# question about skin rash on chin



## kimrisa (Jan 9, 2010)

Hi....about a week ago I noticed some lesions on my 6 month old English bulldogs chin that seemed like a breakout of some sort. It was just on and under the chin area and it started as one and then turned into 3 or 4 lumpy abscesses that are the size of pennies. Below are photos...




















We called the vet and all deduced it was most likely from the dye in his blue slow feeder bowl and he said I could treat it with neosporin but the best thing to do do was take away the bowl and let it heal. It's been about 5 days since I took away the bowl but the abscesses are still there. One is in his neck area and I don't see it but can feel it under his skin. The others have reached the surface and are starting to scab over. They don't seem to be bothering him (no itching or scratching.)

He has had no dietary changes other than a new skin and coat supplement I started giving him to help alleviate his shedding. It's called NaturVet Skin & Coat Soft Chews for Dogs and this is a list of the active ingredients:

Pea Flour, Barley Flour, Glycerin, Barley, Rice, Salmon, Gelatin, Oat flour, Pea Fiber, Salmon Oil, Brewer's Dried Yeast, Lecithin, Salt, Natural Flavors, Zinc/Calcium Propionate, Ascorbic Acid (Source of Vitamin C). Dried Whey, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Proteinate, Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid.

I mention the supplements because I noticed his chin got a bit inflamed after his evening supplement tonight but am not sure if it's related to the supplement. Isn't Omega 3 supposed to help skin conditions? Should I stop the supplements to see if the rash clears up or am I reaching here...?

Thanks!


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## lulusmom (Nov 12, 2008)

Oddly enough, Bulldogs are a breed that sometimes don't tolerate too much fish oil so that could very well be contributing to the skin condition you are seeing. I have a dear friend that is an fanatical Bulldog lover and she advised me that acne is a common problem in the breed. I did some quick research and it appears that she's correct. 

http://bulldogdomain.com/health/acne.php


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## kimrisa (Jan 9, 2010)

Thanks so much for the post...and I'll check out the link!!


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## Sugar Daddy Otis (Jan 9, 2008)

HI--my Mastiff gets these if he has his chin wet alot by toy chewing and such. I wash him with Clearasil 3X a day and keep it nice and dry--so if he drinks I immediately wipe him with a towel. I was also using plastic bowls and switched to stainless steel and he has had ALOT less problems since changing..Hope this helps you out!! He's a cutie!!


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## kimrisa (Jan 9, 2010)

Hi Sugar Daddy!

Thanks for the post. Your boy is quite a stud himself! I have been trying to wipe Tuffy's face after he eats and drinks water but I'll give the clearisil a try!! He is a massive chewer so keeping him from chewing his toys seems like an impossible task though but I'll try to give him toys that aren't plastic.... Here's an updated picture of my boy...


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## Sugar Daddy Otis (Jan 9, 2008)

OH my is he ever cute!! yeah--this is my 2nd mastiff and they have both had the chin bumps--and I have known of many others and the Clearasil works!! Good Luck!!


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## Mr. V (Jan 28, 2010)

I know the Clearasil is working for you, but, I gotta say be careful with that stuff if you're putting it on 3x daily. I'm assuming the active ingredient is benzoyl peroxide in the stuff you're using. I looked it up real quick and it looks like it just comes in a 10% preparation (for Clearasil). That is much higher than what is used by veterinarians. I don't know if I've ever seen any of our preparations go over 3% b.p. Not that I have some long list of possible side effects from using a stronger product, but, it just kinda seems risky to me if we're talking long term use.


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

Mr. V said:


> I know the Clearasil is working for you, but, I gotta say be careful with that stuff if you're putting it on 3x daily. I'm assuming the active ingredient is benzoyl peroxide in the stuff you're using. I looked it up real quick and it looks like it just comes in a 10% preparation (for Clearasil). That is much higher than what is used by veterinarians. I don't know if I've ever seen any of our preparations go over 3% b.p. Not that I have some long list of possible side effects from using a stronger product, but, it just kinda seems risky to me if we're talking long term use.


Wouldn't witch hazel possibly be a better option since it also does the same thing as B.P with drying out the bumps? I think that the neosporin is counter productive to this issue as it seems to be a moist dermatitis issue and you'd want to keep the spot as dry and clean as possible and neosporin certainly won't do that.


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## Sugar Daddy Otis (Jan 9, 2008)

Mr. V said:


> I know the Clearasil is working for you, but, I gotta say be careful with that stuff if you're putting it on 3x daily. I'm assuming the active ingredient is benzoyl peroxide in the stuff you're using. I looked it up real quick and it looks like it just comes in a 10% preparation (for Clearasil). That is much higher than what is used by veterinarians. I don't know if I've ever seen any of our preparations go over 3% b.p. Not that I have some long list of possible side effects from using a stronger product, but, it just kinda seems risky to me if we're talking long term use.


This is not for long term use--within a week the pimples will be gone and she willl no longer need it. This is what my vet reccomended to me and it is the only thing that worked after trying about 4 things on him.


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## deege39 (Dec 29, 2008)

I'd just like to ask the OP if the dog eats out of plastic bowls.

