Why is my English Bulldog losing hair, licking paws, and dry ears?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | English Bulldog | Female | spayed | 68 lbs
Hi we adopted a english bulldog that is 9 years old she was a breeder dog before we adopted her she has had eye surgery for chronic dry eye so she already jas eye problems she also was missing a big patch of hair on her side when we got her the vet said it was probably due to not enough sun light well it never grew any hair back she has lost a lot more hair it is not mange she was tested she is licking her feet non stop till theu r raw and her ear is very very very dry
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on December 6th, 2018
Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Bulldogs are notorious for having skin issues and allergies, along with their other problems (breathing issues, eye issues, etc.) I suggest talking with your vet to see if there is a current infection (yeast or bacteria) on her skin or in her ears. If there is, this needs to be treated. After this secondary infection is treated you need to address the underlying cause, which is most often allergies. Allergies can be to food, laundry soap, environment, etc. I would start by switching her to a hypoallergenic diet (prescription from the vet), and discuss medications such as Apoquel, Atopica, or steroids, to control her allergies (if they feel this is the cause after examining her). The hair patch loss could be due to lack of melatonin, and you can try supplementing, but could also be due to hypothyroidism, Cushing's disease, or allergies. Ask your vet about testing for these. An E-collar can be used to prevent licking/chewing at the feet to give them time to heal. This is often required. Best of luck with Olive! I hope she feels better soon.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on May 8th, 2019
This can be mites or it can be allergies. Unfortunately, to rule out mites you would need a skin scrape. If you were to use medication it is a prescription, so it is difficult to treat completely without seeing a veterinarian. If you need financial help here is a website with some information that may be able to help you afford the veterinary care. https://www.pawbark.com/financial-help-for-veterinary-care-costs/ Thank you for using PetCoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on June 14th, 2018
Hi there. Hair loss, excessive chewing on her paws, a skin odor, and waxy discharge or debris in the ears are all very common signs of allergies in dogs. This could be a food allergy, or an allergy to something in the environment. Other possible causes would include a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). I'm not sure what kinds of testing and treatment have already been done, so it's hard to give specific advice on what the next recommended steps would be. Allergy testing, and/or a diet trial with a prescription hypoallergenic food such as Hills z/d or Purina HA may be helpful to try and get a diagnosis. For symptomatic treatment, a short-term course of steroids and antibiotics might be a reasonable place to start, so you can certainly discuss this with your vet if it hasn't been done already.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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