Search forum
Back to German Shepherd Dog
Liked top 20
ForumsGerman Shepherd Dog > 8 1/2 Month Old GSD Puppy with skin problems (30 replies)
8 1/2 Month Old GSD Puppy with skin problems by LLJohnson10 on 13 July 2012 - 19:13 |
| I have an 8 1/2 month old Puppy that is having some skin problems on his underside. He is very dry and itchy, he develops these small red bumps, that will dry then scab. He is on a grain free diet, and has been since he was 8 weeks old, I feed Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken Formula. I also add a frozen cube of pumpkin, and a spoonful of cooked canned ground turkey made by Wellness. His topside has no skin problems at all, very shiny and no dryness. I've taken him to the vet and they gave me a topical cream called (Silver Sulfadiazine Cream). It will clear up a small breakout, but the underlying issue doesn't seem to be getting addressed. What is causing this dry itchy skin, and how can I stop it. The cream seems to be a temporary fix. Here is a link to his pics in the pedigree database gallery, since for some reason it won't allow me to upload them to this message board. It's saying something like I don't have permission. Any help or advise would be greatly appreciated. http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/picturegallery/40481.html |
by fawndallas on 13 July 2012 - 19:33 |
| Does he play in the water a lot? My lab had something that looked similar. My vet said that this is due to frequently wet skin that eventually developes a fungus. She said it was common among dogs that are frequently in the water. She too gave me a cream to apply (I am not sure what it was called though). |
fawndallas by HighDesertGSD on 13 July 2012 - 19:44 |
| Worth trying is Omega 3 fish oil and Omega 6 GLA in borage oil in the diet. One gram each per day. |
by LLJohnson10 on 13 July 2012 - 20:05 |
| Thanks, No, he does not play in the water, but does walk and lay in wet grass, which tends to get his underside wet. He hates to go for a swim and taking baths. I forgot to add, I also give him a squirt of Grizzly Salmon Oil when feeding. |
by minro on 13 July 2012 - 20:09 |
| Is it bad on his belly and armpits? Or his ears? It could be an environmental allergy if so. |
by fawndallas on 13 July 2012 - 20:38 |
| Interesting, Silver Sulfadiazine Cream is generally for burns as an antibacterial. Did your vet explain why they thought this was the correct cream? Does the cream help or does it help the spot, but the issue come back in another area? If it just helps the spot, but it comes back in other areas, I would have the vet (or a new one) check again. I am not sure if laying in wet grass is enough of continual "wetness" I was referring to. I would expect the grass to get dry before to long. My lab on the other hand is in water at least 10 - 20 % of his day; especially during the summer. He all but sleeps in his pool. |
by EuroShepherd on 13 July 2012 - 21:06 |
Considering that he's on a pretty good diet and that it's such a localized reaction it does seem to be caused by something that his skin comes in direct contact with. Carpet, floor cleaning chemicals, his bed (or anything that he lays on) any kind of chemical on the grass, chiggers in the grass? (so many other possibilities too) Other than trying to figure out what his skin is reacting too via eliminations, you may just want to put a shirt/vest on him that covers his entire belly area. Also, you may want to shampoo him regularly to remove lingering allergens on his skin, for this case I would highly suggest Eqyss Micro-Tek shampoo. Since he is an adolescent pup, hopefully he will grow out of this issue. Normally I would suggest switching to a pure raw diet with organic foods and certified humane raised eggs/dairy/meat to be the best way to strengthen the immune system and overcome allergy problems. This could very well help your boy, but in this case I think you will see faster results with the other suggestions. |
EuroShepherd by Eldee on 13 July 2012 - 21:06 |
In my opinion, most skin allergies are food related. Could be the chicken or the fish. i would try a different protein source in another grain free food. Venison or lamb for instance. Go to a health food store and pick up a tub of coconut oil and let that be your oil. They lick it right off the spoon. They love it. |
Eldee by LLJohnson10 on 13 July 2012 - 21:07 |
