Mighty Bruce's Battle: Pre-Diagnosis

It’s been indeed a very hard couple of days for us. We have just had the first fright of our lives with Harvey’s alleged rat poisoning last week. So far so good, it was immediately treated and I believe this saved his life in the nick of time. But sadly, we are faced with a more critical, fatal, emotionally and physically taxing crisis yet.

Bruce, our 1 year and 1 month old male bullmastiff, was diagnosed with acute renal failure last week, July 3^rd, Wednesday. This is the same mighty guy who patiently went through the skin disease treatments and successfully conquered the mange disease. For the past couple of weeks he had shown vitality and beauty for a bullmastiff his age. We thought nothing could go terribly wrong, absolutely nothing.

I was home early last Monday, July 1^st, 2013. Usually when I come home, I’d go to the garden and he’d welcome me with so much passion. He’d jump, wag his tail and be all playful when I arrive. I'd never had to call him. That particular afternoon was different. I had to call him and waited for him to appear. I was wondering where he went when suddenly, limping, with a sad face and painful gait, he had shown himself to me, a gesture to recognize my call. However he stopped a few feet away from me, looked at me with pleading eyes looking miserable as ever. He was obviously in pain and I don’t need to be an expert dog owner and trainer to read that something's terribly wrong. 

Accounts throughout the day

July 1^st Monday:

According to the feedback, Bruce did his normal morning routine. He ate his breakfast, did his leisurely walk around the village and took his bath. His dog walker, Jake, mentioned no issues or difference in behavior or gait. 

A couple of hours before lunch, my mom who came home from her village work out, saw Bruce eager to get out of the cage. He was whining and wagging his tail, which is normal whenever he gets bored. Jake left him there after taking his bath to dry up. He always hates this part. His charm won my mom and he was released. The last scene my mom saw was he was happily sun bathing.

At around 5 pm that afternoon I arrived home from work. Bruce was nowhere in sight. I called him a couple of times until I saw Bruce emerge from the patio limping, looking very weak and miserable. He was struggling. I rushed to him and asked the household help what happened. From the naked eye, his limping might have been caused by a physical injury of some sort. Bruce is a big dog and heavy as well that sometimes too much physical activity can cause him to hurt himself. He could be a klutz sometimes. Ate Ne, our household help, didn’t notice anything different in the morning. She was equally surprised. 

Bruce looked miserable. He wouldn’t stand up if he didn’t have to. He was in pain. He isn’t the Bruce that we know.  Thinking that he just slipped, we decided to bring him to the vet that weekend and observe for now. That night, he was able to eat his dinner, still walk around and play with Harvey, but his gait was disturbed and he was weaker than usual.

July 2^nd, Tuesday:

I saw him before I left for the office. He was curled up in one corner, looking and feeling miserable. He won’t eat what’s left for him for breakfast, his usual Eukanuba Adult pet food and some rice. I fed him cheese as a parting gift. He was responsive, which is the sign  I was looking for. Though he didn’t stand, his face lit up, wagged his tail and went near me. I hated to see him like that, but I still didn’t think anything serious was happening. I still thought he just sprained or broke a leg.

Nevertheless, I asked my mom to monitor him throughout the day. Unfortunately, he didn’t become better. He became more lethargic. He wouldn’t move. He wouldn’t eat. He would look at my mom with a sad face, recognizing her presence, but his face registered nausea. Again, I rushed home from work. I bought him Chicken breast to make him feel better. At 5:30 pm, I spent time with him, observing him. I noticed that he would only stand up if he needs to, if he saw Harvey playing or if he needed to pee and drink. His gait was still labored, but it’s different from the the day before. I began to wonder. If it was a pained leg, his labored gait wouldn’t change from one day to the next. But it did. So it must not be the leg after all.

We fixed him a home made dinner. Chicken breast, cottage cheese and some rice, fortunately he ate everything, which is always a good sign. Foolish me, I still didn't think something worse could happen.

