I speak the truth when I say I don't think I have ever met an English Bulldog that didn't constantly scratch. The only difference from one English Bulldog to another is the degree to which they scratch. Britches, as can be seen from the left side of the above picture (note the red face), is pretty pruritic. He was diagnosed a few weeks ago with a food allergy. Sometimes it is easy to diagnose a food allergy, with the clinical symptoms being very typical. Oftentimes the symptoms are more subtle and atypical making the diagnosis more difficult. Britches however, kind of read the food allergy book. His symptoms of pododermatitis (inflammation of the skin on the feet), facial pruritis (an itchy face) and bilateral ear infections are common, which made the diagnosis easy.
When a dog (or a cat) has a true food allergy the problem lies with the protein in the food. To treat a food allergy you have two options. 1. Use a diet with novel proteins such as venison, duck, or rabbit. 2. Use a hypoallergenic diet. Simply treating an animal symptomatically is never a good option. Not addressing the food allergy is sure to keep you going back to see your veterinarian. Once medication prescribed runs out, symptoms will return, most likely even in worse condition. Hypoallergenic diets address the root of the problem, the food.
Britches was given option number 2 and put on a very strict diet of a food called Hills Prescription Diet z/d. Nothing else. No treats, no table scraps, no rawhides; he was instructed to eat nothing else but this dog food and water. Hills Prescription Diet z/d contains hydrolyzed animal proteins. The protein in the food goes through a hydrolysis process to break them down into pieces unrecognizable by the immune system. This technology uses the same concept that infant formulas such as Enfamil and Carnation Good Start use. These infant formulas are hydrolyzed milk proteins where as the z/d food is hydrolyzed animal proteins. .
I ain't gonna lie; the food is expensive. It is the most expensive food on the shelf at Leesburg Animal Hospital. Whenever I give someone the price of it, they look at me like I have three heads and say "I can't afford that food." I try my best to make them understand they can't afford to not afford it. I explain they will actually save money by purchasing this food! It's true...let me break it down. Listen closely. You already have to feed your pet and you should feed them a good quality dog food. Subtract the cost of the good quality dog food from the cost of the z/d, and that is what technically it "cost" you. Now, take into consideration how many times you visit your vet a year for skin and ear issues and the money you spend. Remember, you are paying for a physical exam, any treatment in the exam room, plus medications to take home, not to mention loss of wages in time taken off work to visit the vet. When you compare the cost of the food against the cost of multiple veterinary visits, I am certain the food is the cheaper option.
We have all heard the saying "you are what you eat!" Those are some very true words. In Britches's case, it like the Holy Word. If your pet currently looks like the left side of the above picture and you want him to look like the right side or you are concerned he or she may have a food allergy, call and make an appointment with any of the veterinarians at Leesburg Animal Hospital. We will start with a good physical exam and a hard look at the skin and go from there. We look forward to hearing from you!