The root, which is the part used for healing purposes and is one of the main ingredients in an antibiotic herbal medicine created by Dr. Ed Alstat, a pharmacist and naturopath in Oregon. Many herbalists consider echinacea as one of the very best blood purifiers, as well as an effective antibiotic and is the leading herb on the list of immune-stimulants.

What does this have to do with Bulldogs? Have you needed to get some antibiotics from your veterinarian for some infection your dog seems to come up with a bit more often than you may think is right?

We had one little bitch that was into anything and everything she can possibly get into. She was a digger, so her paws seem to get infected easily. She was always romping in the fields, so there was always something going on with our Country Lady. Lady would get a bit too playful with the cats, so often she'd get scratched, thus there was an abscess to deal with. One thing always after another with her and it seemed like her immune system couldn't keep up. It wasn't right or healthy to keep her on antibiotic drugs all of the time. Such dependency could destroy her own natural immune system. So we had to get creative with her and learn new ways to help her out.

The echinacea herb has proven to be most helpful and she no longer needed the high dosages of drugs, if any to keep her antibiotics up. Her health improved and we had fewer problems with her getting infections, even if her puppy madness and habits hadn't improved.

You may want to talk to your veterinarian about this, if your dog is prone to infections. We can't believe the difference and improvements in her health, due to this wonderful yet common herb. This herb has proven to be helpful, not only with the health of all our bulldogs, but for ourselves, as well.

• Check Health >>> Be sure that your bulldog is in good health. If a gas problem is caused by a parasite or infection, that must be addressed before using home remedies. One of the most difficult conditions to identify is that of Giardia and Coccidia, even when specifically looking for it. Roundworms can also cause more than their share of problems.

• Exercise >>> Each night before lights out, I now take the dogs out for a brisk walk. No longer just letting them out to wander the yard by themselves, I get out there and see to it that they get a good exercising. This helps pass much of the gas. Plus they sleep better at night, as do I.

• Diet >>> I feed a good dog food that if "Soy Free" and dairy product free. However, it just wasn’t enough. After some research and experimentation, I found a simple formula that works, without causing a change in their full diet. I now add a tablespoon of plain yogurt with natural cultures. Plus the first bite has a few drops of a human product called "Beano". OK, it sounds silly, but it really works for us and it’s a lot less expensive the "CurTail" product sold by many veterinarians. "Beano" has served as a great source of pollution control for our dogs.

• Mealtime Competition >>> When more than one dog is fed at the same time, together. They usually will wolf their food down, so not to have to share. This causes a lot of air to be swallowed. This extra air will catch up with your nose later in the form of doggy air pollution. Feed your dogs separately. This may slow them down, thus swallowing less air. There are also other ways to slow down their eating habits. One is to mix two different textures of food together, be it canned and dry, or dry that’s been soaked with dry left hard. Another method to slow down their eating is to place a large object in their feed bowl with the food, such as a tennis ball. It’s a good idea not to feed too much at one time. If their stomach is too full, they will have trouble with digestion, thus lots of gas.

Hot Spots

‘Tis the season for Hot Spots! And as Murphy’s Law would have it, they tend to present themselves right before an important dog show, or some other inopportune time.. Hot Spots are more than just unsightly sores, they can be intensely painful for your dog.

Almost anyone who has a dog that suffers with Hot Spots on a regular basis, knows how to cope with healing them. However, the key is to prevent them from taking hold to begin with.

At the earliest onset, before the Hot Spot has a chance of taking over, treat the area immediately with one of the many liquid acne pad medicines on the market or good old plain apple vinegar. I personally like to use the "Oxy-Pads." I would discourage using the creams, as they are very sticky and will draw debris to the affected area, thus becoming a greater problem than what you’ve started with.

Although most Hot Spots may be caused from allergies to flea bites, which requires keeping fleas in check; often they can be a food related problem. Many people have the misconception that it’s important to feed their dogs food with the highest available protein. This may be fine for some of the sporting or working breeds, but with our bulldogs, it can cause more harm than good. One of the first signs of trouble being that of skin problems, or Hot Spots. Feeding too high of a protein can also cause problems with a bulldogs’ internal organs as well.

There is a nice variety of recipes used by quality dog food manufactures, that provide a well balanced diet with less protein and no soy. Remember, when changing a dogs’ diet, do so very slowly.

.Regular grooming will also help prevent Hot Spots. This doesn’t mean over bathing the poor dog either. Bathing too often can create as many problems as not bathing enough. You don’t want to strip your dogs’ coat of its natural oils. Brushing often will keep the coat clean and distribute the oils evenly, making for a health and shinny coat. By removing old, dead hairs with brushing, you make way for healthy new hairs to grow in its place. When taking the time to brush your dog(s) often, you can also spot any potential Hot Spots and take care of them before they turn ugly.

.Should the Hot Spot become a real problem, don’t wait for it to become serious. Get your bulldog to the veterinarian.

                  The Importance of Using Crates / from Sheila

Crate training? In my opinion, it is one of the best things we can do for our pets, both dogs and cats, for many reason.

For dogs, it helps with housebreaking. I can housebreak a puppy in less than a week, with no negative correction, using a crate.

One important consideration, is the type of crate you choose for your bulldog.  The solid 'airline' crate, be it plastic or metal, is not, in my opinion, the best choice.  It is too easy for a bulldog to become overheated, as air cannot circulate properly in them.  The best kind of crate for a bulldog is a well made, open wire crate.  Wire crates allow for good air circulation and when traveling, you can see how your bulldog is doing, whereas in a solid crate you can't see if he is just asleep or passed out, even dead from heat exhaustion.

I could go on and on about the benefits of a crate, but I hope you get the idea.  For the Bulldog, it is best to use a wire crate, rather than a solid airline type crate.  Wire crates allow for better air circulation, whereas the solid crate holds too much heat and humidity close to the bulldog.  Plus with a wire crate, you can see your bulldog and how they are doing at a glance.  This can be especially important when traveling.