The vet has prescribed malseb shampoo for my itchy gsd and I have to say two days after the bath and he seems more comfortable. How often do people think it should be used ? I can ask the vet but would like a wider answer to think about thank you

Had to look at their site to remind myself, twice a week until symptoms subside then weekly. Personally gave up using it some years ago as both boys couldn't tolerate it, yes I rinsed, rinsed & rinsed again but after a couple of washes their skin was beetroot red, skin dry, coat stripped of any oil & it only made their itching intolerable. Last time ended having to smother one in sudocrem, read somewhere once that gloves should be worn when using it.
Sorry to be pessimistic but I wouldn't use again. Have you had any success with coconut oil?

Oh dear. Am changing diet due to allergies but thought this might be an idea along side for a bit. Will keep a careful watch on him . vet wasn't happen with coconut but I want to talk again to her as I think its a good one. Can't put it on him as he s a double coated long coat gsd  thank you for you advice vet prescribed it BTW but didn't say how often I've only done it once as its abig job on my own :)

Hi furrie - the shampoo works great to take the itch away - a couple of times a week and up to 3 times the first week is okay while you try to get the itching under control and then cut it back if possible to once a week or less.

Where on your dog is he itching? if its the paws you can just lather up the paws and in between the pads well with the shampoo (not that it actually lathers much but you know what I mean - rub it in and around a bit) - leave for a couple of mins and rinse out well - that way you don't dry out any other part of the skin with the shampoo other than where the itch is.

Have you thought about adding raw spinach to his diet? It is supposed to work wonders on itchy dogs. The frozen variety is okay I believe.

one other thing that can help with the itching a little I found is honey (most natural honey you can find) - it can help with seasonal allergies and skin allergies in general - when my girl was bad I made sort of home made honey and oat flap jack type treat I gave her once a day and it seemed to help - but success or failure is dependent on what your little one is allergic to - my girl did well with honey and oats added to her diet, piriton in the summer and malaseb to reduce itching whilst I was waiting for the immunotherapy injections serum to be made up as she was allergic to grass and some weeds. With my boy honey and oats and malaseb alternated with an oatmeal shampoo helped with the itching while I figured out what he was allergic to (chicken meal).  Obviously not necessarily great to add anything sugary for too long because of their teeth but I found it helped not necessarily with improving skin (though certainly didn't adversely affect it) but it did help calm down the itching that was driving them crazy while I was trying to find the real cause.

Understand that his coat is very different from ours but have found that coconut oil has been one of the few things that has helped. Our eldest got to the stage two years ago that he'd run from the room to find somewhere I couldn't see him to itch, so at the age of 9 gave in & he's been on prednisolone 5mg alternate days but recently decided after vet said 'I can tell by just looking at him he's on steroids!', to see if I could slowly cut him back. Have got it to every fourth day (every five was too much) & so far fingers crossed am managing to keep him comfortable. Coconut oil has been amazing, his dewlap, arm pits (can I call them that) & his groin area are normal skin colour for the first time in years. Know it won't be easy but I warm up a small amount in my hands, like greasy hand cream & then rub it into his coat & skin. He enjoys it & will lay there for as long as it takes. Understand about washing, couldn't manage our two on my own & when I do both find it knackering!
Have not tried honey but have also heard good things, so might give it ago. Was advised to get local honey, so it's produced from local plants!

Thank u will also look into local honey but can't use oats as he  is allergic according to the tests.will see what else I can use.

Spinach ? Never heard of that but easy to try

As you know, I too have a dog that itches - he has severe allergies.

Remind me - what is your dog allergic to?  Has he had the York Test or similar? Is he responsive to external allergens such as dust and pollen or is it purely food?

My view is that wherever possible you follow the same path - that is to say that for an external allergen you apply an external solution such as shampoo's, creams etc : for an internal allergen caused by diet you should feed to combat the problem so give supplements, change food etc.  That's not to say that you don't try both options but consider your primary problem first.

I'm not keen on Maleseb unless you have a dog with extreme skin problems.  In truth I find it far too aggressive and frankly much too difficult to use effectively.  If a shampoo is needed there are other options.  Something else to consider is that without the correct facilities it's almost impossible to get a coat such as yours to dry properly.  I know from experience with an itchy dog that damp skin is counterproductive.  IF you find that Malaseb is 100% necessary I'd suggest taking him to a groomer to ask them to wash and dry him for you - or even just for a short period of time until you establish how useful it really is.

