My english bull terrier has terrible spots all over his body & back they look really sore & are very itchy we can't stroke him without him lifting his leg trying to scratch we have tried lots if things to help him nothing helps it goes for a few days & always returns we know he's not comfortable so it affects me &my wife we are at our wits end.please can anyone help us...

Yes, we can help by advising a vet visit to diagnose which is really hard to do on the internet

Sounds very much like he has picked up a dose of sarcoptes mites. The Vet or your Agricultural supply store usually carry a product to bathe him with to kill them and soothe the irritation. Ask for mange shampoo or the clerk may not know what you're talking about. The Doctor would but not necessarily the desk clerks.

If this is indeed mange, I would guess it would be Demodex vs Sarcoptic. But really the only way to find out is to have a skin scraping done by your vet.

The problem with topical mite control shampoos is if the mites are overly infesting your dog. Sometimes, in order to properly kill mites, you have to attack them systemically and use medications that the pet has to take orally.

Because overly itchy dogs that are itching raw spots on their skin can lead to infection, you really should just go to a vet and get a real diagnosis with treatment that will work.

We have taken the dog to the vets (waste of time) they didn't have much of a clue said he doesn't have fleas or mange combed his hair &gave us antidiotics it cleared up for a while but has recently came back we have changed his shampoo we have recently had building work done so thought it might be dust everything back to normal now but we have had carpet fitted throughout the whole house we are scratching our heads we just don't know what to do it could be so many things we take him to the vet they palm us off with a nice big bill and nothing works we know they have skin problems but not to this extent.

Have you given any thought to diet. What type of dog food are you giving?

It's important to remember that sarcoptic mange is difficult to diagnose even with a skin scrape it is not 100%. Many vets will choose to treat without a definitive diagnosis and see what happens. If it clears after treatment, which is fairly easy and not too expensive then there is your answer, if not then it is best to keep looking.
Of course I can't say that it is a mange problem, no one on the internet can, just letting you know that sometimes you don't get a diagnosis.
But as far as itchy cats and dogs go, mites are high on the list of possible answers.
Your vet should have done a skin scrape, if not you have the right to insist on one or get a second opinion.
Demodex is another possibility as has already been stated this mite lives in the hair follicles and it too requires a skin scrape to diagnose.
Sarcoptic Mange (http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_sarcoptic_mange.html)

Demodectic Mange (http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_demodectic_mange.html)

Good Luck, I hope your friend is much more comforatable soon.

Anti biotics can kill good Essential bacterias so I would avoid them when not absolutely necessary. Diet does have a lot to do with skin. Omega and a good detox might help

Go to a doggy dermatologist.. most general practice vets only know the basics of skin disease.

Like humans, skin problems can be very hard to diagnose and treat.. sometimes you need to go to the specialist to figure out what's wrong.. and even then it might not be 100%. There is no such thing as a cure-all wonder drug... sometimes you need to try different things and see what works.

Has anyone talked to you about autoimmune diseases? They can present as itchy, open sores all over the body.

Maybe go to different vet if you feel like your current one isn't giving his/her all for the health of your dog.