DiamondDobermans

I have a 5 month old red doberman named bella, she is very well behaved and outgoing, I have had her since she was about 9 weeks old, I have had her to the vet about 4 different times and she has been nothing but healthy had all her shots, she has had ear infections in both ears but other than that a very happy healthy dog.

In the last few weeks I have noticed she excessively itches herself, and a few small red pimple looking bumps have appeared under her belly by her back legs (see pictures) she has also developed a slight hair loss in some places she itches alot, and I have noticed some scabs developing on the neck from either itching or skin allergy (see picture) she also leaves me itchy if we cuddle or she lays/rolls around and wrestles with me

I am thinking it is some kind of food allergy, or possible as I have been reading on here a genetic disorder called CDA I am currently feeding her the yellow pedigree bag, and 2-3 hard boiled eggs a day but I am thinking about switching back to blue buffalo, If it persist I will take her to the vet, but I am not to fond of the vets around my area they are more interested in profiting and racketeering money then actually treating dogs, which is quite sad in my opinion.

I would like any advice or help you can give me for my doberman puppy it would be greatly appreciated thank you.

sam&macksmom

poor Bella I would recommend finding a board certified vet dermatologist

https://www.acvd.org/

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DiamondDobermans

after doing some research this morning I am planning on switching her food to Taste of the Wild or Pro Plan Sensitive Skin, not giving her any dairy or egg because I have read that can cause skin allergies, and adding a 2000mg capsule of fish oil to her diet until it is healed and starting to brush her with a ionic brass/boar brush...which food do you think I will have better results with the Pro Plan or the TOTW

dapple

I have not used the pro plan but, have used the TOTW with good results.
I love the brush. It has really helped my Lily remove all her dead skin and keep her flake free! ha

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Tollers-n-Dobes

I wouldn't doubt if a food change will clear that up. Pedigree is full of stuff that many dogs do very poorly on. If she were mine, I'd try TOTW before Purina, just because I prefer TOTW's ingredients. Many members here feed their dogs Purina Pro Plan with success, but even knowing that, I'd feed it as a last resort. Other good brands are: Acana, Nature's Variety, Canidae's Pure formulas, California Natural, etc.

I hope it clears up soon! If not, I would get her into a vet and see what they say. Battling skin issues is no fun. I just went through it in November with Ripley and it appears that within the last week he has yet another skin thing going on.

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sam&macksmom

I would also stop her from laying in the grass (if she does). Get a Kuranda bed or lay a blanket down if she likes to sun herself.

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Dobiewankanobi

What I bolded/italicized really caught my attention.

I'd bring her in to your vet for a skin scrape to rule out sarcoptic mange. I'd rule that out first before messing with food changes. Please note that sarcoptic is highly contagious to other dogs so it's important that you rule it out quickly.

Humans CAN be affected by Sarcoptic mites...just not to the extent that we see it in dogs.

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DiamondDobermans

Dapple I got the idea from one of your prior post I have read on her so hopefully it works for my Bella and as far as her making me itch she has done this since she was a puppy where she slightly made me itch, but I was just stating it could the cause me to itch be a skin related issue for her? and any input on the fish oil capsules?

Motomutt

The best thing you can do for your dog is get her off Pedigree that food is just garbage.

I personally would use the Taste of the wild, if it is an allergy grains are usually the cause.

My male has some pretty bad allergies and I started him on Coconut oil (I also give fish oil) along with probiotic Max, I started this in February and I just re-ordered. They only thing that is bad is that I didn't find this product years ago. Could have saved him years of needless suffering, granted he has only been on these products for a few months but I do see the difference in him.

The Coconut oil can be used in the food or on a wounds, he had a area where a suspicious growth had been removed, he has been licking and making the area angry, I put the coconut oil on and it turned pinkish and started to heal so I really can't say enough good things about this product. I purchased it at a dog show the vendor is Nature's Farmacy, Inc.

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Meldrew79

Our red female also had the same kind of skin issues. We switched her to Blue Buffalo Lamb & Rice and haven't had any trouble since. We actually get comments now on how full and shiny her coat is!

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Lucyred

Hello diamond, I am curious how you will progress with the food change. I adopted my red one-year old from rescue in January. Her coat was a ginger red. She was 27 inches at the shoulder and 57 lbs she has been dewormed, gained 5 lbs and her coat is turning a darker color since i changed her diet She is eating grain free limited ingredients. I am still feeding her an egg, but I will stop that and see if her red flanks fade.

dapple

Not sure about the itching. But I give both my dogs fish oil every day. It's great for them.

__________________
LONGATE'S Tiger Lily. Call name Lily
BRUDA Catch A Rising Star. Call name Rudy
CARA'S Ranger of the North. Call Name Strider - March 6, 2005 - October 28, 2011 RIP

DiamondDobermans

Can this product be purchased at a pet store like pet smart etc? or do I have to order online? I am going to a few pet store right now to get new food, a new brush. fish oil capsules and hopefully some coconut oil.

as far as food goes I am leaning toward the TOTW because I have heard alot of good things about it on here, but how does it compare to blue buffalo and which food will be better for my doberman and the allergies in the long run!

