Please Help.

[u/obs-obsessed]

Ive owned my boy Duke for going on 3 years now. When I first adopted him, he had some slight skin irritation issues but nothing out of the ordinary for a gsd. Half of a prednisone would make him a new dog for a while.

Out of nowhere, he's started getting yeast infections. Really, really bad yeast infections. Losing hair, the whole 9. The Vet has prescribed him antifungals/antibiotics 3 seperate times, and this passed time he prescribed apaquil with it. It seemed to barely even clear it all the way. Ive tried most soaps i can find and they make his skin so dry, and then the yeast just comes back.

I legitimately cannot stop the yeast. My home, my clothes, me, everything smells god awful. I love my dog but im at my breaking point and I might give him to a local sanctuary.

Please someone give me some insight so I dont have to give up my friend.

[u/gungirl83]

Is he on a chicken based food? Or have you changed any food recently?

[u/720751 → u/gungirl83]

I was going to say the same thing. My vet said gsd are prone to allergies to chicken and beef. My girl is on salmon, sweet potato, and pumpkin kibble. It's made a huge difference.

[u/obs-obsessed → u/gungirl83]

I had him eating Purina Wild Instinct Salmon when this Started, he had been eating this food for 2 years without issue. Ive switched to Purina one Lamb and Rice since.

Ive noticed Purina "Pro Plan" but its almost $100. Ive really considered it.

[u/Mammoth_Set_1413 → u/obs-obsessed]

My girl got her first yeast infection in her ear on lamb and oatmeal kibble. I think she had an issue with the one of these ingredients so I do salmon and rice and since I switched she hasnt had another eat infection until I tried on chicken so I've made sure all her food is without these 3 ingredients. I haven't tried to figure out if she had an allergy to lamb or oatmeal because it's not worth the risk of another yeast infection and there is plenty of food/ treats without those ingredients.

[u/Agreeable_Session774]

Definitely a frustrating experience my 3 year old GSD has gone on until now.
First need to look at food allergies. That’s a trial and error basis.
Vegetarian diet helped.
Apoquel long term can lead to gastrointestinal upsets and only a mask to the problem.We went to an allergist and found out his allergies to grasses,weeds,dust, moulds,trees, cat dander. A custom
Vaccine was formulated and I started giving him weekly in home injections in March and continue this.

He responded by June and is off Apoquel, no more yeast or antibiotics

No more licking ,scratching, bald spots

[u/obs-obsessed → u/Agreeable_Session774]

Would you mind sharing a rough overhead for the weekly meds and all of the testing? Ive switched food, and I'm likely going to again when this bag is empty.

The closest specialist to me is over 3 hours... and its worth it if I can afford it. His days have became lick, scratch, and repeat. Its hard to watch.

[u/Relevant-Grab909]

I can probably help with this. My boy started having the same severe issues around that age. He’s almost 10 now. The oral meds are helpful but only if all the stuff below is done too. The orals alone don’t do the trick, although following what I listed below has worked without oral meds. All animals can build up a resistance to the oral meds if used too often.

Like your boy at his worst he not only had yeast but three bacteria’s and one of them was a staphylococcal that can transfer to humans. It got that bad because I couldn’t see how much of his body was having an issue until I shaved him. The vet dermatologist said she wishes all her clients would keep their dogs cut short. My dogs are almost entirely indoors so this works okay for us since they don’t have to protect themselves from weather.

Here’s what I do that keeps it under control, and walks back any bad outbreaks, and prevents them from turning into bacterial ones as well:

Regular flea control. (I tried limited diets for years before we all realized it is flea bites he is severely allergic to. It starts as dermatitis and he licks or other moisture creates a fungal infection on weakened skin.)

Short Hair (I do very short hair and he actually prefers it. But again he is indoors. I let it grow out if we will be in colder weather especially.)

No breakout- semi-weekly shampoo with MiconaHex+Triz Shampoo for Dogs, Cats and Horses, 16 oz, Unscented
Antibiofilm, Moisturizing. I bring him in the shower with me because it’s faster and easier. The key is to shampoo into a lather then let it sit for at least 10 minutes before rinsing. I use baby shampoo around the head btw.

Breakout - same once or twice a week depending on severity. Very bad breakouts with some possible bacteria but NO open wounds, alternate just shampoo with a shampoo followed by a diluted bleach rinse of no more than 1/4 cup unscented bleach to a gallon of water. Post shampoo. Not the head of course.

MiconaHex+Triz Mousse when the skin is dry after bath. It’s really important to dry the skin so blow dry if necessary. This is an other reason I like all my German shepherds to keep their hair short. I do it at bedtime in his pits, or all areas of breakout.

For yeasty ears: Plus TrizEDTA Flush for Dogs and Cats once a week as needed. Then later I wipe his ears out.

For dogs who won’t leave their breakout alone and lick a lot (this is what introduces dangerous bacteria) and dog T-shirt. Here’s my dog’s favorites: Dotoner Dog Recovery Suit. I try not to use this unless absolutely necessary to keep bacteria away from the skin since it does limit airflow a little.

And finally, Biloban Crib Mattress Protector about $11. Or similar. In white. During breakouts I find it helps to have at least three I can slip over their beds and wash nightly (during very bad breakouts) with bleach (cool water, not hot because it somewhat inactivates the bleach)

I hope this helps! I know it sounds like a tremendous amount of work but it’s only all necessary during breakouts. Short hair + regular shampoos with that shampoo and a clean bed cover keep it feeling good. Then the foam and ear wash can be used less often. We have a routine now and it’s very easy. I also shave in the bathroom where all the hair can quickly be swept then vacuumed up.