July 3^rd Wednesday:

I was about to go to work. It was gloomy that day, exactly what I'm feeling for Bruce. When I went to him, he was still lethargic. He looked at me, wagged his tail and that was it. Something was really bothering my youngest. My dad, who isn’t a dog lover in every sense, knew that he had to be taken to the vet. My mom was already worried. She couldn’t bear to see Bruce go through the same lethargic episode the whole day. Silly me, I decided to bring him to the vet after the office.

I realized my stupid decision while I was in the middle of the highway going to work. At 9 PM in the morning with the heavy downpour, I made a u-turn in the high way U-turn slot, took the Sky Way and headed home. I wasted gas, time and toll money. But I didn’t care. A nagging feeling crept in me. I needed to get Bruce to the vet. 

As soon as I got home, Bruce’s walker, Jake, helped me guide him to the back of my car.  Our obedient beautiful dog, with so much pain, walked to the best of his abilities. We aided him all the way, hugging him and monitoring him as he walked towards the car. He was clearly struggling. 

That morning, the vets were able to examine him. As expected, he showed fear and weakness. With depleting energy and immense pain, he had nothing left to do but to lower his head and trusted all of us. It was one of the most painful moments a pet owner could ever succumb himself to. But the vet pointed out that his back was highly arched. The vet didn’t like that sign. He told me to leave Bruce with them for the day. They will do blood tests to make sure his main organs are healthy. Once internal diseases are ruled out, the vet would give him some pain killers for his spine and x-rays and imaging would be done next.

I left him with the vet feeling lost yet hopeful. I had nothing left to do but play the waiting game. I read and watched TV while my mind is with Bruce, if it was some spinal dysfunction, I have no idea what we would do to correct it. I dare not think Surgery. And I hope it isn’t something about his organs either. I was anxious. At 5 pm Jake and I went back and found out the bad news.

The blood results showed that his Creatinine and BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen) were off the charts. What does that mean? Creatinine is the best indicator if ones kidneys are functioning. Too much Creatinine in the system means they found too many toxic elements in the blood, toxic that was supposed to be eliminated by the kidneys in the form of urine. High creatinine means kidneys are not functioning well or in a state of failure that it cannot filter out toxins in the system when it’s supposed to. Normal Creatinine level is at 1.3-2. Bruce's at 7, which is fatal and could kill a dog instantly. BUN’s normal range is around 25-30 mg/dl. Bruce is at 65. BUN also indicates faulty kidney function. It is the measure of UREA in blood. Urea is considered one of the body’s waste products. Although BUN contributes to the study of kidney diseases, elevated BUN can vary and have multiple causes. According to Dogaware.com, if CREA levels are within range (low) and BUN is higher, chances are kidneys are working well. Elevation of BUN can be because the dog did not do fasting 12 hours before the test or cold be plainly caused by stress or plain dehydration. In Bruce’s case, both tests are elevated and related, therefore it was ruled out that his kidneys are the problem.

Bruce was diagnosed with acute renal failure on July 3^rd, Wednesday. Cause is still unknown. It could be caused by shock (physical injury), dehydration or heat struck but most often, ingestion of something toxic (Rat poison, anti-freeze, plant medicine, mold in food and grapes). Acute renal failure means sudden malfunction of kidneys that are most often fatal to dogs with delayed treatment. 

I was in shock. Obviously I did not expect it to be as worse as kidney failure. I did not imagine that a puppy who just turned 1 year old last month is now fighting for his life. I had no idea about acute renal failure then. All I know about kidney disease is that it's fatal. I just wanted the doctor to fix it. In a heartbeat, I had him admitted that same day. That was when the real battle started.

To be cont.

Harvey and the Alleged Rat Poison

These past couple of weeks had been hell for me and my dogs. More than anything, it's a financial challenge and an emotional melt-down for me. But as much as I’d like to complain and shut myself from all the things that I feel, I just can’t because I love these dogs too much to not do anything. 

Last June 26, 2013, Wednesday,  I received a call from my mother while I was at the office. She called to tell me that she’s observing something really alarming and funny about Harvey, our soon to be 5 year old Jack Russell Terrier. Harvey is overall a lively dog. His energy level is way too high that any slight decrease or change would be noticeable. It won't be normal a normal day in our household if my mom doesn't scold him because of something he did. He'd run around, test everyone's patience and he would perform his usual antics that either would piss you off or amuse you. And just like any JRTs, he is very strong, fearless and adventurous. For all those years of hunting and killing dead birds, frogs or insects, he’s never been hospitalized or confined. But on this particular day, my mom and household help noticed that he’s lying in the grass, unresponsive to their calls. He would lie down and not wander about, which is unlike him at all. He would always be the first one to greet you at the gate, but he was lethargic even when my brother and aunt arrived. 

