Keep Them Clean Especially During Allergy Season And Winter
You can keep some allergies to grasses or other plants at bay by wiping your dogs paws when they return home.
You may also find wiping their bellies and legs with hypoallergenic wipes to help ease itching and scratching if theyre allergic to grass or pollen.
My German Shepherd itches and licks her paws a lot in spring because of grass and pollen allergies. So, Ive begun wiping her paws and stomach to help soothe her discomfort.
Use a brand that has ingredients to help with scratching and itching. You need a wipe with soothing ingredients found in them, such as Tropiclean Oxy Med Allergy Relief Wipes that give your dog clean skin to lessen irritations.
Wiping and washing help reduce allergens on your dogs body. You dont need a full bath to get rid of allergy-causing deposits, but you need to pay attention to their paws, belly, legs, and muzzle.
How To Fix Crusty Scabs On Dog Skin
For long-coated dogs, finding problems on your dogs skin might be a hard thing to do since you might not spot it right away. Through careful observation, you might have spotted these crusty scabs on your dogs skin and wondered about the causes and solutions to this skin problem.
In this post, we will be going over each general cause of this skin condition, and as you can see down below, the pictures are not pretty but very disgusting to look at up close. Take a look at our list down below, and the solutions are listed right underneath, so try to match your dogs symptoms with one of the causes listed right here.
Feed A Hypoallergenic Sensitive Diet
An itchy German Shepherd is a sight for sore eyes. If you think your dogs scratching might be from their diet, then switching to hypoallergenic, sensitive dog food is your best and least expensive option to test out first.
Although food is rarely a cause of dry skin or allergies, in many dogs a change in diet dramatically decreases itchy skin.
There is such a wide variety of allergies to foods its best to begin with a sensitive diet formula and to watch for improvements.
While there are plenty of sensitive diets on the market you should try Purina Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Formula which has no soy, wheat, peas, or corn. Its the best dog food for German Shepherds with allergies.
German Shepherd itchy skin might also happen if your current feeding routine lacks proper nutrition. Deficiency of vitamins and an imbalance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats can cause disturbances in the skins protective layers.
Choosing a sensitive or hypoallergic dog food is a quick way to help your German Shepherd from itching like crazy. If your dog has special medical conditions, check with your vet first to make sure a change in diet will help with their scratchy and itchy skin issues.
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How Do I Know If My German Shepherd Is Shedding Too Much
How much do german shepherds shed? A lot! But even then, there is such a thing as shedding too much! Since there are skin conditions that can cause your dog to shed more than normal its important to know what to look for. While entire patches of missing fur is obvious, there are some other signs that may not be as plain to see. Here are some things to watch for:
- Skin that is inflamed and red
- Skin that is flaky and dry
- Any wounds on your dogs skin
- Discharge coming from the skin
- Missing patches of fur
- Excessive shaking and scratching
If you notice any of these symptoms, or suspect that your dog may have an underlying condition call your vet and make an appointment. Its always better to err on the side of caution where your dogs health is concerned.
Why Is My German Shepherd Scratching His Face
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.
German Shepherd dogs, affectionately known as German Shedders, tend to shed a lot. They also battle bouts of dry, itchy skin. Shepherds have a double coat: the outer coat is a rather coarse, straight hair and the undercoat is soft and fluffy.
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Causes And Treatments For German Shepherd Skin Problems
German Shepherds are a popular breed. And for good reason! They are characterized by not only their smarts, loyalty and courage, but also the thick fur coat that protects them. However, their coat makes them very susceptible to developing skin issues.
If you are a parent of a German Shepherd, stay informed by being knowledgeable about why they get skin allergies and what you can do for them.
Whether its paarsites like fleas, their food or other environmental irritants, there are steps you can take to help your shepherd live a more comfortable life and isnt that what its all about!?
How Often Should I Bathe My German Shepherd
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.
