French Bulldog constant skin issues

[Kenny202]

Got a little Frenchie about 3 or 4 years old and last couple of years he gets scaly / scabby / crusty little lumps on his skin. Can pick them off like you would a scab. Probably only about 2 - 4mm. Been to the vets a few times now and he's been on 2 x 2 week courses of antibiotics which did seem to nearly eradicate the problem, but after it comes back again. We wash him in expensive medicated shampoo once a week from the vets. We live in a modern estate in the city away from livestock etc with only a small lawn and he's never exposed to other dogs. He's on a very expensive once a month full tick / flea / worm pill we got from the vets (he had this issue before starting the tick / worm pill) They have tested the skin for mites etc under a microscope and no sign of anything like that nor does he ever have tocks or fleas. I thought for a while maybe food allergy as he was occasionally having dried dog food but hes been off that for 3 months, only fresh stuff now and no improvement. We've also changed bedding from a cushion type thing to a hammock type dog bed with mesh / better air flow.... no difference. I sit and pick them off him of a night little black specks all over the floor.The fact that the antibiotics seemed to work would indicate some sort of bacterial thing but unfortunately he cant take antibiotics forever. It doesn't actually seem to give him a lot of discomfort, nor is it an obvious issue in any other way, I just feel sorry for him that it must be uncomfortable. The last time we went to the vet they said it is very common in foreign dogs here and we need to learn to live with it. Anyone had a similar experience or found a cure of sorts? 

[BritManToo]

It's nearly always mites of some kind.

Ivermectin injections usually fix it.

 

My rabbits get them, usually the patches are on their back, the scabs fall off with fur attached.

 

My vet didn't know what it was either, I had to tell her.

[Polar Bear]

Frenchies are very prone to skin problems and usually have multiple allergies to food (chicken and grains are very common), and environmental things like pollen, detergents/cleaning stuff, etc, that can cause various forms of dermatitis. They can also have allergic reactions to mites and fleas, so you can get a systemic reaction on the skin when they only had a couple of bites. And of course it can be actual bites, but if there are a lot of scabs, they should have seen the mites when they tested for it. Treating again for mites can't hurt, but considering he's a Frenchie, I'd be looking to start a really strict exclusion protocol, food and environment, to try to identify any allergies. If you look online in Frenchie groups you will find lots of information on how to get started on that because it's such a big problem with the breed.

[Evil Penevil]

You might want to check with the vet to make sure your Frenchie isn't suffering from a bacterial infection called pyoderma.  You can read more about it here:  5 Common French Bulldog Skin Problems