My mom told me that they saw a blue-colored small piece of block, which happens to be rat poison in the garden. The poison must have been transported by a dying rat and which Harvey was able to locate. Killing and hunting rats are Harvey’s specialty so there was 99.9% chance that he tampered with the poison. It was our little Pomerianian, Chivas, who found it while he was passing by the garden. Before he was able to play with it, our household help noticed the piece and prevented him from touching it. It was fairly impossible that Harvey might have missed this since it is exposed in the same garden where Harvey usually hangs around. 

Upon hearing the emergency, I rushed home that night. I faced the usually 7 pm traffic and called my sister to meet me at the house to drive us to the veterinary clinic. It was already 8 pm when I reached the neighborhood and I made a couple of emergency and frantic calls to my vet to let him see Harvey tonight.

When I got home, he was the same bouncy self and greeted me at the gate. I wouldn’t normally figure out if something was indeed wrong with him, but I relied on my family’s feedback that they’ve noticed him strange and more laid back than usual. They even told me about Rat Poison. I am not a chemist or a veterinarian, but I fairly know rat poison is toxic enough to cause blood, brain and kidney damage…fast. So as soon as my sister arrived, we drove him to his vet for emergency treatment.

It was 8:30 pm when we reached the clinic. This was a life and death situation. I was scared and anxious. We told the vet our observations and what our household helper found. Dr. Peralta immediately injected a Vitamin K medication to counter the poisonous effects and had him confined overnight for observation. He said he'd call if he find anything unusual. 

The next evening, we went back to the vet to pick up Harvey. They’ve inserted another dose of medication and observed for any signs of lethargy or vomiting. But none, thank God! One of the assistants even brought him out for a walk that day and he seemed pretty excited as usual. We brought him home on Thursday night and we’ve been observing him for a couple of days now. Thank the Heavens! He’s back to his normal self. No trace of sickness whatsoever.

Treatment cost 2700 pesos for multiple Vitamin K injections and overnight hospitalization. Peace of mind costs priceless. 

Rat Poison or Bromethalin Rodenticide has top toxicity rate! According to petmd.com, once the dog ingests or becomes exposed to bromethalin found in rat poison, it could lead to cerebral edema (Excess water in the brain), increased pressure in cerebrospinal fluid and neurological effects like muscle tremors, seizures and impaired movement. This could lead to further paralysis, depression and seizures. The effects could normally be seen 2 – 7 days of ingestion, sometimes even weeks.

In advance testing for Bromethalin exposure, they do have urine analysis, MRI and CT scan. Or they would rely on owner’s findings and actual evidence.

Vomiting and bowel movement should be induced within 2-3 days after the poisoning. Vitamin K is also injected to counter the effects.

Further observation is required after the treatment to flag further complications. As long as it’s treated immediately, prognosis is very favorable.

HARVEY CASE DETAILS

1. June 26  - Lethargy and unusual weak behavior
2. June 26 - Emergency Vitamin K medication administered by Vet. Antibiotics twice a day prescribed by Vet. (2,700 for vet fees and hospitalization + 100 for meds)
3. June 27 - Release date, no negative effects or findings. Harvey appears and seems to be normally his rambunctious self to this day

Mange Conquered

Thinking about how Bruce is doing in the hospital robs me of sleep. It's been like this for three days now. I wake up before the sun rises and I find myself surfing in my phone and googling things that just adds up to my paranoia. I've relied on this method for months and for questionable things that need an answer. I wouldn't say it's entirely healthy, but I've got to admit, not all information are hoax or pointless. They give us some sort of knowledge to filter and counter-check. In Bruce's case, it kind of saved his life.

