Skin Issue on 9 month old GSD. - Page 1

I have a 9 month old male wg showline pup who is having some sort of skin issue.  I noticed yesterday a couple of small dry scabs on the back of his neck behind one of his ears.  Today I noticed a few more behind the other.  I haven't really noticed him scratching a lot, but they seem to be sensitive when I try to inspect them.  He has a pretty thick coat but is blowing it right now.  I also am in the process of switching his food from Wellness Super 5 puppy to Orijen puppy.  Not sure if this could be a sign of a food allergy.  He goes to the groomer about once a month and was there last Wednesday.  I also brush him out everyday or two.  I live in Texas and it is getting hot, but he spends most of the day inside in the AC.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.

If it started when switching food...food allergy would be my first thought also.  Compare ingredients carefully.  Switch back to original food and see if it stops.  I would have thought you would have noticed an uptick in scratching though.  Are ears dirtier than normal....wax build up / smell also sign of allergies.  NO snacks whatsoever when trying to identify / eliminate possible foos allergies.  Also keep in mind fleas / mange.

Do you have flees in your area? He may be getting bitten by a bug of sorts. I would clip the hair away to allow it good ventilation and will help you see better should the spots get bigger.

a 50-50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water sprayed onto the scabby areas work really well to clear them up. Your dog will smeel like a salad, but it works!

  Marjorie
http://www.gsdbbr.org The German Shepherd Dog Breed Betterment Registry
BE PROACTIVE!
http://mzjf.com --> The Degenerative Myelopathy Support Group http://www.mzjf.info/hgate Heaven's Gate  

Marjorie is right.  I spray my gsds with apple cider vinegar and water for hot spots.  It also repels fleas so I spray it on them before they go outside.

I had a dog that would develop hotspots every time she started shedding. A bath and extra brushing is the only thing that seemed to help. Vet said it was hormonal when she was spay it stopped. That being said, this doesn't apply to you....

What shampoo, conditioner"and good smell-ums" does the groomer use on him, has it changed? Do you actually talk to the groomer and ask if she/he noticed anything you should be concerned about (extra dirty ears, etc)?

Have you had the vet take a sample to see if its mange?
Have you had his ears checked for infections; yeast, mites, bacteria? Best done by a vet....
Getting a true diagnosis is much better then guessing and making the problem worse.

Sometimes when a dog has ear troubles, scratching them hurts so much they don't do it.

IMO - Its really cool to try to "fix" a problem all by your self, but its always best to see exactly what the problem is before deciding if you want to go with natural or conventional medicines.

Ok so I went to the vet and he said he wasnt sure what it was.  Scraped for mites/mange and came back negative.  He gave him a weak steriod injection along with an antibiotic Simplicef.  200mg a day for 14 days.  Also prescribed a topical spray called Betagen twice a day.  That was Monday morning and it has now spread down his back.  Vet said if I didnt see drastic improvement in next 5 days to bring him back.  He still isnt scratching and seems to be in good spirits. He is drinking more water than usual and is eating fine.  The vet said he didnt think it was a food alergy because they usually chew their feet and have issues there over their back.  These lesions feel sort of like ticks on the back of his neck and his back but look like little clumps up in the base of his hair.  Advise would be appreciated.  It has obviously become worse each day since Saturday.

Had Missie T on antibiotics of every kind, even injectable. Only thing that worked was the apple cider vinegar.

Marjorie
http://www.gsdbbr.org The German Shepherd Dog Breed Betterment Registry
BE PROACTIVE!
http://mzjf.com --> The Degenerative Myelopathy Support Group  

fly, mosquito, ants ?

trying the apple cider vineger can't hurt.

Have the vet check the infected area for ringworm.