I use Hibiscrub in preference (my dog has a pollen allergy) but even then I tend to stick to the problem areas only - there's no need to wet the complete dog - so I routinely wash tummy, chest, legs and mouth with a wipe over the eyes.  In very high pollen times or when it's very dusty I also add a quick wipe over his back with a damp sponge.  If it's cold and wet I pop him in a drying coat when we get home to speed up the process (and make him look a twerp says he!!!)

Thanks DAB . its a results that came up from the York test. turkey , chicken, beef salmon and oats for food and a couple of grasses and a couple of other plants, dust mites and storage mites.
As you say washing and getting a dog his size isnt easy and I have never got round to buying a blaster. I agree about the groomer but  at £50 each time not sure I can do that. I will see what happens with regard to his skin now he has had one bath and I am changing his diet. Am in talks lol with the butcher who is amazed at how I feed. Think he  is used to people who want it all minced up and balanced . seems he hasn't met a none fruit and veg prey model person lol he is a lovely guy and is trying hard  to help
I am looking at going for lamb pork and game as and when available and then some fish .
Back to the shampoo he had some appalling hot spots over Christmas which I got sorted eventually with help from others, thornit being the answer this time so his back looed dreadful. much better after the bath and less generalized itching. you are so right about facilities something a vet doesn't think of.
Given what everyone has said I might just do the feet occasionally in the maleseb shampoo as those problems seem to be more seasonal . I tried hibiscrub last year and it didn't help but have plenty to try again if necessary . Yes we have a lovely drying coat which he wears with a sulky expression lol

Atm I am concentrating on  food because at least I can control that , its been pork chops this week until I can source the rest .
Now off to see the vet about my other monster who apparently probably has allergies at the source of her ear infections , so far fungal ones.
gosh it never rains but it pours or should that be paws ! thank you I respect your replies as one on the knowledgeable people on here

York test many years ago showed up all sorts of allergies for my dog but I became certain it was just types of grasses. The list was long but they are just a possibility of intolerances rather than confirmed allergies.
Anyway he was prescribed Maleseb but it quickly became obvious that it was way too harsh on him and it really irritated his already tender skin. The vet changed it to Sebolytic and from the first bath it eased - in fact it was so soothing that he stood in the bath and went sort of dreamy and relaxed as it calmed the skin. It immediately got rid of the grease in his coat as well.

Furryfriends, I too have a GSD with itchybodyness!lol  He took a severe reaction to dry food and lost all the hair over his muzzle including his whiskers!  But I switched him back to raw and it's came back very quickly.  Anyway, off on a tangent there , I used a furminator on him which took out the majority of his undercoat.  I think this helped to 'un-clog' him? Might help to get the treatment easier to the skin?
I'm not a fan of maleseb shampoo.  Oh, don't get me wrong, it works and for a multitude of things but my dog was prescribed this once and just as I was leaving the vets office with a bottle of it, I happened to mention that I was pregnant(we were chatting about a recent behaviour change).  Well, you'd have thought she'd just given me plutonium!! She snatched it off me and rushed about getting other vets advice, etc and wouldn't give me the shampoo.  Apparently, it's so toxic that I couldn't use it on my dog while pregnant!  I decided then and there that if it was so toxic that that was her reaction, my poor bloody dog wasn't getting lathered in it either!
It was a fungal skin infection that we cleared up with some Listerine mouthwash and a change of diet.  Much prefer looking for a natural way with everything now.

Thank you will keep that in mind too. Yes York isn't always perfect but it'd given meca place to start. His skin is better this week and after the bath but scruffy less itchy ATM. Looking at supplements as well as dietary change as first treatment. The grasses  is probably seasonal.

As you move away from the meats he is allergic to - my advice would be to try game meats first, a lot of westies with the allergies see improvement with game including mine who are fine with venison, rabbit etc though not so good with duck - even though a lot of vets say to try fish first I didn't find any real improvement noticeable until I switched to Game.

Thank its trying to buy those at a price I can afford I need 2kg a day and at £4 per kg its a problem even if I hate haveing money a s a reason I have to also be realistic: (