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What Are The Best Ways To Minimize Shedding
For those wanting German Shepherds that don’t shed, you’ll need to redirect your sights to another breed if you don’t think you can handle the shedding! If you want to know how to stop German shepherd shedding, you once again may want to consider a different breed, however, there are certain things you can do to decrease shedding. Here are the best things you can do to try to reduce shedding in German shepherds:
Change Your Dogs Diet
One of the main reasons for heavy shedding is feeding your dog cheap dog food thats not nutritionally balanced. Such dog foods usually contain large amounts of grain and corn, which are not digested well by canines. These types of foods also dont reflect well through the skin. In fact, it can be a cause of your dogs itchy skin.
If you suspect your dog food is cheap and not well-balanced, try a new brand but be sure to buy one that has real meat as the first ingredient. Another wonderful choice is beginning your dog on a raw food diet. Youll just have to research and learn how to give your dog the right amounts of food to ensure they get the vitamins and minerals necessary for their health needs.
Healthy diets not only reduce shedding, but also help with dry skin and improves the immune system. This is probably the most effective way to cut down on your German shepherds shedding, but be sure to change the diet gradually. Changing your dogs diet too quickly can lead to stomach upset and other issues.
Add Oils to Your Dogs Food
What Allergies Are German Shepherds More Prone To
Many things may trigger an allergic reaction in German Shepherds, including food products, environmental pathogens and insect bites:
- Dietary allergies or intolerances: Dogs can develop allergies or intolerances to certain diets over time which will lead to symptoms of an allergic reaction. In German Shepherds, food allergies are most commonly triggered by sources of animal protein, such as beef or chicken. They may also develop an intolerance over time to other food sources such as wheat, eggs, soy or milk. Food allergies and intolerances may cause symptoms to develop in both the digestive system and on the skin.
- Environmental pathogens: German Shepherds may develop an allergic reaction to many things which are present in the environment. Some of these are in the air itself, such as pollen, dust, perfumes or molds. Others are things your German Shepherd may come into direct contact with, including fabric fibers, plants and grasses, or chemicals such as shampoo or cleaning products. Some environmental triggers may be seasonal, such as pollen others are present all year round. Environmental pathogens may trigger symptoms including wheezing, itching, sneezing and reduced energy levels.
- Insect bites: Some German Shepherds are allergic to flea saliva, leading to a condition known as flea allergic dermatitis. When this condition occurs the dog will develop irritated skin after just one flea bite, leading to incessant itching, red spots on the skin and inflammation.
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Feed Your Dog A Good Diet
Make sure your dog has a balanced diet with the proper nutrients.
I dont necessarily have one brand to recommend but it should be a balanced, commercially available diet, Cain says. If there is some reason people are home cooking for their pet they prefer to do it for health reasons or whatever they should be working with a veterinary nutritionist or with their veterinarian to make sure that the diet is balanced and its not missing essential nutrients or vitamins and minerals.
If your dog has any diagnosed food allergies, make sure you are taking this into account when selecting food. Be sure to consult with a veterinarian if youre unsure what should make up a healthy, balanced diet.
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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Are German Shepherds Good In The Snow
You should be aware that German Shepherds havent been bred to tolerate snow. Despite this, the breed does enjoy snowy conditions. Not only are they well-versed in handling the cold, but they enjoy the feel and texture of snow as well.
This can vary from one dog to another. As mentioned, German Shepherds arent designed to handle snow. As such, you may have one German Shepherd that loves it and another that is wary of such conditions.
Even though your dog may appear to be having the time of their life, dont let them stay out for more than 30 minutes at a time. It is a good idea to pay attention to the wind as it can make the surrounding temperature much colder.
What To Do About Dull Coats And Skin Problems In German Shepherds
On a recent visit to my vet, I asked if there were something I could do to help, and the vet asked if I gave the dogs an Omega supplement. I explained that I gave the dogs a high-quality dog kibble that claimed to have a balance of nutrients, including Omega-3 fatty acids.
This is where I learned my first mistake.
My vet explained how dog food, even though it claims to contain Omega-3, rarely has any fatty acids that are biologically available to dogs. Biologically available? I had to have my vet expand on that one. Apparently, when dog food is processed, it is exposed to high heat. Omega fatty acids just so happen to be very sensitive to high heat. So by the time you pour Fido a bowl of kibble, the essential fatty acids are no longer in a state that is beneficial to your dog. In addition to dry, itchy skin and unhealthy coats, I was told that Omega-3 deficient diets also lead to:
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Prolonged healing of wounds
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Hot spots
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Excessive itching
Fortunately, my vet offered a solution. She recommended that I start my dogs on an Omega-3 fatty acid supplement. Sounds easy? Not so much.