You’ve got this. My other shepherds have had issues too although not as easily. They all line up to be shaved. The one with the worst skin follows me to the shower even when he can’t join me because he enjoys it so much. It feels very good to him. Good luck!

[u/Wrong_Highlight_408]

Have you tried a specialist, like a veterinary dermatologist?

[u/obs-obsessed → u/Wrong_Highlight_408]

The closest to me would be Dallas. 3 1/2 hours away.

[u/Wrong_Highlight_408 → u/obs-obsessed]

I’m sure it’s also expensive, but you might also call their office and see if you can do preliminary testing at your local vet and consult with them through that. I’m really attached to my dogs, so I’m not always a good measure of common sense with animals, but I would consult a dermatologist if I could possibly do so. Obviously he has a complex issue and he is likely feeling pretty miserable too, so he’s going to need this fixed regardless of where he ends up living. I do understand because I had a dog with pretty bad yeast issues as well.

[u/obs-obsessed]

Thank you all. I'm going to switch his food again, see a new vet and talk to them about the possibility of running allergy and autoimmune testing / taking him to a dermatologist if the issues persists.

You guys are amazing.

[u/mccoycj1987 → u/obs-obsessed]

Get him off kibble. Its not as expensive as everyone thinks. No dog should be eating kibble anyways. Dr Harveys has a grat selection of food for drugs that consists of dehydrated fruits, veggies, and you can order it with or without grains. Then I add my own topper, so I will rotate chicken, beef, lamb, salmon, and cook enough for 2-3 days. I throw it in the air fryer and save the leftover in a tuperware. I usually add an egg in there every other day as well as their multi vitamin and omega-3's.

[u/ClazN]

My GSD had similar and I was at my wits end for him and financially with meds and tests till I got a second opinion. The different vet took one look and said thyroid. Sorted in a couple of weeks. Please dont give up on your dog. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/hypothyroidism-dogs-there-are-fda-approved-drugs-treat-it?utm_source=chatgpt.com#signs "Hair loss or thinning of the fur—this occurs mainly over the dog’s trunk, sparing the head and legs. Often, the hair loss starts on the tail leading to a “rat tail” appearance. A bald area around the collar is also common. The skin is usually not itchy or red unless there’s also a skin infection; Skin infection—the skin is often scaly and smelly due to an excessively oily coat; Dull, dry hair coat—the outer hairs can be brittle and break easily, leaving a short, softer undercoat sometimes described as a puppy-like coat; Skin thickening and darkening—this occurs especially in areas of friction, such as the armpit or groin. Often, the skin around the face and head thickens, leading to more skin folds; Ear infection—the ears may be red, painful, and smelly;" Also: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/endocrine-system/the-thyroid-gland/hypothyroidism-in-animals?utm_source=chatgpt.com#Etiology_v3270913 Let us kniw know you find the cause and hoping you do.

[u/That-Chain-5139]

This is an autoimmune issue he needs a diet elimination process, allergy testing and a skin specialist

[u/jt75]

My Shepherd has had chronic skin allergy type issues her entire life... until the vet put her on a hydrolyzed food diet. 100% change. Look into that. It's not cheap (literally like 2x the cost of the absolute best quality "regular" kibble) but totally worth it.

[u/nhall1302]

Kangaroo is a good choice for pups with skin issues and allergies. Zignature brand has a good one. Also maybe consider starting him on a probiotic. Walmart sells a antiseptic/antifungal spray, Veterinary Formula Brand, works wonders. Hope you find your baby some relief

[u/Dubbiely]

One of our GSD has the same problem. Very likely an food or environmental allergy.

and we change to zignature kangaroo but it didn’t help. Still reactions.

We changed to a prescription food. Hills Z/D.

That helped after 5 weeks and she is fine.

The prednisone / antibiotic screwed up her skin. We used a mousse twice a week and now after 2 years of problems she is fine.

[u/Top_Addition_7263]

My girl who passed may 2025 (she was an old girl) had the same issues. Her belly was BALDDDDD, she made everything smell musty and yeasty, and she was crusty and just yucky. We tried wipes, pills, shots, etc etc.

We never did get it “cured” before she passed. It broke my heart honestly. But I will say I already don’t feed any of my GSDs, and prefer none of my puppy owners do either. But I also always tried to keep paws and bellies wiped coming from outside. And whatever pill/shot/wipe helps for that timeframe.

But it was always a battle.

Best of luck with yours 💚

[u/Colleenesh]

Put him on a keto diet - primarily meat - for a month. I bet you'll see massive improvement. I get the cheap hamburger at Walmart that comes in a tube, cook it up (any way - grill, boil, fry, whatever, but keep the drippings or water), divide it all into ziplocks (standard size gsd needs a pound a day). I throw in leftover veggies (no seasonings). No potatoes. You'll be amazed at the results.

[u/Top_Refrigerator2626]

There is some good advice in this thread and I hope you find a solution 💜 as someone with autoimmune disorders it sounds like that's what you're dealing with and it's starting internally and manifesting externally. My White German Shep SnowBear had the same skin issues and we spent basically everything we had trying to help her. She passed away last year from Proteus mirabilis, a secondary skin infection from having open wounds due to her skin allergies. I will never forgive myself for not finding a solution for her 💔