german shepherd with dry itchy skin?

Question

my 11 yo shepherd has all of a sudden developed very dry skin and is continually scratching, he also has a horrible smell about him. i had to leave him for a month earlier this year and stupidly forgot to give his sitter his flea control, obviously he was lousy with them when i returned. i have treated him for fleas and worms, bathed him several times with a dog shampoo with all natural ingredients but the odour stays, i've also been applying sorbolene to the dry areas, he's not scratching as much but still smells. i know i need to take him to the vet, but financially that has to be the last resort. any clues?

Update:

since the dog has been having these issues he's also drinking much more than he usually would. he just looks like he's aged so much in a just a short time

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

My 7 years old black lab has skin and ear infections caused by food allergy over and over throughout her lifetime. Bad smell, dandruff, red/black skin on her stomach and anal area, hairl loss, itchiness etc are sign of skin infections. Maybe your dog got it. Was she eating foods that she normally doesn’t while you are gone? I would recommend hypoallergenic dog foods. You can find one that don’t require a prescription at petco, petsmart or online. Although it’s a lil costly, it works. Don’t give him benadryl, it doesn’t work.

Anonymous · Answer

German Shepherd Dry Itchy Skin

shecat mahoney · Answer

there is a shampoo that i used to use in the grooming shop where i worked that was mainly for older dogs with dry skin. you can get it in any pet store, anything that says oatmeal bath. it really helps. the smell will go away if the dry skin is properly treated. normal dog shampoo usually makes the coat much more dry so you should change as soon as possible. get any sort of oatmeal bath shampoo and conditioner and it should clear up in a few short weeks.

imaginarynumber · Answer

Hi there

I have no idea why this has happened to your dog- I do know that Neem shampoos can be a great relief for dogs with skin conditions.

These vary greatly in quality. The best that I have come across is the one from Bichon Hotel

 http://bichonhotel.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=29

They aslo have a neem conditioner to go with the shampoo.

Is it possible that the sitter fed your dog a different food???

PuffieFluff · Answer

Maybe he has an allergy? You could try giving him a baby benadryl. My in laws have a german shepherd mix who has skin allergies and they've spent an arm and a leg and haven't gotten any results. they try to just keep him as comfortable as possible with benadryl lotion and rub it on his itchy areas and giving him baby benadryls.

Good Luck

Anonymous · Answer

if your dog is biting himself till he bleeds it's time to consider getting a cortisone injection from your vet. this will relieve the symptoms that your poor dog is suffering from it's not the nicest solution but it sounds like your dog is being driven crazy and it's cruel to let this go on any longer after doing that, wash with oatmeal shampoo or another one designed for allergies in dogs wash your dog say every second day and see how quickly the skin is healing. you can also put something natural on the wounds and scabs, like a moisturiser - but nothing with chemicals in it unless it's an ointment that is safe for dogs

Sandgroper · Answer

You really need to take the dog to the vet, any sudden changes can be serious, drinking excess may mean kidney problems.

The smell may also be caused by your dogs anal glands (especially if you feed cheaper food or human food).  The dogs lick themselves, then lick there bodies transferring the smell.

It may be his teeth, especially if you feed mushy food, get his teeth checked out.

If you feed cheap food, it can actually make the dogs smell, make sure you feed a good quality food with low corn/wheat percentage.

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german shepherd with dry itchy skin?

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