I also learned that all supplements are not created equal. The ingredients that are used to derive the fatty acids is key. I think most people know that salmon is high in Omega-3s, but did you know that its also high in toxins, such as lead and mercury?
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Do German Shepherds Get Cold
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German Shepherds tolerate cold weather better than many other breeds. Despite this, they will get cold after a certain point. Here is your guide to discovering just how well German Shepherds hold up in the winter and how to ensure that they remain comfortable and safe in the colder months.
Yeast Overgrowth And Skin Infections
Hot and humid places can encourage yeast growth in GSDs and so does bacterial infections. They are more seen in skin folds. Yeast overgrowth encourages excess oil production. The oil build-up in skin may result to severe itchiness that will eventually lead to skin infection.
Untreated open wounds usually result in skin infections which are caused by bacteria. Their skin may appear to be red, moist and sometimes with pus. Depending on your GSDs immune system, it may worsen over time.
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Why Do German Shepherds Shed
We can’t help but laugh when folks ask “Do German Shepherds shed a lot”? The simple fact is, this breed sheds heavily. While a certain amount of shedding is natural, there are other factors such as stress, poor diet, skin allergies, and dehydration that can make it even worse. There are several reasons this breed sheds so heavily, and those reasons are:
Your German Shepherd Dogs Health
We know that because you care so much about your dog, you want to take good care of her. That is why we have summarized the health concerns we will be discussing with you over the life of your Shepherd. By knowing about health concerns specific to German Shepherd Dogs, we can tailor a preventive health plan to watch for and hopefully prevent some predictable risks.
Many diseases and health conditions are genetic, meaning they are related to your pets breed. There is a general consensus among canine genetic researchers and veterinary practitioners that the conditions weve described herein have a significant rate of incidence and/or impact in this breed. That does not mean your dog will have these problems it just means that she is more at risk than other dogs. We will describe the most common issues seen in German Shepherd Dogs to give you an idea of what may come up in her future. Of course, we cant cover every possibility here, so always check with us if you notice any unusual signs or symptoms.
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When Should You Call The Vet
Mild itching every now and then usually isn’t a sign of serious health conditions, but if your dog starts to develop other symptoms, frequent or persistent itching or licking, difficulty getting comfortable or restlessness from itching, loss of appetite, or depressed mood talk to your vet ASAP. It’s important to treat the underlying cause of its severe, chronic itchiness to avoid developing more open wounds and infections in the skin. Depending on the cause, your vet will treat as appropriate.
If your dog’s itchiness is occasional or mild, however, there are plenty of totally safe, all-natural ways to treat occasional or mild itching at home. In fact, you probably already have most of the remedies in your pantry! Read on for seven simple remedies that can give your itchy pooch some real relief.
Consult your vet before starting any skincare regimen for your dog, and stop the treatment if your dog’s symptoms remain the same or worsen.
How Often To Bathe Your Dog
If you use one of the shampoos above, or one containing the recommended ingredients, you’ll notice the dandruff will be gone as long as you wait for the recommended time of 10 minutes.
In normal cases you’ll only need to bathe your dog in the anti-dandruff shampoo once a month or once a week, depending on severity of symptoms. The more regular you use the shampoo, the less you’ll see the dandruff.
If the dandruff is severe, then you should bathe your pet every other day for a week or even 10 days. In fact, bathe him every other day until you have removed the majority of the debris and flakes on his skin. You can then bathe him twice a week for a month and then reduce to just once a week.
Once it is finally and fully under control, you can bathe him once a month to stop dog dandruff from building up again. Luckily, it’s not that difficult to treat if you get the right shampoo.
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How Much Coconut Oil To Give A German Shepherd
Begin slowly with smaller amounts of coconut oil to see how your German Shepherd reacts. Your dog needs time for their body to adjust to the addition to their diet.
Starting with larger amounts of coconut oil can cause unnecessary reactions, such as diarrhea, greasy stools, or upset stomach .
Heres the recommended dosage and routine for German Shepherds.