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Sometime last May I blogged about Bruce having Mange and his first few sessions of treatment. It doesn't take a profound genius to realize that something's wrong with his skin. Though he seldom itched, I knew there's something nasty growing underneath. I can feel it and see it in broad daylight. Naturally, I was in denial. I knew there was no way that he could get mange. He pretty much enjoys his baths every other day. He uses the same Dr. Kaufman soap that my other dog uses (which makes their coat very clean and soft btw). He's not entirely a very dirty dog. He's not like Harvey at all. He just likes to lounge around. He's a pretty manageable dog.

So I researched and found that there are kinds of Mange that affect dogs. There are demodectic, sarcoptic, cheyletiella and so on. Basically all kinds of mange are considered a skin disease and caused by these nasty parasitic mites. According to Bruce's veterinarian, all dogs are naturally born with it. Mites mostly attack puppies and other breeds that are short-haired or with minimal hair at all. But for dogs with strong immune systems and genetic make-up, these mites naturally die away and never reach the "mange" stage. In some cases, it's provoked by exposure to an infested area.

Demodectic mange are overgrowth of mites. These are usually inherited by very young puppies upon birth. Since most dogs are born with mites, puppies that harbor its overgrowth may have suppressed immune systems. Dogs may have mild to moderate itching and this could be localized or generalized. Localized is that mange is only concentrated in one area (Ex: Belly) and generalized is it affects mostly the entire body. These are not contagious.

Sarcoptic Mange are due to infection of parasitic mites called sarcastic scabei. They catch this disease via contact. Unlike demodectic, dogs with this kind of mange tend to itch and scratch themselves more. These mites burrow into the skin and they are very contagious. However, according to a few websites, sarcoptic mange is easier to cure than demodectic since they don't bury themselves as deep into the skin.

Cheyletiella mange is also a contagious mange due to infection. Against the other types of mange, these mites do not bury themselves in the skin. They are known as the walking dandruff and true enough, you do see dandruff flakes mostly at the neck or at the back of your dog, which is one of their most favorite hideout.

Inherited or infected, these types of mange are nasty. They make your dog feel so uncomfortable. They could be localized or generalized and they are indicators of a suppressed or faulty immune system. Left untreated, these could cause moderate to extreme hair loss, open wounds from scratched skin lumps and in some severe untreated cases, these parasites could so much infest their host that the dogs might have internal complications like heart worms,  fever that leads to death and even brain or organ damage.

There are lots of known treatment on the net. Obviously, the first known advise to bring your pet to the vet. Your vet could should rule out any other skin disease by scraping and confirming presence of mites. Then he would perform medicinal baths and other oral or injectable medication. Then as a pet owner, disinfecting the beddings or areas in the house could help eliminate survival of the mites. And there are tons of natural remedies shared by dog bloggers and veterinarians that worked for their pets. These natural remedies are to be included in the diet  or applied to their skin to attack the parasites and to boost their immune systems.  I've read about raw honey, peroxide and borax, fish oil, vitamin E, raw apple cider vinegar, chamomile, neem oil extract, sliced lemon and so on and so forth.

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When I brought Bruce to the vet he already developed bumps that are visible even underneath his fur. the bumps' silhouette could be highly seen in broad daylight. Though Bruce I've noticed doesn't itch too much and it's mostly located at the neck area and at the back. I've checked the belly area and there were minor red spots, but no bumps. I figured it must be just the heat or minor skin irritation. What worried me is that the bumps from the back gradually cascaded down to his hind legs. His forehead also developed white spots like something burrowed in the area. There were dandruff also all over his neck, back and face. I could from the get-go figure out that it's Cheyletiella mange. How he got it, I had no idea. All I know is that I had to get it treated. 

BRUCE'S MANGE

Bruce, even with mange, displayed his normal energy. He eats well, interacts well albeit with some discomfort induced by the itch. His looks didn't drastically change at all. There was no hair loss and red spots although there were some wounds at the back area caused by his scratching. Compared to the images on my research, Bruce was nowhere near that so I was feeling optimistic. Also, general treatment of mange is seen to be successful. 