Donatello gets those same exact "bumps", almost "pimple"-like, whenever he eats/drinks out of plastic dog bowls... When I switched his bowls to metal, they cleared up in less then a week.

:Edit: Sorry, I had scrolled -right- passed that section where you switched bowls.  Sorry! lol


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## Loki Love (May 23, 2010)

Loki has gotten the chin pimples a few times too. We wipe his chin down once a day with Listerine (yellow stuff). I've also taken to adding a bit of apple cider vinegar to his water. These two things have helped clear everything up.


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## kimrisa (Jan 9, 2010)

Hi everone...thanks for the additional posts! Just yesterday I read about adding apple cider vinegar in the water and will try. Should I start with a teaspoon...? I've been using witch hazel twice a day. I'd thought that Sugar Daddy was referring to the Clearisil face wash. There are two kinds...the one that's just a regular face wash that isn't medicated and is designed for sensitive skin and the Clearisil Ultra that has acne fighting medication. Should I try the the gentle formula....? Right now I've just been using Neutrogena. What about gold bond powder after I clean his face? I heard that's good too. 

As for plastic bowls, about a month ago I took away his plastic slow feeder bowl and went back to stainless steel. I think part of the problem may be that he's a massive chewer and loves to chew on plastic toys like frisbees, etc so those have gone bye-bye as well! 

Ahhh...the fun never ends!


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## deege39 (Dec 29, 2008)

This is a semi-uneducated guess, but with dogs and using human medication, I always try to get hypoallergenic formulas or "gentle formulas" or formulas for sensitive-skin... Especially if the dog's sensitive skin is in question...

Yeah, I heard from a few people that there is some sort of chemical in plastic dog bowls, maybe even plastic dog toys, and that it's not entirely uncommon for dogs to be allergic...

Ahh, the joys of being puppy-parents. lol!

Good luck!


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## Miranda16 (Jan 17, 2010)

kimrisa said:


> As for plastic bowls, about a month ago I took away his plastic slow feeder bowl and went back to stainless steel. I think part of the problem may be that he's a massive chewer and loves to chew on plastic toys like frisbees, etc so those have gone bye-bye as well!
> 
> Ahhh...the fun never ends!


try getting him a deer antler to chew .... i have hear nothing bad about deer antlers ... they last forever ... and both of my dogs love them ....


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

kimrisa said:


> Hi everone...thanks for the additional posts! Just yesterday I read about adding apple cider vinegar in the water and will try. Should I start with a teaspoon...? I've been using witch hazel twice a day. I'd thought that Sugar Daddy was referring to the Clearisil face wash. There are two kinds...the one that's just a regular face wash that isn't medicated and is designed for sensitive skin and the Clearisil Ultra that has acne fighting medication. Should I try the the gentle formula....? Right now I've just been using Neutrogena. What about gold bond powder after I clean his face? I heard that's good too.
> 
> As for plastic bowls, about a month ago I took away his plastic slow feeder bowl and went back to stainless steel. I think part of the problem may be that he's a massive chewer and loves to chew on plastic toys like frisbees, etc so those have gone bye-bye as well!
> 
> Ahhh...the fun never ends!


You don't want the face wash, you want the astringent but I would use caution like Mr.V said or get the 3% benzoyl peroxide solution from the vet.


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## Loki Love (May 23, 2010)

kimrisa said:


> Hi everone...thanks for the additional posts! Just yesterday I read about adding apple cider vinegar in the water and will try. Should I start with a teaspoon...?


I would start with 1 tsp and see how it goes.


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## Staffy Mummy (Jul 25, 2011)

I have a 20mnth old English Staffy (Lexi) and a few months ago she started getting a rash on her neck, which consisted of big ***** lumps on the skins surface as well as lumps under the skin. Also around the same time she started getting gooey eyes. While she didn't seem to be bothered by it, I was! I took her to the vet and was told that Staffies and other similar breeds are sensitive and that it could be due something in the air or a plant that would otherwise not be abundant had we not been having a strange season weather-wise. Lexi was prescribed antibiotics and eye-drops, which did clear it all up, however, it came back.

Recently Lexi gave birth and my father-in-law came over to pick out his pup and said that years ago he had had the same problem with his Lab and the the vet had said not to use plastic bowls. Apparently, it's a common problem. If this is the case then I'm a little concerned that nothing has been done about the sale of 'poisonous' dog products! But that's a side issue. The start of this problem was when I met my partner and he bought her [plastic] bowls for her to use at his house.

I've found this forum really useful and will update on Lexi's rash when it's been a few more days since the bowl swap (it's only day two today).


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## DoggieGirl (Jul 21, 2011)

Hello, Sorry I didn't read all the posts but it looks like pyoderma. My American Bulldog gets the bumps all the time. Sometimes so bad that she needs Simpliceff because it leads to skin infections. Mupirocin ointment has always worked the best for my dog. Good luck.


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## StellaLucyDesi (Jun 19, 2008)

This is not about the rash, but the bowl issue.....if you need a slow-down bowl, you can get them in stainless steel now! I think durapet makes them?


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