5 Main Reasons Your English Bulldog Has Bumps on Their Skin
It’s always a petting session that leads to the discovery of something being wrong with your dog. If you noticed that your English Bulldog’s skin has a bunch of little bumps on it while you were giving your dog pets, then you’re not alone. Many dogs go through having bumpy patches on their skin for different reasons, don’t panic just yet.
Why Does My English Bulldog Have Bumps on Its Skin?
An English Bulldog will commonly get bumps along their skin when they have an allergy to something. The most common allergies or outdoor skin allergies and food allergies. Other reasons might include bug bites and even acne. Read further on for more information.
There are so many different kinds of dog food out there that you can buy that harm your dog more than nourish it. More and more dogs are having allergies to their food, especially if their food is high in unwanted grains and starches.
An allergy to dog food can present itself in several different ways. For some dogs, the allergy will present itself as digestion problems. Others have symptoms of fatigue, dehydration, and skin problems. One of the skin problems that can happen because of food is bumpy skin.
When a skin allergy presents, it usually shows up in the form of allergy-induced eczema. This looks like many little bumps that are clustered around one area or spread across several areas. Both humans and dogs can suffer from this and while allergy medicines and some creams can help treat it, the only way to cure it is to change your dog’s food.
Bumps From Outdoor Allergies
The other allergic reaction that your English Bulldog can face is allergies from the outdoors. Even though so many dogs love to spend a ton of time outside, they can still suffer from allergies. Some dogs are allergic to grass or even pollen, which can make having outdoor fun itchy and bumpy.
If your English Bulldog has an outdoor allergy, you will probably find allergy-induced eczema bumps along their skin. They will also be pretty itchy, and their skin can get red and irritated from that.
If you are unsure if these bumps on your English Bulldog’s skin are from food or an outdoor allergy, pay attention to when the bumps show up. For food, the bumps will always be there no matter what time of the year because they eat the food every day. With an outdoor allergy, these symptoms will be seasonal.
Once the grass starts to turn green and pollen falls from the trees, you will see the changes in your Bulldog’s skin.
Benadryl or another dog-safe allergy medicine is one of the only treatments available to dogs with outdoor allergies. Some anti-itch creams can help soothe your Bulldog’s skin, but not all dogs like to have products on them outside of bath time.
What Are Other Reasons for Bumps on My English Bulldog’s Skin?
Now that we have covered the very common reasons for bumps, there are also many other causes of bumps that can happen to your English Bulldog.
Wrinkly Skin
English Bulldogs have wrinkly skin. While this can be a pretty cute look, these wrinkles can trap dirt and oils against the skin. This can then form bumps to form along your Bulldog’s skin.
It’s good to keep up with your Bulldog’s bathing routine so that you can clean away all the sweat, dirt, and oils that can get trapped underneath their coats and inside their wrinkles. A Bulldog should be bathed every few weeks to make sure its coat is nice and clean.
In some cases, these bumps are actually acne. Though, dog acne is usually found around the mouth of your dog as that’s where they rub up against most surfaces.
Bumps in your Bulldog’s wrinkles are usually normal. There isn’t much cause of concern unless your Bulldog is showing other symptoms or if these bumps are looking irritated and inflamed.
Bug Bites
Whether it’s a mosquito bite or fleas, the bumps that are on your English Bulldog’s skin could be because of bug bites. This is something that you need to be aware of if your Bulldog spends a lot of time outside and if you live in a place with deep woods and high grasses.
Tall grasses can hide many different kinds of parasites that can get onto your Bulldog and cause itchy and uncomfortable bites.
A couple of bumps on their skin might just be a few mosquitoes or spider bites. In this case, then there isn’t much of a concern because these bumps will heal over time. However, if you find a lot of little bites, and especially if you find bugs moving around on their skin, then this is a cause of concern.
If your dog has fleas or ticks, then you need to start treatment as soon as possible. These bugs can cause a lot of irritation and pain to the skin of your dog and if left untreated they can even cause infection. There are many kinds of treatments that you can buy at the store to help your Bulldog.
Pyoderma
Pyoderma is a skin condition that causes tiny little scabs to cover your Bulldog’s skin that some may get confused with bumps. It’s usually caused by a bacterial infection or skin allergies. The easiest way to see if it’s pyoderma is to pay attention to where the bumps on. With this condition, bumps will appear on your Bulldog’s face and joints, including elbows, knees, and ankles.
If you suspect that your Bulldog has pyoderma, take it to the vet so that you can receive the proper medications and treatment for your dog. Pyoderma is typically pretty easy to treat as it can just require a medicated shampoo or an antibiotic.
Tumors
In the most severe case, bumps on your English Bulldog’s skin can be the cause of a growing tumor. Instead of finding many tiny bumps that come with the other conditions, you would find a larger bump on their skin. In most cases, you will only find one bump that will get larger over time.
If you find a large bump in your Bulldog’s skin and if it starts getting larger over time, take your Bulldog to the vet as soon as you can.
When it comes to tumors and cancer, an earlier diagnosis is key to having a good recovery.
Follow what your vet recommends if your Bulldog gets diagnosed with a tumor. In some cases, the tumor can be treated with medication. However, if the tumor is severe, surgery will be required.
Keep Up with Your Bulldog’s Hygiene Routine
You can prevent many of the causes of bumps on your Bulldog’s skin by keeping up with a good hygiene routine. Through proper brushing and bathing practices, you will be able to keep your dog’s skin clean and dry. This will prevent bumps from trapped oils or skin irritants.
Hygiene can help if your Bulldog has skin allergies from the outdoors. Bathing will remove pollen and grass particles from their skin which can lessen their itchiness. Brushing will help with this as well.
A hygiene routine will also help you find any problems that your Bulldog’s skin has earlier on. Through bathing, you will be feeling for any bumps on their skin. This might be when you notice a larger bump or any bug bites that your Bulldog may have. Bathing will also help with finding parasites earlier on before they can cause too much irritation.
Bathing time is also inspection time where you see if your Bulldog is facing any problems. If you find anything out of the ordinary, keep a note of it in case you end up having to take your Bulldog to the vet.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes, there isn’t much concern if you find bumps along your Bulldog’s skin. It can be from allergies or just a spider bite. However, it is always important to keep an eye on your Bulldog’s skin to check if there are bumps that you should be concerned about. It might be a case where your Bulldog has fleas that need to be treated as soon as possible.
If you are ever concerned about the state of your Bulldog’s skin and need a second opinion, don’t be afraid to call up the vet. They can recommend different things to do to help your Bulldog with any skin condition that it might have.
Being aware of what is happening with your English Bulldog’s skin is key to keeping them happy and healthy. Catching a problem earlier on is always better than waiting (or not realizing) until the problem is too severe.
Treatments can range from switching up your dog’s food to having to go through surgery for a tumor. Learning what symptoms go with each problem can be super helpful for catching problems before they can do much harm.