DiamondDobermans

I may continue with the egg or some form of supplemental extra protein because it helps her pack on so much lean muscle, I can admit I am guilty of feed her 1 or 2 extra a day but she loves it, I would love to see a picture of your doberman she seems to be quite tall though yet underweight, my bella is 24 inches tall and 51lbs and she will be 5 months this Thursday, I am hoping she can get close to 30 inches tall and atleast 100lbs, good luck with your dobbie and you are lucky to have rescued one I was looking for a dobbie to adopt for a while and checked multiple shelter with no luck, people who usually own these dogs take great care of them that's why I am assuming you never see them in shelters, like alot of mixed dogs

RottenVonSpotten

Is there a reason you want your female Doberman to be as big as female Great Dane? Dobermans were originally bred to be a medium-sized breed and should stay that way. Bigger dogs will have a higher chance of developing health and joint issues.

SpecialK

I can't speak to the Blue Buffalo, but I have experience with Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach and TOTW. Rowan was on the PPSS for a while and did well on it, but when winter hit and it started getting colder out he started getting flaky. We switched him to TOTW and also give Salmon oil. Never looked back--his flakes were gone after a few weeks and his coat is soft and shiny. He really doesn't get flakes ever unless someone is giving him a lot of scratches and kind of rubs them out. I think you will be happy with the TOTW or better, most of the good suggestions I've read recommend you to buy the best quality you can afford.

As for the protein, I'm no expert and I'm sure others can chime in, but you need to watch the protein levels you are giving a growing puppy, especially ones who grow fast like the doberman. This could cause major bone/health problems down the road. Not sure why you want her to be so big, remember that dobermans are a medium sized breed and anything over the standard is setting the dog up to have a lot of potential structural or movement problems down the road. :/

ETA: bigger does not equal better

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mmctaq

If she is the size she as at the age she is, it doesn't sound like she is genetically programmed to be freakishly huge, in spite of your hopes to the contrary. If her sire and dam were correct and standard sized animals, it is likely that she will be, too.

mmctaq

It is too much food (i.e. too much total nutrition) which is responsible for inappropriate growth rates. Too much protein is not an issue.

SpecialK

Thanks for clarifying. Then I hope the 1-2 eggs in addition to the amount OP is feeding is not too much.

__________________

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." --Josh Billings

UKC Ch. Bruda Weekend Warrior, TT, CGC, TDI "Rowan"
Bruda Pure Seduction, S.T.A.R. Puppy "Monroe"

workingk9s

A few things that crossed my mind. First, I would take her to see a vet to have that skin looked at. Someone mentioned mange and a vet can diagnose that. Dr. Metzler is a GREAT vet and sees many Dobermans. She is in Orangevale, but worth a drive.

Metzler Jean Ms DVM - Orangevale, CA

Next, a 30in 100lb female Doberman would be a TERRIBLE representation of the breed. Bitches are supposed to be 24-26in. 30in would be a freak IMO, not athletic at all.

And lastly, I googled Diamond Dobermans and a defunct site came up for a "breeder" who produces oversized dogs. This isn't you is it? If so, there are lots of articles and threads to read up on here that will give you more info on oversized dogs and breeding dogs.

Good luck with her skin. It looks painful for her.

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sam&macksmom

yikes...OP, I have this isn't you breeding monster sized dobes

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Whiskey

Interesting.. Diamond Doberman's site is down. Shame that!

RedFawnRising

Bold emphasis is mine.

Um. Gah. Um.

That sound you hear is the collective sigh and head-shake of all the Doberman rescuers and shelter workers out there.

Dobermans absolutely DO wind up in shelters, all the time. They typically come from crappy breeders who do not screen homes adequately at point-of-puppy-purchase and so do not find appropriate life-long homes for the animals they produce. Then too, they often sell all the puppies with full registration, and even encourage their puppy buyers to become BYBs themselves, so the destructive cycle continues.

Soon as I saw the user name, that's what I figured.

OP, if by some chance you are NOT already a BYB, then please stick around and read up on all the health and rehoming issues Dobermans face, and become part of the solution, not part of the problem.

As to your girl, that looks like she may very well have a secondary skin infection, regardless of the primary cause--I too would screen for sarcoptes and demodex, upgrade her food immediately, get with a good vet (not one of the "racketeering" ones <eye roll>) and see about a good medicated shampoo and possibly oral antibiotics to treat that secondary infection.

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DiamondDobermans

For all of you inquiring about the BYB and Diamond Dobermans, Bella is my first doberman and only doberman, she is a 5 month old puppy, I have never bred a dog or any animal for that matter, I would in the near future 1-2 years start breeding I think it would be a great activity for myself, I would like to try finding a stud for my bella once she is of age and seeing how that goes, if I like it maybe think about breeding, I would like to atleast have the experience of my dog having puppies once in my life, but I hear it is quite tedious and alot of work. I have no relation to that diamond dobermans website, I have the user name because I like the brand diamond clothing and I am ever so fond of dobermans I don't breed oversize puppies or any puppies at all, I have not read much about the proper or correct sizing of doberman but I was under the impression that they were a large or x large breed dog guess I was confused, I spoke with my mom's standard poodle breeder who was over for easter about show dobermans and she said they were of a smaller size then some home pets, I guess I always thought larger was better, I just didnt want her to be a runt, wanted her to be large lean and healthy!!!! I will continue to free feed her as she is in great shape and has no belly and you can more then see the ribs, my mom's standard poodle breeder was the one who measured my dog (taught me how to) and she was showing me a few other things about them (how to look at the teeth properly & inspect there nails) I am fairly new to training dogs though I have been around them my entire life and new to the doberman breed.

sorry to disappoint I am not the BYB you might have thought I was

Rosemary

Bold emphasis mine. You might not be the BYB discussed, but you certainly appear to be wanting to head in that direction. Do your girl a favor, and have her spayed.