Why does my German Shepherd have recurring skin issues and hot spots?

Hi there! I'm so sorry to hear about Sarge's itchiness. Let me see if I can help. It is always important to get our pets in to see their veterinarian if they need medical attention, so when you are able to, I'd definitely set up an appointment. In the meantime, you can try to give Sarge some benadryl (diphenhydramine). Since Sarge is so big, I would start out by giving him 75mg up to every 8 hours. If this seems to help, great. If not, you may increase to give him as much as 100mg up to every 8 hours. In addition you may want to try an over the counter moisturizing shampoo, and also try an omega 3 fatty acid supplement in his food. The supplement may take up to 6 weeks to kick in, but at least you've started it! Hopefully this will provide him with some relief until you are able to get him in to see his veterinarian! I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!

This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat Rover with a high quality flea treatment (e.g. advantage), then get him to 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 discovering the cause of the allergy. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). simultaneously you should start him on a prescription hypoallergenic diet for at least 2 months. Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider putting him on a long term allergy treatment (Atopica or Apoquel).

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.

She may have allergies to food or to something in the environment that keeps causing the breakouts and that is why it is recurring or the infection is it getting treated long enough. You can try a hypoallergenic diet diet with a single meat and single carbohydrate source ( royal canin rabbit and potato). I would go to your vet to have treated again and clear he infection, then discuss long term allergy control medicine such as Cytopoint or Apoquel

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. The photos you have provided are a bit blurry but I can tell that the skin is thickened and irritated. From your description, it sounds as though Cleo is battling a skin infection that could be secondary to a chronic allergy. Prednisone will help with the symptoms of the allergy but unfortunately long term use will lead to abnormal clinical signs from the steroids. I would recommend treating Cleo with oral antibiotics, antifungals alongside topical therapy. She may also be dealing with a condition known as Atopic Dermatitis, in which case will need specific treatment such as Atopica or Cytopoint. I would recommend using the below recommended products and discussing additional oral treatments with your vet other than steroids. I would also recommend having her skin scraped to check for skin mites. I hope this helps and that Cleo's skin improves! 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 3. Welactin omega 3 fish oil capsules 4. Essential 6 spot on by Dermoscent ***All of the above products can be found online quite easily*** These treatments above should not be to supplement veterinary care, they should be in addition to.

Poor Kato! I'm sorry to hear that he's having this problem. Focal spots of redness, hair loss, itching, and scabs are often called "hot spots" - these are usually caused by a bacterial skin infection, and are often related to an underlying allergy problem. In my experience, oral medications (usually a steroid and antibiotic) are usually needed to get these to clear up - so if your veterinarian hasn't given you anything like this, I would suggest calling or taking Kato back in for a recheck to talk about starting some additional meds. In a dog this age, it's also possible that he may have an underlying hormonal problem like hypothyroidism or Cushing's disease that is contributing to his skin issues, so you may also want to talk to your veterinarian about possibly testing for these problems.

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!