmental allergies he is allergic to)-anyone have done this before??? He has been on these injections for 8 months. I have to bath him every other day to maintain his skin so he doesn’t get anymore skin infections. This is the gold standard for allergy treatment for environmental allergies(I don’t want to use apoquel or Cytopoint). Anyone have success with the allergy specific immunotherapy injections??

He requires a snack before bed due to vomiting in the morning from empty stomach- which he Has not vomited ever since I did the snack right before bed.

He used to get struvite crystals in urine, I use supplements and the home cooked and that has stopped the crystals from returning. I also add water to his food.

He had an eyelid tumour removed when he had the allergy skin testing done.
He has idiopathic head tremors-he hasn’t really had any since I started cooking for him.

He still has ingrown eyelashes that were plucked before and they returned.

He had his elongated soft palate surgery in November and it’s definitely made a difference.

His home cooked diet is low carb to keep the tumour from returning- these recipes I rotate thru:
Turkey and butternut squash
Buffalo and butternut squash
Beef and sweet potato
Pork and sweet potato

He likes the variety! He is such a picky dog!!

I look forward to being a part of this Frenchie community/site.

I would like to be able to get advice and offer advice as well

I have attached a couple photos of Rusty!View attachment 15765View attachment 15766

Wow, Rusty is a beautiful dog!!! Our Bambi had a lot of skin issues, most of which began when she got around 9. Based on how she was, Rusty's ears, coat and paws look really good. You are an amazing and devoted mommy! I hope all of your interventions will result in an end to many of his issues.

 

[Rusty’s Owner]

Wow, Rusty is a beautiful dog!!! Our Bambi had a lot of skin issues, most of which began when she got around 9. Based on how she was, Rusty's ears, coat and paws look really good. You are an amazing and devoted mommy! I hope all of your interventions will result in an end to many of his issues.

Thank you!!!!

I am hoping things will continue to improve, very glad I have pet insurance!

 

[Mavis]

Thank you!!!!

I am hoping things will continue to improve, very glad I have pet insurance!

Yes, although Jelly hasn't even been to the vet, I feel very relieved to have gotten pet insurance. For the cost of the premium and decent deductible, I think it is money well spent. Thanks for the suggestion about that and also to other people who said the same thing.