German Shepherd Allergy Treatment And Management
Unfortunately, German shepherds are one of the breeds more susceptible to many allergens. Though all allergies can be treated, not all can be cured .
Like everything else medical, allergy treatment depends on the type of allergy.
Two general methods exist: medicinal treatment and environmental control. Sometimes a nice balance can be found managing between the two!
How To Help Your German Shepherd With Allergies
Allergies are unfortunately just as common in dogs as they are in humans. Some breeds of dog are more susceptible to developing allergies, and the German Shepherd is one of these.
It is believed that one in ten dogs will have to develop some type of allergy in their lifetime, and this number rises with German Shepherds.
Allergies can also be genetic, meaning that a German Shepherd with allergies is more likely to produce offspring who also have allergies.
S To Solve Your Dogs Itching Problem
Its important to remember that there are treatments available and preventative steps you can take for every single reason weve listed above your four-footer will likely be A-OK !
There are three simple steps to take to resolve the problem:
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Spot Treatments During Your Dogs Oatmeal Bath
Does your pup have a minor skin rash or localized itch? You dont need to do a full-body oatmeal bath and soak. Just apply a thicker paste directly on the area thats affected. Leave for 15 to 20 minutes.
Using your blended oatmeal recipe, mix in just enough water to create a thick paste.
While oatmeal baths will not cure all skin conditions and diseases your dog can come across, they can serve as a great addition to your dogs routine, especially during the dry winter months that are likely to leave your pooch feeling dehydrated and itchy.
If your dog is suffering from a more serious dermatological problem or skin ailment such as an infection, allergy, flea infestation, or another skin issue, our experienced veterinarians can assess and treat them.
In our in-house lab, we can test samples and help confirm the cause of your pets skin disorder, then develop a custom treatment plan to address it. Remedies may include specialized diets, environmental changes or other measures to help your pet feel better and maintain healthy skin moving forward.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet’s condition, please make an appointment with your vet.
Why Is My German Shepherd Itching So Bad
In dogs, rather than sneeze, allergies make their skin itchy. We call this skin allergy atopy, and Shepherds often have it. Commonly, the feet, belly, folds of the skin, and ears are most affected. Symptoms typically start between the ages of one and three and can get worse every year.
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How Are Moles Different In Dogs And Humans
Although in some respects moles may appear similar, there are several vital differences that the condition will display between species that will affect both the diagnosis and the treatment of the condition.
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While humans can often dislike moles for cosmetic reasons, dogs have no such compunctions regarding the growths presence on their bodies, meaning that treatment of benign moles is absolutely unnecessary.
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Some moles in humans may end up producing hair follicles, which results in long hair growing out of patches of otherwise regular skin, which makes the growths much easier to detect. In dogs, it is very hard to tell if the follicles are abnormal due to the usual density of the animals coat. That said, differences in hair color can sometimes be of help in revealing the mole.
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Could Your German Shepherd Be Scratching Because Of Mites
Yet another cause of a sudden outbreak of scratching that doesnt seem to have any cause is mites.
Mites are very tiny parasites that feed off the dead skin cells that your dogs skin sheds. While they sound like they are insects similar to fleas, they are actually more like spiders, just in parasite form.
If you see little white flecks on your dogs coat that appear to be moving, these are most likely mites carrying around their dinners of little skin flakes.
You definitely do not want to wait to get your dog treated for mites, because these parasites are what is called zoonotic. That means the mites can jump from your dog to you!
As well, the longer you wait to seek out diagnosis and treatment, the more likely a minor issue with mites will turn into sarcoptic mange, or scabies, a much more serious condition.
As Veterinary Partner explains, because the mites feed on dead skin, they like the more hairless areas on your dog like the ears, belly, or joints.
The adults mate and the females lay eggs in your dogs skin, which hatch and cause intense itching as the young mites begin to move around.
Unfortunately, sarcoptic mange is not easy to diagnose because the symptoms are quite a lot like other skin allergies and conditions that can affect a German Shepherd.
Your veterinarian may need to rule out other issues and do several tests.
Animal Allergy & Dermatology of Colorado presents some very disturbing before and after images of dogs being treated for atopy .
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Interested In Training Your German Shepherd The Right Way
If you havent trained your German Shepherd properly, then this is the perfect time to start. Whatever bad behavior your shepherd has, whether its barking at night or other bad behaviors, using the right training program is the key to having an obedient and happy pup.
The training program I love and highly recommend is Brain Training For Dogs.
