Why does my German Shepherd get skin infections, but strays don't?

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 looks very bad. If this is not clearing up with antibiotics it is probably something more serious like an autoimmune disease or something called German Shepherd pyoderma. I suggest you take Monsieur to a veterinary dermatologist for more comprehensive diagnostics and treatment. https://centredmv.com/en/ce-que-nous-faisons/dermatologie/

That looks like a deep infection and I recommend to have Lori examined by the veterinarian. Sometimes these infections are related to a bacteria or yeast infection. They can also be related to skin mites or an autoimmune condition. Generally deep infection require antibiotics. It’s very important to make sure you protect the area from any licking or scratching as this will make it worse. The doctor may recommend a few simple diagnostics to determine the cause of the infection and then provide appropriate treatment. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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!

Thank you for including the pictures. I am sorry to hear that Striker is so uncomfortable. The redness and crusting of the skin makes me suspicious of an infection. It could be bacterial or even fungal. There is also a possibility that he could have mites and a secondary infection. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. In the meantime you can bathe him in a shampoo with chlorhexidine or salicylic acid which can be found in the human shampoo aisle in the dandruff area. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Poor Raven! It sounds like she has a bacterial skin infection and ear infection, possibly secondary to allergies. If bathing her does not help, than she needs to be examined by a vet for treatment. She may need an oral antibiotic, anti-histamine, corticosteroid, and ear medications to treat the problem. If needed, your vet can do a skin scrape, cytology, culture, or skin biopsy to help determine the exact cause. Hope she feels better soon!

Poor Austin. My concern would be possible allergies. Allergies can cause skin infection which can lead to testicle and ear infections. However I would recommend contacting the boarding facility so they are aware of these troubles. Just incase they have insight on the cause. Some dogs can get testicle infections from aggressive play or breeding too. Thanks for using pet coach