My German Shepherd has allergies & hotspots. What affordable options?

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.

I'm so sorry that you are dealing with this with Sarge. Allergies can be just miserable for everyone involved. Allergy hyposensitization injection can take up to 12 months to work, but it is less likely that you will see a significant improvement if you haven't seen anything after 6 months. I am including more information on allergy injections below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2430 Apoquel is certainly expensive, but steroids are not, so you may consider steroids temporarily. You may also ask your veterinarian about a Cytopoint injection which will be more expensive than steroids, but might be a better option. https://www.zoetisus.com/products/dogs/cytopoint/ Unfortunately, allergies are going to be a lifelong problem for Sarge if you are dealng with environmental allergies, so it might be worth the time and money to consult with a veterinary dermatologist to find the best long term solution for Sarge. Hopefully you can find a dermatologist near you here. https://www.acvd.org/tools/locator/locator.asp?ids=16_Find_Dermatologist Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Aw poor Cujo! I'm sorry that he's having these skin issues. There is a good chance that these signs are related to food or environmental allergies (atopy) which is an issue with the immune system. It would be a good idea to discuss a prescription food trial diet with your veterinarian. Many pets will respond to a prescription food like Royal Canin Ultamino or Hydrolyzed protein diet. To know if a prescription diet is working Cujo would need to be on the diet for at least 8 weeks and fed nothing else (not even treats). Natural Balance makes a limited ingredient diet that I have seen some success with if a prescription diet is not an option for you. I would also suggest discussing a long term allergy medication with your veterinarian. Cytopoint, Apoquel, or atopica may be good options for Cujo. Medicated bathing may also be helpful. Allergies can be frustrating to deal with, but once you figure out what works for Cujo he will easier to maintain. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I'm hoping for a speedy resolution for Cujo!

I'm sorry to hear Wall-e is so itchy. Skin issues can be incredibly uncomfortable for dogs! Without looking at his skin it is difficult to tell what the underling cause is and what needs to be done next. He may have a "hot spot" or superficial moist dermatitis, which is a bacterial infection. These can be triggered by just about anything and can develop very quickly and be very itchy. Dogs can also develop seasonal, environmental, or even food allergies that can manifest as skin infections or rashes. Fleas can also cause very red itchy skin, so I would make sure that Wall-e is on good flea control. I would recommend you take Wall-e in to your vet to have his skin evaluated. He may need antibiotics and potentially anti-itch medication. Often we will add in medicated shampoos as well to help make the dog more comfortable as well and resolve the issue. Good luck!

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Those spots on Dakota could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Dakota wear an elizabethan collar at all times.The bad odor also likely indicates either a bacterial infection or fungal infection. She will need treatment for this as well. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. From the pictures it appears that Dune may be dealing with a skin infection. If you are unable to get him in to be seen by the veterinarian, I would recommend the below products, which can all be found online quite easily. Do this for about 3-4 weeks and if there is no improvement, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Dune so that the most appropriate treatment recommendations can be made. 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 and bathe twice weekly until resolved 2. Malacetic conditioning spray and apply 2-3 times per day on the affected areas until resolved 3. Welactin omega 3 fish oil capsules for dogs 4. Essential 6 Spot On by Dermoscent