Skin Conditions (Bulldogs) in Dogs

All breeds of dogs can develop skin issues but Bulldogs are predisposed to developing them.  Their wrinkles may be cute but they are breeding grounds for bacteria and yeast due to the moist conditions.  If you do not keep your dog’s wrinkles clean, and even if you do, he can develop severe skin issues.  Prevention of skin infection is the best sort of treatment you can offer your Bulldog.  You should take a visit to your veterinarian to discuss the best way to care for your Bulldog’s skin.

Bulldogs are prone to all types of skin conditions and infections.  If your dog’s skin looks irritated in any way, take him to your veterinarian for an evaluation.

Signs of this condition may include:

• Severe itching (licking, chewing, scratching) 
• Hair loss, partial or complete
• Hyperpigmentation
• Scaling of the skin
• Skin lesions (eyelids, flexural surfaces, axillae) 
• Superficial pyoderma (very common in skin folds and wrinkles)
• Secondary infection

Types

The types of skin conditions in Bulldogs vary depending on the location of the irritation on your dog.  However, most of the conditions starting as itching, which then turns into a secondary skin infection.   The condition may make his skin excessively dry or may make it more moist than normal.  This, in turn, can be a superficial infection or one that penetrates deeper.

The wrinkles of your Bulldog are ultimate breeding grounds for bacteria and yeast due to the moist, dark conditions.  The ears are also a common breeding ground for the organisms.  Your dog will typically present with severe itching.  This will often change into licking, chewing, and rubbing of the entire body, especially around the eyes, muzzle, ears, between the toes, and groin.

When you arrive at the veterinarian’s office, she will start her diagnostic process by collecting a verbal history from you.  She will want to know when you first noticed the skin abnormalities, if your dog has been displaying any of the typical signs of a skin issue, and if you have tried to treat it with anything over the counter or not.  As part of her diagnostic process, your veterinarian will need to rule out other possible causes that can produce a region of skin with similar symptoms like the one he is presenting with.  While the location of the skin issue will give the veterinarian much needed information about your companion’s condition, she will want to rule out possible causes that may be associated.  She will also want to know if you have fed him anything new lately, if he has had any changes in his routine or home that could cause stress, if he recently injured himself, or anything else that may be helpful to know about his situation.  

Your veterinarian will then continue by performing a full physical exam on your dog.  While it may be obvious where the lesion is and the signs it is causing your dog, she will want to do a full evaluation of his entire body system.  This will allow her to check for other areas of sensitivity that have not yet developed into a skin infection but are susceptible to it.  She will also check for evidence of parasites during her exam to see if they are a contributing factor to his signs.  Your veterinarian may want to clean the area of skin to allow her a better look at the lesion.  Clipping the area will remove excess fur from the region which will remove some of the related irritation. 

In addition to diagnosing and treating the skin and possible infection, you will also need to investigate the cause of the initial signs. During her examination, if she found evidence of fleas or other ectoparasites, she may explain why this may be causing his signs.  If it is in a location where there is a skin fold, she may take a skin cytology sample to verify what type of bacteria or yeast is colonizing in the area. Further diagnostics may be recommended depending on the suspected cause of your dog’s condition.

Ideally, the best treatment involves treating the lesion and preventing more from appearing.  Bulldogs need their wrinkles wiped daily, or more frequently, to keep them dry and prevent bacterial overgrowth.  If you do not begin a prevention method, such as cleaning, more skin lesions will appear.  If your dog is licking or scratching in a specific area that leads to the lesion development, you must stop the scratching in order to break the cycle.  Proper treatment involves addressing the underlying cause.  Your dog may stop licking for a while, but if there is an underlying cause, it is only a matter of time before he begins again.  

If this condition goes untreated, your dog may develop papules or pustules around the lesions.  This would need antibiotic therapy as it can be indicative of a skin infection.  If this is the case with your dog, the veterinarian will send you home with a prescription for an oral antibiotic.  Medications to be applied topically to the lesions may also be sent home depending on your dog’s needs.  

If ectoparasites are the cause of or a contribution to his signs, your veterinarian will suggest a type of flea prevention or other medication to take care of the parasites.

Prevention is your best treatment option for skin conditions in Bulldogs.  However, even with thorough and repetitive cleaning, some dogs are still prone to infection.  Keeping your dog’s skin as healthy as possible can be obtained with a good, balanced diet as well as skin supplements such as a fish oil.  Your veterinarian may also recommend you use specific wipes on areas of excessive moisture or even a medicated shampoo to keep bacteria or yeast from growing.  If you take care of your dog’s skin properly, he should be able to have fewer issues than others of his breed.