Skin Conditions (Bulldogs) in Dogs

Symptoms 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 are diagnosed as starting from pruritus 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.

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 symptoms 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 vet 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 information-wise 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 symptoms 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 symptoms.  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 symptoms. During her examination, if she found evidence of fleas or other ectoparasites, she may explain why this may be causing his symptoms.  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 need to lick and scratch 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 symptoms, your veterinarian will suggest a type of flea prevention or other medication to take care of the parasites.