8 1/2 Month Old GSD Puppy with skin problems - Page 1

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 

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).

Worth trying is Omega 3 fish oil and Omega 6 GLA in borage oil in the diet. One gram each per day.

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.

Is it bad on his belly and armpits? Or his ears? It could be an environmental allergy if so.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.