My German Shepherd has Calcinosis circumscripta. What works?

Do not panic yet. Calcinosis circumscripta is usually diagnosed via blood tests that can help indicate some underlying primary conditions, however, for confirmation, it would be better to obtain a sample of the calcified area, which will then be examined in a pathology lab. It is quite possible that your dog does not have calcinosis circumscripta, but possibly a bone lesion or a foreign body, either of which could cause purulent discharge. I suggest you take your dog back to the vet for another exam of the lesion and have the vet take some tissue samples if the result of the clinical exam suggests this to be useful. This may be a large abscess or a benign or malignant tumor or bone overgrowth. So schedule an appointment for an exam with your veterinarian.

Place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent further licking or chewing. This may be enough to allow healing, but if the underlying cause is not treated then it may not help. Ideally, Ceaser should be examined by a veterinarian to diagnose infection (bacterial, fungal or parasites) or an allergy. Antibiotics may be needed if the skin is broken. If not, steroids and/or antihistamines may provide relief from the itch.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the photos and your description, this could certainly be due to a bacterial or fungal infection. I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at this so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. If you are unable to get to a veterinarian right away, you can use the below following products. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Douxo PS Chlorhexidine combination shampoo and bathe twice weekly until resolved 2. Malacetic conditioning spray and apply to the affected areas twice daily until resolved Both of the above products can be found online quite easily.

This could be a ringworm lesion(fungal disease), a vitiligo lesion (where the pigment of the skin is lost), or a wart or other tumor. This will need to be examined in a hands-on matter, the skin needs to be palpated, a possible skin scrape or brush sample taken or a fine needle aspirate, in order to properly diagnose this condition. Once a diagnosis is made it will be clear whether treatment is necessary or not and if so, what kind of treatment. Please schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam.

It sounds like Tyson likely has an underlying condition that is causing his body to react and thus you are not seeing improvement in the skin. The four main things that will cause persistent skin issues are flea allergy, environmental allergy, food allergy and hypothyroidism. I recommend to start ruling each one out. German Shepherds are notoriously sensitive dogs and you can’t know which one is causing it without checking each one out. I recommend to rule out fleas first with an oral flea prevention like Nexgard or Simparica. Even just a few fleas can cause a big problem. Then food would likely be next. I recommend a specific diet called Ultamino. Environmental allergies are more difficult to rule out and thyroid problems would be uncommon (but not impossible) in a dog Tyson’s age. If your veterinarian is not good with skin conditions, find one who is. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This may be a so-called hot spot, i.e. a spot where Nerys is constantly licking , first because it may have itched or hurt, then because it became a habit. The constant licking prevents it from healing. You will need to take Nerys to your vet for an exam. Your vet may inject some steroid under the lesion and put Nerys on a long course of antibiotics and she will need to wear an e-collar to keep her from licking. It is important that she be kept busy with walks, playing etc, as boredom makes it worse.

I am very sorry to hear about your pup's chronic issues. I think the major question we need to ask ourself is, "Why is this happening?" The main reasons for rashes and itching in dogs are flea allergies, food allergies, and atopic dermatitis. We always want to rule out the first two before considering the third, as it is much more difficult to deal with and assess. With that said, you should first make sure that you are using a good flea / tick preventative medication. Given the current skin issues, I would go with something oral or a collar in terms of formulation. If this helps clear things up, great new! In terms of food allergies, this requires a systematic and methodical approach in order to rule out one food type at a time. You will have to pick one protein to feed over the course of 6-8 week periods, and feed ONLY that protein. Any addition of anything else will throw off the food trial and would require it to start all over again. There are many different food out there to try, so food trials can often take a long time before ruling this out as the cause of discomfort. If we are convinced food isn't the cause, significant diagnostics and medical therapies will be required to address atopic dermatitis. Typically, itchy disease processes such as these are better dealt with when in conjunction with an anti itching medication. This can include something like a steroid, antihistamine, or preferably a drug called Apoquel. I understand you can not afford regular vet visits for constant dermatologic work-ups. However, it might really beneficial if you can get her in there just once to have a professional get a look at what is happening. They might be able to guide you in the right direction relatively inexpensively. You can also consider reposting on her with some photos of the lesions to better allow us to help you and your dog. Hope this helps.