| The vet told me the cream was an antibiotic, and also an anti-fungal medicine. Before the vet gave it to me, I told the vet that my breeder had given me some Quadritop Ointment to clear up the problem. That worked also, but it again, would only temporarily take care of the problem. The vet said the Quadritop was only anti-bacterial, and that the Siver Sulfadiazine was both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, and that it may work better. She also said that since the area didn't appear irritated, inflamed, or pus filled, this should do the trick. But his whole underside is pretty dry, and he gets these breakouts. My first thought that this may be some sort of food allergy, but, I am uncertain, since I've read, and been told that most allergies come from grains, and he's always been on a grain free diet. The entire underside is affected, and his armpits are probably the worst of the affected area. |
by LLJohnson10 on 13 July 2012 - 21:13 |
| I would love to do a raw diet, but I'm worried that it would be too time consuming and expensive, even though Blue Wilderness is also expensive. Another thing that has also always turned me off about raw diets was that when I watch the dogs consume their raw meaty bones, they generally attempt to hold it with their paws, and it appears as if they are just getting bacteria all over the place. I wouldn't want my puppy to take a raw chicken bone out of his bowl and drag it around the house, or for it to be on his fur then rub up agains the couch. It just doesn't seem all that sanitary. Other than that, it seems like a great idea. |
by minro on 13 July 2012 - 21:18 |
| Most skin allergies are food related. However, I owned a female Shepherd who had environmental allergies. I think to pollen, we never found out for sure. It was pretty awful. She was on steroids her entire life, along with fish oil supplements, etc etc. If you want to rule out a food allergy, you need to do a food trial, for I would say 3 months. I would recommend salmon. Read the ingredients carefully and make sure it is a pure food with only salmon as the main protein. NO treats, snacks, ONLY the salmon food. You really can ruin your trial with just a treat here and there. You need to monitor what your dog eats very closely. It's a pain, but IMO the best way to get your answer. If yuor dog is still breaking out afterwards, I would say it's environmental, and you should go to someone who specializes in skin... basically a dog dermatologist. They should be able to do a scratch test. |
by fawndallas on 13 July 2012 - 21:26 |
| I would also expect that if it was a food allergy, the whole body (thinking blood stream) would be impacted. Location says it is something that he lays on. EuroShepherd has an excellent suggestion. I would start with the obvious: a chemical on the grass (maybe a bug treatment or a fertilizer). Prevent him from lying directly on the grass and treat the spots as both vet and EuroShepherd suggest. If they still return after a month, move to the next area. Go to where he sleeps at night. Repeat above. Hopefully, through process of elimination, you can identify what is causing the reaction. If it is the grass, this is usually bug (again, I would think the issue would be all over though) or chemical. Soak the lawn with a solution of soap (Dawn works well) and water. Do this a couple of times and do not add any more chemicals. If you have a bug issue you are treating, use DE; ground up shells instead. If it is a fertlizer you are using, do some extensive research to find a non-chemical solution. If it is the dog's bedding, wash all bedding in hot water with Dreft/ laundry soap for babies. These are generally chemical free. It also could be what your floor/ carpet is cleaned with. Floor is simple; clean with dish soap. Carpet, not sure, as I have not had carpet in my home for years. A good carpet cleaning company should be able to help though. If these do not pan out, I am stumped. Hopefully it will be this easy. |
by beetree on 13 July 2012 - 21:38 |
| Sometimes chicken protein is the culprit. We feed Blue buffalo, too, but use the lamb and rice, my dog really likes it. Also, if you feed salmon, make sure it is wild caught salmon and not farm raised. Just to add to what everyone else is saying this is good to read, and it would suggest you stop the pumpkin: http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/systemic_yeast_mini_course.htm This is a natural fungal remedy, but it is purple and messy: http://www.amazon.com/GENTIAN-VIOLET-SOL-HUM-Size/dp/B000GCQ05G |
