My doberman Pincher

Question
Hello,
I have a Doberman Pincher he is ten year of age and has some problems!He gets a oder to him and has really dry skin! Now we have to go to our vet at least once every 2 months and he has to get a shot and pills for him! we have already spent a ton of money on him! see they said its an allergy problem but he never started this until about 2 years ago! and they said that we can have a blood test dont but that can cost up to $1,000 and he's getting old and the vet said we better not do that b/c the average life spand of a doberman is 10 years! but i was wondering if u know of anyother way that would work to try and help him!
b/c he ich's himself so much where he looses his hair there where he was iching! and it is mainly on his neck and his belly! we give him baths all the time but as soon as he drys he starts to smell again! and we dont know what else to do! we spend at least $100 everytime we go to the vet and we just want it to stop and see if there is an easier way to help him! thank you so much for your time
thanks,
Trish  

Answer
Hi Trish!As for the scratching,it could be reflex or just an itch. There are many things that can cause itchiness. If the pred and antibiotic did not help, then there may be something on the skin or in the ears that you cannot see. Also, ask your vet to treat your dog for phantom parasites (like whipworms) by deworming the dog and treating for sarcoptic mange. I like to rule those things out when I cannnot find a cause of itching on the surface of the skin.

As for the losing hair,More likely, she is allergic to something in the environment. When skin disease affects the rump and back, I tend to think of a flea allergy first. You should have a vet look at her to see if there is some medical treatment that will give her some relief.


As for the dry skin,it could be a problem with dietary fatty acids. These make the skin cells resistant to drying out. Omega fatty acid supplements (available from your vet as like 3V caps or Eicosaderm) may stop the flaking. When the fur around the eyes falls out in a pup, I tend to think about demodex mange. You should let your vet do a skin scraping to look for the mites. Also, ringworm can show up like this.


As for the bad smell heres how you can help.If he is still eating and drinking, I would find it uncommon that he would have Parvo, as well.  Is it possible this unpleasant smell may be coming from his mouth? Periodontal disease (tooth decay) can cause tooth infections and gum infections that give off a terrible odor. A simple antibiotic would help this. There may be some other virus or infection that is causing these symptoms, and the only sure way to tell would be a physical examination by your veterinarian.
Hope this helps lots!Nicole.D.