Auto immune issues - Page 1

Is an auto immune disease genetic or another cause? Just looking for experienced responses.

in humans it's definitely both, and probably for canines too
certain crap they put in some processed dog foods I wouldn't be surprised if it messed up a poor dog's immune system
Also any retro type viruses can screw up immune systems as well. we don't even know what causes some of the autoimmune disorders in humans yet, so probably the same for canines
The research on the immune system and diseases of it will go on as long as mammals live on this planet I think

Some conditions are genetic, some are idiopathic, and some are acquired.

In GSDs Lupus is genetic. Is there a particular autoimmune disease that interests you.

We don’t know. My boy has had issues of horrible itching, hair loss on and around eyes face no skin issues bad dandruff his coat is very coarse since he was around 7mo old he is 2 now. Most recent now is the tips of his ears are scabbed over like flies were eating them. Red small blisters bumps in ears and one pustule in ear that comes and go.

We have tried everything from diff foods to raw which he is on now. Supplements such as raw organic coconut, salmon oil show stopper powder for coat and skin. Allergy testing for environmental and food done all negative except allergy to storage mites which we don’t have and why he is on raw in case it was in the kibble.
Nothing has helped.

Vet visit yesterday and decided it’s time to
do skin biopsy’s to check for auto immune deficiency. Needs to be put under for this. I have been reading up on it and with his symptoms he most likely has this but need to find what kind so we can treat him.

My boy is the best GSD I’ve ever had and so mad upset sad this is happening to him at such a young age.

How long on raw?

Ozzy right? Was Carli (herself inbred 2-2) known to have any skin issues or other Brawnson progeny?

Am not familiar w showstopper but be very very careful of coat supplements esp if from another country. Old time trick is to put minute amounts of arsenic in product. Short term can add gloss to coat, long term disaster. Supplements best given singularly after much research. Zinc & selenium can help skin issues but be careful u can overdose on these. 

Have they tried long term ivermectin with him. Mites of any kind can be remarkably persistent.  Have friend who got facial skin mites from a "natural" skin product and has been battling them for 2 years

Did this start w a bout of demodex? 7 mo classic age. Teething often causes a dip in the immune system. Demodex are resident in all dogs but controlled but dip in system allows them to proliferate.

Once it started were you put on the hamster wheel of steroids which cause bacterial overgrowth antibiotics which cause fungal issues and back to the steroids,  repeat wash recycle? This cycle will allow Malassezia to flourish. Has he been evaluated  for that?https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5603939/

Have written b4 on this. There is hope will describe in next post.

Had a young coated shepherd who got an ear infection that was misdiagnosed ended up with perforated ear drum and on hi dose long term Baytril.

Then the skin issues started and the hamster wheel. At one time punch biopsy done that was suggestive of autoimmune atopic dermatitis.  It was NOT. Cured him and he lived to a healthy 14 with no additional skin problems.

First step changed vets. 2nd got him off the hamster wheel. this is the toughest part because generally they get a bit worse b4 getting better. the skin is our largest organ and functions to get rid of toxic sh*t in our bodies. Steroids r given more for the owner than the dog. Vets know they will give A TEMPORARY respite where the dog appears to feel better ergo so do the owners. Sometimes they luck out and it was a fleeting problem that goes away. More often the hamster wheel starts and they are too busy or distracted or unknowlegeable and start down for them the very profitable road of trying treatments but usually interspersed w the big 3 - steroids,antibiotics & anti fungals.

So with my guy once off the hamster wheel we supported his system w judicious amounts of fish oil ( GSDs as a breed need higher levels of good omega 3 most of mine get 2-3grams a day) and a bit of zinc & selenium no more than 2-3x a week to avoid overdosing. I pretty sure that initially I gave him Springtime's  Tonic Blend but it's been a long time . This was accompanied by tea baths. Not tea tree oil tho some swear by that but plain old Lipton tea brewed very very strong. Old folk remedy. It works.

Mike most likely had the Malassezia which the old vets never picked up on. I found out about it after I was on the path to get him off everything and new vet who had a great love of learning new things & was not afraid of learning from clients agreed with me his symptoms were suggestive of it. The tea baths came about when I noticed in the summer his skin problems on the bottom half of body went away - he liked to sit on the top step of pool to cool his jets but would NEVER go in thus only the bottom half sat in chlorinated water. Discussed with vet about a possible weak bleach bath ( he laughingly suggested we need to talk to pool guy for right dosage of chlorine) but we decided too risky and decided on tea instead. It's tannic acid and as noted a folk remedy.

Other folks have had luck w Springtime's Fresh Factors or garlic chewable (these fall into the category I call might help won't hurt).

Btw has Oz been evaluated for thyroid ( wh is genetic). Get full panel including TSH either from Michigan or Jean Dodds. Don't settle 4 less. See if u can find out if any of the bitches in his pedigree had problems getting pg or staying pg or had routinely small litters. Often signs of thyroid issues even if skin is ok.

Hope some of this helps. Skin issues are tough to deal with. They are miserable for the dog & the human. Good luck. Let us know how it goes and feel free to PM me.

I have a GSD like this, I have him on the Chinese cooling diet. Cools the blood down, Salmon is a hot so you might try Krill oil, coconut oil didn't work for him, also I work with an integrative Vet who will do western medicine when needed but also other alternative medicine. I also give him Chinese herbs twice a day.

TIG

Yes Ozzy. Not sure who Cali is but his breeder is a BYB. She could careless about his health or any of the dogs she breeds.

Ozzy sister has no issues with skin so not sure what is going on with my boy.

Showstopper is made is California highly recommended. He has had one ear infection in his life. No he has not be on ivermectin, never had demadex, had skin testing done for mites and nothing showed. He has been given citapoint for his itching and did help.
I’m not one to give my dogs drugs unless absolutely necessary. No redness in his paws no redness in the skin coat is very coarse.

He has been on raw for over 3 mo and was on it last year as well no diff with his issues.

I do not want to give him steroids but all I can do is get the biopsy and go from there. Dermatologist is next. Thank god for pet insurance

I will post pics of his ears and face.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lec5cloa7f8gpom/Photo%20Feb%2022%2C%206%2038%2020%20PM.jpg?dl=0


https://www.dropbox.com/s/edx1tl4gcar8nta/Photo%20Feb%2022%2C%206%2038%2025%20PM.jpg?dl=0



https://www.dropbox.com/s/dm8tg472fvvn3da/Photo%20Feb%2022%2C%206%2040%2001%20PM.jpg?dl=0





https://www.dropbox.com/s/kf5aw6x4hu0enkx/Photo%20Feb%2022%2C%206%2040%2018%20PM.jpg?dl=0