beetree by fawndallas on 13 July 2012 - 21:52 |
| I love the article Beetree. I have learned a lot and book marked the page to review often. Thank you |
by EuroShepherd on 13 July 2012 - 21:53 |
Making a homemade raw diet for dogs is often less time consuming then fixing homemade meals for people (that is, if it isn't "homemade" out of a box, lol) In fact, I only "make" my dog's food once or twice a week and I freeze portions for use on later days. But, feeding raw inside the house is an issue, the thought of food being smeared on the carpet or furniture is gross, lol. I have a large basement with a cement floor, my dogs crates are in the basement and my dogs are fed in the basement where it is easy for me to sanitize. Before I moved into this house I lived where I could have outside kennels, back then I fed my dogs outside in their kennels. Dogs are VERY good at cleaning up their raw food, mine lick their paws clean (dog saliva has much better bacteria killing properties than human's, dog saliva is actually "cleaner" than human saliva.) Actually, dog kibble is just as likely, if not more likely, to have bad bacteria on the surface as meat (given that the meat has been handled properly.) Same goes for fresh vegetables, how many times have we heard about recalls on veggies because they were contaminated by bad bacteria? Personally, methinks, the best way to determine if it's food or environmental is to do that t-shirt/vest thingy to prevent the affected areas of his skin making any direct contact with any surfaces, while keeping him on the same diet he's on now. If the problem seems to go away then you know it's environment, if it doesn't go away then you know it's most likely his diet. The skin of the belly and armpits are some of the most sensitive areas of skin on a dog, the fur is also much sparser in these body areas, which makes me think that it is something that is coming in direct contact with his skin that is causing his problem. |
by Blitzen on 13 July 2012 - 22:00 |
| Most canine allergies are not food mediated; at least 75 - 80% are the result of something the dog inhales or contacts. http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods/hypoallergenic-dog-foods/ Looks like a bacterial infection to me in which case gently cleaning the area a few times a day with Hebiclens, drying it well and sprinkling the area with Gold Bond Medicated Power or applying some Desitin Ointment should get it cleared up quickly. Can also spray with witchhazel and then use the Gold Bond. Worst case he may need oral antibiotics; Keflex is generally the drug of choice for canine skin infections. This is common in puppies, he will probably outgrow it with or without treatment. http://users.telenet.be/bloemen-online/impetigo-school-sores/dogs-impetigo-treatment-school-sores.html |
Blitzen by HighDesertGSD on 13 July 2012 - 22:22 |
| Too soon to conclude it is food related, IMO. |
by mirasmom on 13 July 2012 - 23:26 |
| Here's another link about dogfood recalls, make sure his food is not on the list, though I would switch him to the raw diet, costs about the same and the food is fresh.... http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/newpetfoodrecalls/brand_list.cfm?Trade_Name=BLUE%20BUFFALO&pet=Dog http://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls/ucm228986.htm |
mirasmom by dogshome9 on 14 July 2012 - 00:09 |
Sorry to disagree with most of you BUT when only the skin on the areas underneath the dog where there is little or no hair the most likely problem is environmental, some thing the dogs lays on usually. I had a litter of 8 x 6 week old puppies and 5 were affected in this way, discovered that the straw I layed down on the grass after we had heavy rain was the cause. I raked up the straw and kept the puppies on concrete for a week and it cleared up completely. First I would check your environment before changing the diet ~~~~~~ far easier and cheaper also. Do you have new plants, seasonal weeds, have you fertilized or treated your grass or garden with anything? As your puppy has only just developed this rash, if the cause was diet related and you have not change that, then why would he have diet issues now? |
dogshome9 by dmo171 on 14 July 2012 - 00:21 |
| We had same problem a couple months back. Got off the chicken and went to salmon meal. Solved problem. We also did and do the salmon oil. Works great, change diet. |
dmo171
Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!