Veterinary treatment is a must. On my first session with his vet, the doctor did scrapings and made me see through the microscope. Bruce's hair follicles and strands were smashed or in disarray. Something was really wrong. The doctor advised us to destroy his beddings or blankets. He had 2 favorite blankets that he tucks himself with to sleep, unfortunately those had to go. The doctors advised him to limit his backyard wanderings for a time until treatment is being done. And the doctor shared that this is not an overnight process. He would still have to come back to the vet for his medication and for me to do my part that he eats the right food and gets his play and sleeping areas clean at all times. 

Like most of the feedbacks I've read in the blog, bringing your dog to the vet every week for medication do not immediately give the desired results. Some dog owners warn that treatment left to the vet could be expensive and disheartening. After all, these are pesky parasitic mites. They don't leave immediately and much of it has to do with your dog's immune system. The Vet could only do so much and constantly exposing your pets to strong medication and dips aren't advisable either. Because of the repeated costs of going to the vet and the danger of relying heavily oh chemically induced treatment, these pet owners researched and developed their own natural remedies to help boost immune system and also to help eradicate mange. These areas I poured my time into. I read some blogs as the pet owners swore by the efficiency of their natural remedies. I knew this was a positive area to look into. I also knew this was something that I can personally do.

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TREATMENT

I've noticed the intense mange buildup end March of this year. He usually has baths 3-4 times a week using Dr. Kaufman bacterial soap. His area had been disinfected with his blankets time and time again, but his situation got worse. 

He formed bumps underneath his coat at the neck, back and hind legs area. He had dandruff. He had white infected burrows in his forehead. He scratched from time to time (mild). 

No baldness yet. No major wounds and sores. Appetite is not affected. Energy is not affected. 

VET

On the first weekend of May, I brought him to Dr. Peralta in Better Living. He was his vet ever since. Dr. Peralta performed scraping and confirmed presence of mange. 

• He injected a medication in Bruce
• He performed a lime-sulfur dip with Bruce. We usually leave him in the morning and come back for him in the afternoon. Whenever we pick him up, Bruce would smell like some gas or chemical. His fur would be smooth, but the smell was horrible. He would just look at us funny while we tell him "You Smell bad!" The doctor advised that Bruce should not  take a bath for minimum of 3 days straight, if he can, probably for an entire week so that the dip might seep in.
• COST: Treatment costs 750 pesos per session. 
• SESSION: Treatment is at every 2 weeks
• DURATION: We did this for 2 months straight
• PROGRESS: Definitely not overnight. Gradual mange loss. 

HOME REMEDY

I somehow knew this would happen. I read in blogs that repetitive treatments in the veterinary clinics could only do so much. I need to help him boost his immune system and somehow naturally eradicate this pesky mange. I am a believer of science and alternative / natural healing. Frankly I'll do anything. I don't care as long as it works. 

• Out of all my research, I singled out on NEEM oil. Neem oil is a vegetable oil pressed from fruits and seeds of the neem plant present in India subcontinent. Neem is known to have miraculous effects to persistent conditions. It's often used medicinally. Neem oil boosts immune systems, fights, boosts hygiene, fighter of various skin diseases and infections. Most of the dog owners swear by it. 
• I couldn't find a concentrated neem oil in the Philippines. (CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT?). I only get Tea Tree oil, chamomile and they are expensive. Although they do help alleviate skin diseases, I'm more intrigued on the known powerful effect of neem especially on mange. The problem is I can't find a store that sells neem oil here in Manila.
• Until I came across neem.ph. It's an online shopping site for anything neem related. Their  warehouse is based on Cainta, Rizal. Thank God for Online Shopping! I became confident that this is my answer because they widely cater to beauty and skin products like soaps, lotion and they even developed their own pet products such as Neem Pet Powder and Neem Pet Soap. It makes a lot of sense. They wouldn't devote a product line for pets and dogs if neem is not known to work.
• Before ordering Neem products I consulted this with Dr. Peralta and he said that it does help and gave me the go-signal to do my own therapy. 
• Cost: I got Bruce Neem Capsule supplements to boost his immune system. I got a bottle for 300 pesos. I also got Bruce Neem soap for for 75 pesos (I initially bought 3). And I got him the Neem Powder also for 75 Pesos. Overall costs including the shipment is at around 750 pesos.
• Once I ordered everything I needed online, which is very easy, I made a call to confirm if my orders went through. It was a Saturday and the only payment method was through bank deposit.  Thankfully BDO was open! I got my orders Tuesday Morning.
• Half a capsule was given with his food in the morning, baths happen every other day, his beddings were removed and I bought him a no-hassle mat for easy clean up and comfort (500 Pesos in Ace Hardware). I included fish oil in his diet and occasionally sprinkled some powder on his coat during his non-bath days. 

