I have a 4 month old GSD, and recently I've switched to RAW, and I swear just as I've done that, he's started to develop a certain kind of rash under his belly. At first it was a couple of red lines, but then it broke out into lots of red dots. They almost look like a bunch of pimples. I took him to a vet (petsmart vet---what a joke) and they gave me some antibiotics to swallow, and some spray on antibiotics. I'm going to try to use those, but does anyone else have any other suggestions as what this is, what it's from, and how it can be cured? Thanks again for all the help!

- Ali

 Quote: Alex Madsen

...rash under his belly. At first it was a couple of red lines, but then it broke out into lots of red dots. They almost look like a bunch of pimples.
...
they gave me some antibiotics...

Um Ali, does your pup's belly rash/red pimple-like dots look anything like this?

http://www.gentlesoulsshepherds.com/vaccine_rash.jpg

Taro developed that as a direct result of his puppy vaccines (parvo & distemper). I believe he was about 3 months old at the time.

The vet diagnosed it as being an opportunistic skin infection and my pup was put on antibiotics for two weeks to clear it (the treatment worked).

Could your pup's case be a vaccinosis case as well?

Vaccines can really mess with the immune system, so it isn't unusual at all to develop strange side effects like infections, joint irritations, inflammation, long-lasting fevers, rashes, bumps etc. even several weeks following an injection.

Just a thought.

If it's an allergy related to his raw diet, you could try an elimination diet where you would pick one meat (preferably something he's never tried before) and slowly add in new meats to try and identify the culprit(s) in the diet.

Good luck solving this

I assume you have checked for fleas? Sometimes a dog can have a bad reaction to just one flea.

Puppies do get actual pimples - whiteheads - on their bellies if they haven't figured out that laying in their pee is not such a good idea. If it's this, keep the puppy clean with clear water baths or belly wipe-downs and clean the crate right away after an accident. These clear up in a couple of days.

Anne, why would a puppy lay in its own urine?

Do you mean really really young puppies while they're still with their mother?

I have a hard time picturing a (well cared for) puppy being left to lie in its own waste to the point of developing pimples.

Is this a common problem? I realize that puppies are delicate at that age; so stressful for us puppy-parents (especially when we're still new at it!)

Well, you guys all pose very plausible points...now to figure out which one is the more relevant one.

As far as vaccines, the last ones he's had was a month ago, so it almost seems too late of a reaction. But Caesar's belly is almost identical to the one you posted Yuko, however, the "pimples" are a lot more visible.

As far as fleas, he doesn't seem to be itching anywhere else. Is it possible to only be affected in a certain area with fleas?

And as far as his own pee, he doesn't really lay anywhere near it, and he rarely has any accidents, so I'm not sure if that's the case. Though, he did have diarrhea today (AGAIN!!!~I figured out what causes it) and made a mess of the crate, but the rashes were there earlier, so it doesn't seem to be that.

One thing I've noticed is that he's been humping a LOT lately, and I don't know if it's because of the rash or it's simply because he's a 4 month old male. But he humps this "sheep fur" looking blanket that I have for him to cover his crate at nights, and the spots seem to appear right around his lower belly and penis area. So this might also be a cause..who knows. I'm going to try the antibiotics and see how they turn out, and we'll see how valuable banfield is.

Thanks for all your responses, I really appreciate it.

- Ali

How new is his sheepskin blanket? Have you washed it in new detergent or used a fabric softening? Could be an allergic reaction to these products (or even the blanket).

Ali, It's very possible because that may be the only place he was bitten. Also Anne is right about pimples, some dogs get juvenile acne (not necessarily from urine).

Vaccine reactions can appear pretty much at any time but typically around 3 weeks after vaccination. Don't do any additional vaccines until this is sorted out, JMO.

I just noticed you saw red lines before the rash. Scratches? A Staph infection looks a lot like pimples.

Did the vet do any type of skin scrape to determine IF there is a bacterial infection?

Fleas can be localized. You'll see little black bits in the fur - it's flea poop. When it's washed off, the water turns red.

If he's really humping his fleece a lot, then take it away and see if the rash improves in a few days.

Yuko - I mean really young puppies on newspaper or in my puppy's case - she was about 4 months old peeing in the straw in her dog house. It took a while before I figured it out.

You only see flea dirt/red water when there are a lot of fleas, but only one is needed to set off a nasty reaction!