Would anyone out there be nice enough to help me with my dog?

[JuniperWoolf]

I know that a lot of people here are great with animals, and a few live on farms. I was wondering if you have any knowledge that could help me with my Bull Mastiff, Bob. He has these weird bumps all over his body that make him very itchy. At first we thought that they were mosquito bites, or that he had a bad run in with some poison oak on a walk, but they seem to be spreading. Weirder still, today he developed this big, floppy swollen flaps under his front legs (near where his armpits would be. I guess it could be glandular). This isn't any pest-related thing. His fur is pretty short and not very dark, so we'd be able to notice if it were ticks or fleas. The wildlife that we usually take care of are birds of prey, and I've never seen anything like this on any pet dog that I've had. I tried to look it up on Google, but a lot of the suggestions are a pretty broad "bring him to a vet" kind of thing, with mentions of fleas, ticks or allergies. I can't bring him to a vet, because the nearest one lives two hours away, and she is on vacation.

Has this happened to any of you? I'm sort of hoping that one of you is a vet, or that you have any ideas or links that could help me. The vet gets back in three days, but until then I don't like to just sit around and watch my poor puppy swell up like Violet Beauregarde.

[Zee.]

Hey i have an amstaff, and he got something similar to what you're describing, in summer earlier this year. Took him to the vet and he said that it had something to do with the "dust"/sand/dirt he had been laying in ( beach )
We thought it was some kind of plant, and that probably contributed to it but yeah.. if it is summer where you are and he is outside a lot, perhaps in a dirt/sandy environment ( near the beach etc ) then that might be it

[Lynne50]

Juniper, Are the bumps hard or a little spongey? . My dog, is half Chocolate Lab and half Springer spaniel. She is about 5 years old, and we've noticed some cyst-like bumps on her, not too many, though. When we took her to the vet, she said they were something like a zit (pimple) that people get. The vet squeezed it and 'popped' it. However, they do come back. Our vet said they were nothing to worry about. I guess some dogs may be more susceptible than others. I hope this helps. I would just get them checked out when you get a chance.

[Zee.]

^ yeah but she said he was "itchy"

which is generally associated with an allergy etc

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

JuniperWoolf,

The first thought that crossed my mind was ringworms.
You may want to keep that in mind as you research.

http://www.dogchatforum.com/ringworm-in-dogs.htm

[Lynne50]

^ Ringworm wouldn't make him swell up, would it?

Could he have been bitten by an insect or bee numerous times?

[Zee.]

It sounds like his skin is obviously irritated by something he has been laying in e.g plants, dust

[Nightshade]

Not a dog but one our cats has something a bit similar to that that keeps repeating on an annual basis, The spongy things on her are puss filleed absesses, its casue by an allergic reaction to something we can't pin down, but probably an insect bite from an insect taht is only active eraly in the spring. Id say go see the vet the first time she got it as it had progressed as far as the absess it was months while she got better and everyone was misrable ( but most of all the cat and my mum).

[*Classic*Charm*]

I'm definitely not a vet, but I've worked for a small animal vet for the past four years.

It's unlikely to be ringworm, as ringworm (which is actually a fungus, not a parasite) causes something closer to a lesion than a bump. It's also unlikely to cause swelling.

The pimple-like cysts that Lynne is talking about don't usually occur in large numbers and they're not usually itchy.

My guess is that it's something relating to an allergy, especially if he's swelling and itchy. Dogs with that short coat (mastiffs, boxers, labs, etc.) are especially susceptible to allergies. The swelling behind his legs could eiher be caused by allergies or some sort of infection, but if he's not showing any other symptoms (changes in eating and drinking, bathroom habits, lethargy) it's more likely to ba allergies. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can really do about allergies until a vet prescribes something. Some people choose to give their dogs Benedril (the human anti-histamine) but I wouldn't recommend it because you wouldn't want to mis-diagnose whatever is causing that much swelling. The only thing I can recommend is a cold bath and to see your vet asap.

Poor puppy! Hope he's feeling better soon!

[Beautifull]

do you think it could be a rash?

if not, I give my vote with the others and say it's ringworm...maybe you should just take him to that vet....

[JuniperWoolf]

Well, I tried squeezing them like lynne said and nothing happened (except I think that it might have helped with his itchyness). His swelling died down over the last few days, and today it's pretty much gone. He used to get a walk in the woods every day, but we havn't taken him this week and he got better, so I think Charm is right about the allergies. I should probably still take him to the vet, shouldn't I? Do they have allergy tests or medicine that they give to dogs?

[Beautifull]

yes, i definitely think so. How frequently do you give him a bath?

[*Classic*Charm*]

. I should probably still take him to the vet, shouldn't I? Do they have allergy tests or medicine that they give to dogs?

Yes, you probably should. Allergies are very common and your dog will likely have recurring problems. If it's something in the woods, it's good to know just to avoid it. Your vet can do allergy testing, but expect it to be on the expensive side. There are also lots of allergy medications in either injection or pill form. The vet I work for uses injections most of the time- for dogs with seasonal allergies it's usually one shot a month for the summer months, though we commonly use a pill that functions like an anti-histamine. Just depends on the case.

Glad to hear he's starting to feel better :)