With the rigorous area clean up and home remedy, coupled with Bruce vet medicinal baths for 2 months straight, Bruce Mange was conquered! I'm happy to report that the bumps were gone, the white spots in his forehead were gone. In broad daylight I can see the smoothness and vitality of his coat. He doesn't itch anymore and his vet visits ended at the last weekend of June. Although his vet visits may be eliminated, I still continue with the neem soap, capsules and powder. And I always make sure that his sleeping area is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. 

**If In case the neem soap is out of stock, I use the ANTI-MANGE or HERBAL multi purpose soap for 85 Pesos  that can be bought in the pet section of Ace Hardware. 

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This was Bruce's first battle. I learned a lot about this skin disease and appreciated so many good things in life. I appreciated science as well as believing also in the power of natural healing remedies. I relied on patience and ended up sacrificing comfort and time to help eradicate mange. I believed in prayers and in Bruce.

Mange of any kinds should be treated before it becomes life threatening. As a pet owner, you will allot time and resources to get this done. It's NOT an OVERNIGHT process. Do not be disheartened if you see little to no results. Follow your vet's advise and also research on the natural remedies that might work for you. 

Sources:

neem.ph

pets.webmd.com/dogs/mange-dogs-canine-scabies

www.myhomeremedies.com/topic.cgi?topicid=294‎

www.2ndchance.info/mange.htm‎

In an unfortunate circumstance

It's been ages and it's starting to be shameful. Work and the lack of everything else are always against me. Then again I'm not making any excuses.

So many things happened in the past couple of months. Most are good, ironically. Bruce fought his nasty battle with mange and he won. He nourished a new human partnership with Jake as his caretaker and walker. And he turned 1, with grace and charm. It's as if nothing could go wrong. Absolutely nothing.

And now Bruce is fighting his biggest battle yet. And I chose to fight it with him and give everything I got. I don't know if I'm cut out for it. We'll see, but it kills me each and every minute and each and every thought that creeps through. Whenever I think about it, it feels like dying over and over again. It wouldn't have been in vain if this internal and emotional death could lessen the pain that Bruce might feel, but it won't. It's just me.

Our dear Bruce, our mighty and lovable Bruce who just turned 1 is suffering from acute renal failure.

It seems so surreal. How could it possibly happen to him, to us? I still couldn't reconcile and point to the exact issue and it pains me every time to be away from him and when I do see him, he's in agony. His tail is automatic response of happiness, but his eyes do not lie. I won't even entertain the though of him gone. He knows I won't let him go. I can't let him go. And the possibility kills me every time. I know I must not think like this. Bruce has always been a fighter. He's my dog. He's strong. But how come I feel a tear is about to roll. I must stop for now...

Week 1 Mange Treatment: Bruce

I never thought that any of my dogs would suffer a skin disease particularly a MANGE attack. It took me some time to realize and an additional time to accept that it does happen, even to good dogs in a good home. But as soon as things became a little bit clearer, there's nothing left to do but to act on it, solve it. That's what we're doing now.

Background:

When Bruce was little he had small red bumps in his semi-hairless belly. It's like "bunging araw" probably something caused by the heat and moist. We regularly bathe him of course with anti-fungal shampoo and Dr. Kaufman anti-bacterial soap just like the rest of our dogs. It never really signaled a major problem for us. He sometimes scratches himself, but we didn't see anything alarming that needed further medical attention.

He grew up in a fairly happy environment. He plays around, likes to hang out in puddles of water, dirties himself by destroying mom's plants and he even had time to be trained in a professional dog school. While growing up, we noticed small skin irritations, again nothing extraordinary. Dogs scratch themselves from time to time. His coat still looked fine, he's not in a major chronic itching spree, but we do still make sure that he gets his regular bathe and sways him away from sleeping in puddles. We thought that some small bumps are just minor skin irritation bought by heat and dirt. To be honest, we were more on the lookout for fleas and ticks. As an average dog owner, that's the only thing I know that could attack them.

