Bulldog

Question
We have a rescued English bulldog who had been the mama in a puppy mill for three years (name now is Mamacita). She has a docked tail, is allergic to everything. How can we best keep her clean -- and our carpet?

Answer
It's terrific that you found Mamacita and made her your own.  It's even better that she's going to be able to live out her life puppy free and in a loving home. I applaud you for that!

Bulldogs are tricky to work with.  Like most short haired dogs they shed a tremendous amount.  But they are known for their skin, eye and ear problems.  Many have allergies like your girl and that makes them more difficult to groom.

In general, an allergy dog may need to be bathed more often than a dog without allergies.  This allows you to keep her clean and to keep her skin and coat free from the substances that might trigger an allergic attack.  You will need to use a hypo-allergenic shampoo.  One brand that I think is particularly good is HyLyt soap free shampoo.  Here is a link to find it on line: http://www.entirelypets.com/hylsham12oz.html  This shampoo is usually a Veterinary product, but can be purchased on line without a prescription.  In general look for a soap free shampoo for regular bathing.  I like shampoo's that are fortified with essential fatty acids because they help hydrate the skin.  I avoid fragrance in shampoo for allergy pets.  Hylyt has a pleasant coconut scent that comes from the ingredients. You may want to try bathing her once or twice a week.  Watch for signs of dryness, such as itching and flaking skin.  I give my dogs a supplement every day that has essential fatty acids in it.  This helps to hydrate the skin from the inside out.  Check with your Veterinarian to see if they have a supplement they recommend.

If your pet is itching then I would recommend taking her to the Veterinarian for a shampoo recommendation.  There are hundreds of anti-itch shampoo's and finding the right one for your pet can be tricky.  I groomed a very itchy dog named Mimi.  Her Vet did tried a variety of anti-itch shampoo's.  They commonly had oatmeal as an ingredient, which is very soothing.  It turned out that Mimi was allergic to oatmeal, so the more she was bathed in it the itchier she became.  When she was finally switched to a different type of shampoo, much of the irritation disappeared.    Unfortunately, trial and error is usually the only way to figure out what might work for your dog.

In the bulldog there are other spots that may cause odor to build up.  The bulldog has many deep wrinkles (folds), particularly around the tail and face.  These wrinkles get a lot of buildup from dead skin and dirt and are prone to developing yeast infections.  Special attention is needed to keep them clean.  I like to use a poodle tear stain remover to help clean the fold.  This type of product cleans better than plain water.  Depending on the size of the fold I use either a cotton pad or Q-tips. I Wet them down and then use my fingers to reach deep into the fold and wipe it out.  Wipe dry with a clean cotton pad or more Q-tips.  The nose folds should be cleaned several times a week and the other folds at least once a week.  If the skin inside the fold looks bright red, irritated or has greenish matter is building up in it, then this is signs of a possible infection and needs to be checked by the vet.

Also check her ears regularly.  I recommend that you check with your Vet for their suggestions on what to clean ears out with.  If her ears look clean, debree free and don't have an odor, then all is ok.  If debree or odor are present then it could mean the beginning of an ear infection.

Regular bathing will keep some of her shedding under control.  But brushing helps to get more hair loose and into the garbage can instead of on your carpet.  I like the Furminator brand of tools.  Their basic rake does a terrific job of removing hair.  But be careful of how much pressure you use when working with the tool.  Your pet probably has very sensitive skin that can be easily irritated.  There is also a "nubby" rake by Furminator.  It's designed for use in the bath and works quite well at removing the hair without any irritation.  Other types of shed removal brushes that work well on bulldogs are rubber brushes.  These are palm sized brushes that have a series of raised nubs on them.  You can find them in tack stores and most pet stores.  They are very gentle and do a good job of "grabbing" and removing hair.

So choose a shampoo to use, wash and brush frequently to reduce excess hair, and check with your Vet at the first sign of irritations.  This combo should keep Mamacita clean and comfortable and help spare your home from some of the dog hair and odor.  Good luck!