Any ideas on what is wrong with my dogs skin?

Hello, I have a 3 year german Shepard mix who has terrible skin problems. He has red spots, with dead skin around the edges that slowly peels away and becomes larger red spots. These are very itchy and cover his entire body He is loosing hard (not sure if this is just because of excess scratching and biting), and is so down lately. We have spent $1,000+ at the vet and they still have no answers as to what's wrong. Someone please help me with an answer or a similar condition in their dog. Thanks in advance!

time to find a new vet

Could be mange, ringworm, hot spots, allergies. A whole mess of things

I relate I relate and I relate!!!! My dog had severe skin problems that the traditional meds (antibiotics, antihistamines, and steroids like prednisone) didnt help at all. Special diets, elimination diets and vitamins and herbs didn't help. Tests like skin biopsies and scrapes didn't find any cause. Blood work was normal.First though - if you have had any symptoms of being itchy even for just a couple days treat your dog for sarcoptic mange even if the scrape was negative.If you or anyone else hasn't been itchy this is what I did for my dog. A year went on with traditional vets. Then I saw a holistic vet who did a blood allergy test on her with heska.com. It cost $500 and I found she has a whole list of environmental allergies like grass and dust. Really I didn't need to test her. I can't avoid those things so the only option is to fix her immune system.Fixing the immune system starts with good diet. If you can add any amount of appropriate fresh food that's going to help. Digestive systems and immune systems are linked closely together. That's why stress can make some people have an upset stomach. The whole body is linked and works together. When the digestive system has to work harder in a dog to digest processed kibble and grains, that takes away from the immune system working as well.So first do a fast at least 24 hours and up to 48 hrs. See if you can help the diet. Even just adding probiotics (not acidophilus but ones for dogs) will be helpful.Ok next thing is to get the symptoms under control so the dogs not stressed and suffering. I found dermagic lotion to be so helpful. Also k9 Lycra top coat body suit helped and also prevented my dog from licking. The body suit will cost nearly $85 for a gsd I believe. But out of all I tried, which was a lot, those are what worked. Also a pill called beta-thyme the holistic vet put my dog on was very good. It's a natural plant steroid you can buy over the internet. My 25 lb dog could get up to 2 a day.The third part is balancing the body. The vet put my dog on enzyme powders of the adrenal and pineal glands. Those have to do with natural cortisone production. If you want you can read about how it wolks in dr. Martin Goldsteins book "the art and science of animal healing". The vet also added vitamin c (a natural antihistamine) in the form of ester c, probiotics, and I already gave omega 3. The vet tried vitamin a therapy which does help some dogs skin problems but it didn't work with mine. B vitamins are also important so is zinc for the skin but your vet needs to discuss therapeutic doses.Finally if this doesn't work you may need to do allergy testing and get immunotherapy which can work in 1-3 years. The problem however is the immune system if not healed can develop new allergies at any time. It's like a star going supernova. Things that suppress the immune system like vaccines will just cause it to go into hyperdrive. Seeing a holistic vet is the best thing. But maybe even changing the diet alone to a raw diet will help.Oh and I forgot - secondary skin infections. From the scratching and chronic irritation secondary infections like staph bacteria or yeast usually occur. I found really the best thing topically was plain aloe for the sores.

I have a german shepherd to and he used to get red lumps aswell l when we took him to the vet he was scared of him, so that was useless. What you should do it's when it scabs you need to pick them off ( the dry scabs ) and wash him once a week in a special wash that os medicated ( you can buy from pet shop )

Itching and skin irritation can be caused by factors such as:- Allergic reactions to flea bites, food/treats, grooming products or house-cleaning products, etc.- Mites- Fungal/Bacterial infections (ringworm, yeast, staph etc.) See a remedy below- Steroid use (also called prednisone, cortisone or the so-called 'allergy shot')Scratching opens the door to secondary skin infections with associated bad odor.ALLERGIES To allergic dogs even one flea can cause havoc. Even if not visible, you can always see the debris fleas leave behind that looks like finely ground coffee. If placed in water, they will turn red.You can get rid of the fleas with natural methods to avoid exposure to the toxic chemicals of Frontline, Advantage and other popular flea medications which will cause harm sooner or later. For recommendations see http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Fleas-Naturally Also, you can dust your yard where your dog roams with inexpensive diatomaceous earth. For more info on its use to control fleas see http://www.care2.com/greenliving/all-around-non-toxic-flea-control.htmland http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/diatomaceous_earth_fleas.htmlCheck ingredients of food/treats. Dog's digestive system is not designed to handle grains well. Discontinue any with corn, wheat, etc. Get ones with no grains with meat as a primary ingredient – chicken, lamb, salmon, etc. Discontinue the use of grooming products or house cleaning products that can be allergens. For a while, use white vinegar as the cleaning agent for your floors, counters, etc. Vinegar has strong cleaning and anticeptic properties and the smell disappears quickly after use. See http://www.vinegarworkswonders.com/faqs.aspMITESThree types of mites that attack dogs most often: demodectic (not contagious and may itch or not), sarcoptic (very contagious and extremely itchy) and cheyletiella (contagious and mildly itchy). This condition is known as mange. The typical symptoms of mange as the condition progresses include hair loss and scaly or crusty skin. Avoid the medications most often prescribed by vets that contain toxic chemicals which will harm your dog sooner or later. These are Ivermectin (also known as Ivomec) and Amitraz (also known as Mitaban). Instead, I recommend the use of natural products. Search the Internet to find them. I prefer the spray type treatment which is effective, easy to use, and inexpensive that will kill the mites but is harmless to pets and humans. You can get it at http://www.florapetnaturals.com/online-store.htmlSTEROID USEAs Dr. Karen Becker, DVM states - "Steroids (also called prednisone, cortisone or the nondescript “allergy shot”) are the least optimal treatment choice, as they work by suppressing your pet’s immune system. Not only can steroids have a negative effect on your pet’s liver, adrenal glands and kidneys, but suppressing your pet’s immune system with steroids also allows for opportunistic yeast and bacteria to grow on your pet’s skin..." Please read the information below: 'Steroids The Great Pretender - Even Low Steroid Doses Can Be Trouble'.http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/steroids.htmMany vets assume that pet owners just want to see their pets get better at all cost or if they are not sure about what the problem is they will prescribe steroids knowing the risks. Steroids are very dangerous and do not cure anything, they just mask the symptoms temporarily but the underlying cause remains and result in undesirable health complications, including skin problems.SKIN INFECTION REMEDYFor any skin infection (bacterial or fungal), I recommend a powder called 'Flowers of Sulfur' (also known as 'brimstone' or 'sublime sulfur'). This substance has been used for thousands of years to cure all kinds of skin ailments including fungal and bacterial infections and if there is itching, it will stop it very quickly. Google it to learn more about its healing properties.Even vets have forgotten about this wonderful and inexpensive remedy but fortunately you can still purchase it at your local pharmacy for very little money. You can also buy it online at http://www.pennherb.com/search?mp=s&se=Flowers+of+Sulphur+PowderFlowers of sulfur is safe to apply to your pet's skin but take care not to inhale sulfur powder.You can dust this powder on your dog's skin OR mix it with an oil to rub on the skin. I prefer the latter.The dusting can easily be accomplished if you use a powdered sugar duster or an empty talcum powder bottle. Separate the hair as you go around dusting to expose the skin until you have covered it.Alternatively, mix 2 tablespoons of flower of sulfur with 1 cup of Jojoba oil and put it in a bottle. Always shake to mix well before applying to the skin as it tends to separate. You do not need to wear gloves as it is not toxic to humans either.