Why is my German Shepherd losing hair, has scaly skin, and sore ears?

There are a number of things that could cause excessive itching with hair loss and blackened skin. The most common possibilities would include allergies, fleas, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). If she's also acting weak, I would be concerned that she may also have some type of systemic illness like liver or kidney disease, anemia, hypothyroidism, or Cushing's disease. It would be best to have her examined by a vet as soon as possible - he/she can do some simple skin tests as well as blood work or other testing if needed to help determine what's wrong and get her started on appropriate treatment.

Skin infection, mites, and allergies are all possibilities. I would encourage you to have her evaluated by your veterinarian again soon. More long term medication may be needed for Sally. She also may need more medication for her ear. Your veterinarian may do a trial treatment for Mites as well. I hope she improves soon. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

This presentation is due to a skin infection, possibly caused by bacteria. A veterinary consultation is needed in these cases as antibiotics will be quickly resolving this problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching (if any). 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!

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.

Hello. Willow may have a bit of dermatitis going on. I would recommend bathing her in a Benzoyl Peroxide based shampoo which you can find at most pet retailers & online. Follow the directions by making sure you leave the lather on for 10 minutes before rinsing. Repeat twice a week until the skin heals ( which may take several weeks of bathing ). If the skin does not seem to be healing, she may have allergies or require antibiotics, but a medicated shampoo often will clear up these minor issues. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

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.