Maternal Instincts

A lot of people give us a hard time about Hudson because he requires so much care and because we treat him like our child. But if you really knew...

Even my mother-in-law, who used to make her own colostomy bags for her younger son when he was under a year old, is blown away by our regimes for Hudson.

So, to all the moms out there, you tell me how I (we) rate.

Hudson had his first check up at the doctor, but has been back at least 6 times for his skin, once for an ear infection, and once for a viral cold. Minus his wellness check, he has gotten at least one course of antibiotics each time. He is 15 months old.

Hudson gets a bath every other day. One of those per week is with a special medicated shampoo followed by a medicated lotion/leave-in conditioner.

We try to clean his ears 2-4 times a week. Sometimes every day. It falls in line with his skin problems, though he has healthy ears for a bully with skin problems.

EVERY DAY we:
Clean his facial folds with a baby wipe and apply Balmex in the creases to deter moisture and yeast growth.

Wipe his puppy "weiner" and butt after EVERY potty trip.

Clean (with a baby wipe) his "hot spots" on his skin and spray with Vetricyn (a topical antibiotic). When he's not on steroids, we apply a topical one like cortisone.

Give 2 tabs of benedryl with both meals. (Side note: With our fosters, we use 12 tabs of benedryl a day in our house!)

After EVERY time he drinks water, we wipe his chin. (This is more for our house and clothing than him, but it does help with his puppy acne!)

Now we're adding a raw food to his feeding schedule. It should help with his skin and to bulk him up while he's growing. We want to really make sure we make the most out of those broad shoulders. So we have to thaw that in the fridge when we feed it. Every other day for now at dinner time.

So if you, or any of your friends, are looking for a bulldog, they are the best pets ever and I do all this without really thinking about it, but you have to keep in mind that they do consume your time. ...And my bulldog is still considered relatively healthy compared to how he'd be were he poorly bred.

So when we had our puppy check when Hudson was 9 weeks old and I was holding him against my chest rocking him without realizing it, and our vet said he'd be our child, I didn't quite realize to what extent.

And I wouldn't give him up for the WORLD!

-Jacki