With Brain Training For Dogs youll save yourself a ton of time and effort. Instead of banging your head against the wall trying to figure out why your dog wont listen, youll follow a path that has been tried, tested, and most importantly, thats given proven results. Not to mention the fact, youll be able to fit the course around your schedule, not fit your schedule around a trainer or obedience class.
So instead of worrying about whether theyre going to be well-behaved or not, youll only have to worry about how much fun youll have with them!
And in most cases its still going to be:
- Cheaper than hiring a professional.
- Cheaper than replacing everything they might break.
- And definitely cheaper than a lawsuit against you, if they decide to bite someone.
Just imagine how great it will feel to finally be able to trust your German Shepherd completely and never worry whether theyll be naughty or not. Instead, youll have the peace of mind that you have a well-behaved pup, and the boundaries you set for them, will always be there, EVEN IF YOURE NOT.
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The Connection Between Skin And Food Allergies
German Shepherds are at a high risk of developing food hypersensitivity, and if your dog does develop a food allergy, the skin is often where chronic inflammations appear. A cutaneous adverse food reaction can be responsible for a multitude of skin issues. If those skin disorders are also accompanied by excessive scratching, itching, or biting, or if your dog rubs his face frequently, a food allergy may be the reason why. Chronic allergic reactions and self-trauma can lead to secondary bacterial or yeast infections accompanied by crusting, seborrhea, or alopecia.
Often the source of food allergies in canines is an animal protein like beef or chicken. Sometimes dogs develop food intolerances to other food sources such as milk, corn, and eggs. Your German Shepherd reactions to a food allergy may not be limited to his skin he may also develop gastrointestinal issues that can make life doubly uncomfortable.
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Give Your German Shepherd A High Quality Fish Oil Daily
First and foremost, make sure youre giving your german shepherd a high quality fish oil. Fish oil contains omega-3, which is lacking in most commercial pet foods since it cannot survive the manufacturing process. Omega-3 helps soothe inflammation, and in some studies it significantly reduced itchiness in dogs with moderate to mild atopic dermatitis. We like Norwegian Salmon oil for its ultra-high purity.
My Dog Keeps Biting Himself But No Fleas
Although scratching with their feet is the most common way a dog will address skin irritation, they may also choose to bite or lick themselves to try and soothe the irritation. This could be brought on by food allergies, bacterial infections, environmental allergies and plenty of other complications that arent fleas. To ensure you know what is bothering your pet, you can take them to your local Greencross Vets team who can diagnose what may be causing the irritation and help you treat it to keep your furry friend comfortable.
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Best Diet For An Allergic German Shepherd
Your veterinarian will recommend a limited ingredient dog food as weve mentioned above. You can also find foods labeled allergenic or hypoallergenic.
Try this! Is your GSD allergic to your chicken or beef diet? Give tuna, venison, or turkey a try!
Protein antiallergenic food is treated and hydrolyzed, which means your dog does not see it as foreign, and therefore does not react to it.
What is the best supplement for itchy skin?
Omega-3 fatty acids are the best supplement to help itchy skin.
There are anti-inflammatory properties in these fatty acids, and they have been particularly good at decreasing skin irritations. They also have other health benefits!
Bathing Your German Shepherd With A Coconut Oil Treatment
A coconut oil treatment leaves your dogs skin velvety smooth and helps create a healthier skin protective layer.
These treatments also improve the health of your dogs nails and paw pads.
- Apply coconut oil straight to the skin. Let the oil absorb for about five minutes. Massage the oil into dry areas prone to itching.
- With your double-coated GSD, its difficult to get down into the skin through the thickness of the furinvest in a Zoom Groom tool for better results and ease of use. The Zoom Groom brush is soft and gentle.
- After five minutes of massage and letting the oil sit, apply this moisturizing coconut-based shampoo and work the shampoo in with the Zoom Groom massaging brush. This removes dead hair and loosens dry, flaky skin.
- Finish with a thorough rinse to remove all traces of the shampoo and coconut oil. Any shampoo left on the skin leaves your dogs skin more irritated if not rinsed completely.
- Over washing your German Shepherd can lead to more skin dryness and irritation, so dont bathe them more than once a month.
Maybe you want to use coconut oil, but dont want to provide a full spa experience for your dog. If youd rather avoid bathing your dog, follow the easier recommendations below.
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How To Get Your German Shepherd To Stop Itching Itself
Below, I will show you a number of things that you can do about your German Shepherd itching itself a lot.
Take it to a vet
Often, a dog biting itself will be something that a vet will be able to deal with since a dog itching itself often has an underlying medical cause such as a rash.