Bumps on his body. no major baldness and open wounds yet. 

Until a couple of months passed and we noticed the bumps beneath his fur multiplying in his legs and we saw scaling and skin patches in his forehead. Abnormal things started to get noticeable. I thought it was still caused by normal dirt and we tried to buy a heavy duty anti-bacterial and anti-fungal shampoo. We bathe him more often, but after weeks of observation, nothing. We noticed that he would scratch himself from time to time, but what's more alarming are the bumps beneath his fur and the scaling and patches of wound on his forehead. It became worse. I knew he might have some discomfort, but Bullmastiffs are tough dogs. He won't whine.

I researched online and came across the same symptoms with dogs that have MANGE. Mange is a skin disease caused by MITES, supposedly common external parasites that lay eggs and bury themselves beneath the dogs' hair follicle. In general, they do attack puppies more with underdeveloped immune system (1 - 24 months) assisted by dirt and heat. As I was looking at the images, my heart beat fast. I knew I had to take him to the doctor. He had bumps, scaling on his forehead and open wounds already present from scratching. Thankfully he's not yet in the worse stages of balding, discoloration and chronic licking and scratching. But I was in panic mode.

Two things I am definite. The bumps are all over his body and his skin disease is already generalized as supposed to localized. Second, he has to be taken to the vet.


SATURDAY WEEK 1:

We took Bruce to his vet for treatment. The vet did the usual scraping and inspection and it was confirmed that the skin disease was caused by mites. At that point, I just wanted it to be cured. The vet was explaining things to me, but my mind was floating somewhere else. I ended up asking him again again like a nervous parent.

I have 2 other dogs that didn't have mange:

• All dogs harbor mites, but as long as the dog has healthy skin and strong immune system, the mites should be harmless and curable without any treatment. Harvey and Chivas have strong immune systems. Mites do not stand a chance.
• In Bruce's case, he's young and his immune system is weak, mites took a chance to feast on his

Is there just one kind of Mange?

• Sarcoptic and Demodectic. 
• Sarcoptic are transmitted from one infected dog to another. It causes chronic itching, balding especially in ears, elbow and face
• Demodectic are overgrowth of mites usually found in puppy's skin from the start. Mild to moderate itching is present and in worst cases, hair fall and abnormal looking skin. Mites that have grown haywire. 
• Bruce has Demodectic Mange that became wild because of his suppressed immune system.

Treatment:

• Oral antibiotics, injections and medicinal bath
• Get rid of the beddings, put 1 tablespoon of corn oil (to moisturize his skin) on his food and bathe him with anti-fungal shampoo
• Visit the vet every week for shots and medicinal bath
• Strengthen his immune system

We left Bruce to the vet for a couple of hours so he could take his medicinal bath and dip. That special bath involves medicine and pesticides so the mites in this body could be killed. According to my research, there are some bad side effects to it if done regularly like vomiting and malaise. You are dipping them after all in strong pesticides. Don't be surprised if it smells like gas. 

Aside from the bath, he also got an anti-fungal shot as opposed to oral antibiotics. 

We took him home the same day smelling of gas and really feeling worried. The vet said with the medicine and heat, his bumps may flare up as an immediate reaction to the medicine. We just have to make sure his place is clean, he's not exposed much to sun and he must avoid dirt/soil at any cost. The vet even suggested to put in him a cage most of the time. I cringed. I told the vet that he won't like it.

It was hard on the first night. As much as we don't like locking him up, he must heal and maximize the effects of medicine. He was in a bad mood for sure, but we had no choice.

That was a Saturday. He took his next bath with the same strong anti-fungal shampoo and Dr. Kaufman anti-bacterial soap on Wednesday and Thursday. He is scheduled to be back on Saturday for a follow-up check up and treatment.

Bumps have flared. No Chronic Itching, but has patches on his forehead and wounds caused by scratching

Waiting for his diagnosis