hello
has anyone got any suggestions meg is a 11 month old white german shepherd
she has always been prone to skin problems first her ears were rashy then she got hot spot on her bottom and now she is bald on her belly legs and chest and she scratches and nibbles at every oppurtunity we have put booties and an elizabethan collar on her.
we have put her on a homemade diet with lots of vitamin a ,e,and c to try to boost her immune system we have got rid of all airfresheners and household cleaning products. the vet just doesnt seem interested in anything but giving her prednisole which i know is not a good long term solution.
has anyone else got any ideas?

Well if your vet thinks he has tried everything you could always try a product called "Fit and Fertile" If you type in Fit and Fertile as a search it will give you lots of other threads discussing this product. I used it on my Dogue de Bordeaux bitch when her coat was in very poor condition and it worked marvels on her. Before you actually try it have a chat with the man that manufactures it and he will be able to give more advice on the product benefits for your particular case.

Ask your vet to check the dogs thyroid.
My Dads dog has bald spots/itchy flakey skin etc and it's all related to a thyroid condition that is controlled by medication.
Julie :)

I know prednisalone is not a good long term answer, but my dog if she wasnt on it she to would have been bald by now, she never stopped sratching in fact she scratched so much that she would make herself bleed, so it was the only solution and boy did it work no more scratching, i know that steroids can cause cushings syndrome, but the vets do keep an eye on her, she has been on them for the past 6 years, she just has 1 a day keep them to the very lowest amount possible, i hope you find something that works soon

Diane

My sister's GSD has trouble with her skin and she has been told to stick to chicken and rice based food (no beef). Daisy is 100 % better, but they gave her the fat off a steak over Chrismas and her skin flared up again. Maybe your dog has the same prob.
Jane