If you are unsure of why your German Shepherd has been itching itself or you think that it might have a medical cause then the best option for you would be to take it to a vet.
Give it exercise
If the vet has verified that there is no medical issue then it would help to make sure that your German Shepherd is getting enough exercise.
You can do this by walking it for an hour per day, teaching it to play fetch or by getting a dog walker to exercise it for you.
Avoid negative reinforcement
Negative reinforcement training is where you give your German Shepherd what it wants in order to get it to stop misbehaving. The problem with this is that it will teach your German Shepherd that misbehaving will get it what it wants so it does it more.
If your method of getting your German Shepherd to stop itching itself is to give it things such as treats, toys or attention then it could be causing it to do it more.
Instead, you could try rewarding your German Shepherd when it does not itch itself. When it does itch itself you could try avoiding giving it what it wants if it seems to be doing it to get something from you. You could also try spraying it with a bitter spray to prevent it from wanting to do it.
The Allergy Elimination Diet
Elimination diets strive to determine what food ingredient your dog is allergic to, sort of like limited ingredient dog foods.
Your veterinarian will help prescribe a specific diet plan for you to follow.
A food trial consists of feeding a dog a novel source of protein and carbohydrate for 12 weeks .
This is a food trial and will take time to yield results.
The elimination diet wont contain any ingredients your pet has eaten before. No other foods, supplements, or treats are fed during this trial, either.
The best and most accurate method of diagnosing food allergy is to feed a hypoallergenic diet for eight to twelve weeks as a food trial called an elimination trial .
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Medicated Shampoos And Topical Creams
If your German Shepherd has very dry itchy skin, you will need to shampoo their coat frequently until the symptoms subside. Afterward, apply topical remedies for them to heal quickly.
Looking for the correct German Shepherd itchy skin cure may look like finding a needle in a haystack. Youve got to identify your GSDs symptoms to match what they need.
You can purchase anti-flea shampoos formulated for GSDs sensitive skin to end flea infestation. Using topical antibiotics created for particular German Shepherd skin conditions is a must, especially for infected wounds.
Oral Prophylaxis
Some German Shepherd skin problems are caused by hormonal disorders and may require oral medicine for a longer period, if not for a lifetime. Your vet will give the proper dosage to your GSD and it needs to be followed religiously to prevent recurrence or worsening.
Avoid Giving Table Scraps
You should also avoid giving your shepherd table scraps because dogs cant process some substances in human food.
Allergy symptoms can be reduced by fatty acids if the allergen has nothing to do with food.
Steroids, antihistamines, and some other medications can also help.
They usually come with some side effects that can include drowsiness.
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Eliminating The Source Of The Allergy:
The ideal and often simplest way to treat an allergy is to remove the cause, for example by modifying the diet or using flea control products regularly. Insect allergies are probably the simplest to treat a good flea prevention strategy including treating the dog and household environment should be sufficient to keep these pests away from your pet.
Eliminating the trigger in food allergies can also be simple the hard work lies in the initial detective work to identify the source of the allergic response. There are many diets available for dogs with allergies. These may be marketed as hypoallergenic, meaning the proteins have been modified to reduce the allergic response or other diets are available which contain just a single source of protein and carbohydrate, such as turkey and potato.
Environmental sources of allergens can be much trickier to eliminate, even if the source can be identified. Veterinary tests may show that your German Shepherd is allergic to specific types of pollen, such as grass or flowers.
Even if you could limit direct contact to these allergens you may find it almost impossible to eliminate airborne particles. Consider modifying your exercise routes or areas to avoid allergen hotspots, and avoid walking your dog at times of day when the pollen count will be higher, such as early morning.
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But Doesnt Scratching Mean Your German Shepherd Has Fleas
Greencross Vets explains that a flea infestation is only one possible reason why your German Shepherd might be scratching.
It is true that fleas can irritate the skin to the point where other opportunistic bacteria, fungi, or parasites can get in and cause further irritation and itching.
But often a dog that is itching doesnt have fleas at all. The itching is caused by something completely different.
However, if your dog does have even a minor issue with fleas and has an allergy to the bugs, this can cause more intense itching. When this happens, it is called flea allergy dermatitis.
Flea allergy dermatitis is a specific type of allergy to flea bites.
While getting bitten by fleas will cause itching for any pet , in affected dogs the itching becomes severe and is often concentrated around the tail area.
For dogs with severe flea allergy dermatitis, all it can take is a single flea bite to set off the itching.
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