Bull Terrier Skin Care Tips

Home Remedies for Common Bull Terrier Skin Issues

Some Bull Terriers are prone to skin issues, most commonly on their paws and faces. I’m going to share a few of my favorite home remedies for these problems. This is for MINOR manifestations of these issues, if at any time your dog has something affecting large areas of their skin, problem areas that are spreading, or areas that appear infected, that are oozing fluid, are warm to the touch or bright red, please seek veterinary care as soon as possible.

Bathing is Helpful

Any dog with frequent skin issues can benefit from frequent bathing. If you have the time and your dog is doesn’t ming bathing, a weekly bath, even if it’s just the affected areas, can be a great help. Bathing will flush irritants like pollen off the skin and let any treatments you apply have better contact with the skin. You can use either a medicated shampoo with chlorhexidine (anti bacterial) and miconozole (anti fungal), such as Malaseb (there are similar generic shampoos as well) or even a hypoallergenic shampoo like BioGroom So Gentle shampoo. I would not recommend anything with added ingredients like oatmeal, tea tree, or citric oils to avoid triggering any unsuspected allergies.

Discolored Feet and Legs

My dogs have a seasonal allergy that often strikes in late summer through fall in Michigan. Both trigger licking of their paws and legs, causing pinkish or brown stains. I’m not going to say I know the difference between bacterial and yeast infections by sight, sometimes both are active and if your dog seems really uncomfortable, I recommend seeing your veterinarian who can scrape the areas and examine what’s growing under a microscope. I have found a couple of products that can be effective for each unnatural color.

A remedy for brown stained Bull Terrier feet

I have found that Coat Defense Powder can be effective against the brown stains that my dogs get on their feet. You need to be consistent applying it, ideally every day, but at least once a week. Liberally apply the powder into the stained area and rub it in well. I just use an small shoe polish brush to apply it, I load up the brush and then brush against the lie of the hair to get it down to the skin. You can apply and rub it in by hand as well. Coat Defense works by drying out the area so whatever is growing on the skin doesn’t have enough moisture to survive. The product also includes some soothing ingredients and essential oils that help kill bacteria and fungus.

A remedy for pink stained Bull Terrier feet

The product I discovered recently that worked very well on my dog Brook’s pink feet and lower legs, is Douxo S3 mousse. Again, consistency helps, at least once a week, 2 or 3 times is probably better if you can remember to do it. If your dog will stand still long enough for you to spray it on, you can spray the area, then work it through down to the skin (not that far down on Bull Terriers). Brook tends to be wiggly, so I spray it on my hand and then smooth it on her legs. Make sure you cover the entire area. I’ve also found it works to spot treat areas if you have an isolated bump or pink spot on your dog. I know the “before” doesn’t look that bad, I don’t have a “before” photo of the side of her thigh which was pink and a little crusty and is now smooth and white.

A Remedy for Nose Blemishes

Coronacream

This is the bane of many Bull Terriers, the case of the curious snout that gets pressed against crate doors, windows, toys, and generally the entire world. The black spots on their noses are ingrown hairs that get trapped below the outer layer of the skin. They often start out as white, but turn black as they deteriorate and in that warm environment under the skin. Repeated pressure on the top of the muzzle can also cause abrasions. For MILD cases of snout crud, if the top of your dog’s muzzle has areas that are obviously swollen or oozing, it’s beyond mild, an application of Corona ointment may help. This is something that needs to be done frequently, daily if possible. Corona is an old-time remedy consisting mostly of lanolin, the natural oils from sheep, but it softens the skin so the hair can pop out and helps mild scrapes stay moist so they can heal.

Another treatment that has worked for me is frequent cleaning of the area with Benzyl Peroxide acne cleansers. I purchase as high a percentage as I can find in the human acne cleanser section and bathe the area, let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then rinse off. It’s been so long since I purchased a product in this category I’m not going to recommend a brand because human skincare brands come and go too often! Persistence pays off, you need to do it daily or every other day for it to be effective. Some people have good luck using Biore strips to strip out the hairs, but I’ve never been able to get them stuck on well enough long enough to work. If you can clear the ingrown hairs, keeping your Bull Terrier’s nose lubricated with a Corona or other mild, greasy ointment will help keep the nose skin supple and healthy so it doesn’t seal up over the hair again. But it can be a running battle and if cosmetically it doesn’t bother you and it doesn’t appear to be spreading or infected, trying to eradicate a small patch of ingrown hair may not be a battle worth fighting.

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