Well where does one begin?
Let's start with the simplest of things ''the bully spot'' as they were described to me as a new BT owner. One on top of the head one on the base of the tail, easy enough. How many new BT owners have been relieved of their cash by vets trying to convince them that they have DEMODEX.Skin scrapes, shampoos, more skin scrapes later the problem hasn't gone away, they won't, they are Bully Spots!
Perhaps that is a good intro into skin problems in the BT and there are some sad horror stories, the dog is bombarded with Anti histamine tabs ,Anti biotic's, steroids and shampoos.
White dogs in general have a predisposition to skin problems mainly because of what they are, white.
I'll tell you a story make of it what you will
My old Bully Winston at the age of two developed interdict cysts, nightmare little monsters that are a pain for the owner and the dog. Sometimes these little cysts are itchy, go red and watery then go pop and they can appear on the body. Now Winston's came and went with the help of steroids but by the age of ten his pads were in such a state of degeneration with scar tissue he could only walk on rough surfaces with difficulty. We stopped going walks on hard's rough surfaces, grass he was fine on he could potter along.
What's the point of having boosters I thought? He never goes anywhere, so I stopped vaccinations. Over the next 12months the pads healed over, 2 years later (he was by then 12) no sign of the cysts he never had another one....
Was it booster linked? I know many will agree and other may condemn me for not now having my dogs booster injections after their intial puppy shots.
It was only when we purchased Red Patch (George) that in my mind I linked George's problem of Hypothyroidism with the injections and Winstons skin problems.
Thoughts from others would be welcome...
Hypothyroidism
Upsetting as Kidney disease. and heart conditions are they are easy to diagnose compared to this complaint.
Let's start with the text book description given to me by the emenant Californian Animal Specialist Jean Dodds, who at my lowest time gave me the help and information I needed to explain Georges problem.
This complaint, from my own experience, starts off with lots of little things that you can't quite link together and with george he was still a puppy.
A. Bowel problems.
B. Inability to maintain 'weight' .
C. Behavioral problems ranging from shy and withdrawn and dropping to the floor in fear, eyeing people with suspicion, to a maniac, out of control with himself. Jean Dodds described the behavior as ''Flakey''. This last stage began as his hormones kicked in at 10months old.
There were periods of normality then it would begin again, but never predictable.
During this ''off'' period the dog in one of his 'rages' is unaware of what he is doing for a time, he then comes down from this high state and is tired and will fall asleep.
This got steadily worse by 18months he had 'lost it' completely. I had failed him because I couldn't find any information in time about the complaint, indeed at that point in time I didn't know what it could be.
Rage syndrome, brain tumors, the usual labels that were offered weren't what I wanted to hear. It was only after reading an article written by Jeans Dodds that I saw a Light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately it came to late for George, I couldn't convince my Vet he needed a series of T 4 tests. The peaks and highs of this illness means that one test is inconclusive.
What I did find, was that people were frightened to discuss the problem for fear of having their dog labeled vicious, or with a bad temperament. The saddest of all it was curable.
George may never have been used in a breeding programme but his life would not have been so short.
Dodds linked it with the effects that the boosters can have on the auto-immune system causing a breakdown in the bodily functions, once hormones have kicked in, in particular testosterone in the males,made matters worse.
Her research also confirmed it was more common in white/pale animals than coloured canines,( her research included Retrievers, Labs, Akitas ,and white GSDs )but that doesn't say they cannot develop it..
Unfortunately the periods of frenzy are pretty scarey and most upsetting, other than trying to calm the dog there is little one can do especially when you don't know what is going on and the animal cann't explain how strange they feel..
I did write an article on the problem (helped by Jean Dodd's notes ) for the NPBTC Bullygraph the year after George was put to sleep,hoping that it would be a life line to others out there struggling with this illness. The help and information given to me by Jeans Dodds, was also a comfort, helping me to understand the complex nature of this complaint.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING
A lot of people about to purchase a bull terrier puppy are concerned about the following two genetic complaints.Heart Disease and Kidney Disease They seem to believe that if the dog and bitch are clinically tested and free of the disease the puppies will be. .
There are NO DNA Tests available at this moment in time to say whether or not the stud or the bitch are carriers of the diseases the clinical tests available only ascertain whether or not the animal is free itself of the disease
AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME.
They do not guarantee that the puppies will be free of the disease
A letter of confirmation from the genetic specialist J Samson from the Kennel.Club is available. It can be emailed to anyone wishing to read a copy.
For this reason I always advise people to continue with the animals insurance that is free for six weeks when they register their puppy. No breeder can guarantee the health of a puppy, responsible breeders can only do their best to try to make sure the parents are healthy
Heart Disease
I'm sure many will have come across this complaint in its many forms.
It a very upsetting condition for a loved pet to develop.There is lots of information available on the subject. find out as much as you can, it will help.
Here is my personal story sometimes just talking about it helps.
A little bitch I bought in developed Cardiomyopathy at the age of ten months.it seemed to just appear from nowhere the first signs were the cough and near collapse.There can be fainting which gradually gets worse with shorter times between the faints.
I was heartbroken, medication helped and kept it under control,even though she was given only months to live,she was finally put to sleep aged 4, not because heart disease but from Lymphoma a form of cancer. The tablets that kept her lungs free of the fluid, eventually affected her kidney's, you recognize the smell.
Poor girl didn't have a happy life, constantly monitored to make sure she didn't get too excited or play too hard , which caused her to cough , no tit bits for fear of her gaining too much weight, when she was finally put to sleep she was eating the chocolate buttons she had always been forbidden .
I decided there and then if I ever needed to be put to sleep do it feeding me chocolate what a civilized way to go
Kidney Disease
Clinical UPC Tests are used to check individual animals for any sign of this complaint, prior to using them in a breeding programme
