Well Kanes coat looks alot better now that I have him on Canidae... shiney, no more bare patches etc. And I havent bathed him in about a month and he needs one really bad!

But when I bathe him he gets really bad flaky skin on his lower back by his tail. Even when I take him to the groomer and tell them about this he comes back with a little but not as bad as when I bathe him. I use a shampoo for sensitive skin but is there anything else that will help that? I also bought an Avoderms Avocodo spray to help with that but it leaves him looking and feeling oily.

Whats the best shampoo for his skin? He does have allergies that I have to control with Benedryl but since I havent bathed him his skin hasnt flaked but I know once I bathe him it will be bad.

Also Kane doesnt seem to have that thick double coat that I seen some GSDs with. Hes not a long hair, but it seems like only his back legs and butt area are thick. Willhe get a double coat in the winter or do some GSDS just have a smoother thinner coat?

Here are some pictures... not the best for showing his coat but the only thick part is the fur on his butt/thigh area.
Kane 1

Kane 2

When I use a shading blade on him it feels as thought Im scrapping his skin, and I dont dare use a rake... dosent seem like he has enough hair.
Any thoughts?

I have been using Doc Ackerman's Herbal Colloidal Oatmeal Shampoo on both my dogs. Neither have had any flake issues, but I have been quite happy with the shampoo. Both dogs enjoy the water and with the rain we have been getting muddy regularly. They get bathed alot more than I would like, but they stay in the house so it is necessary. This shampoo doesnt dry out their skin.

Do they seel that at Petco by any chance? So anything with oatmeal?

You might consider a raw diet, although I think with the Canidae and some other oil suppliments it might clear up on it's own.

I don't wash my dog's with soap if I can avoid it. Warm water takes care of everything but dead animal, piss, and shat.

Kenic oatmeal shampoo. I haven't tried the avocado yet to see if it works better.

It is somewhat common, so call around and someone should have it, or you can order it.

Van Camp... question. What do you do about doggy smell? I mean I know that a dog shouldnt smell bad if they are healthy and Kane is healthy but being outside so much especially with alot of dirt he has doggy smell. Do your dogs smell clean after a bath with just water? When I take him to his training on Friday nights he stinks up the car with his doggy smell.

What about his thin coat? Any ideas on that? I mean its not so thin you can see through it but not as thick as the hair on his but and thighs. Is it normal for a GSD to have a smooth coat thats not thick? The picture of him standing doesnt do much justice... his coat is not that "bushy" or "stragly" anymore. I just dont have any good recent pictures of him.

Another question... if he has any fleas will I have to wash him with flea shampoo and then an oatmeal? Will this be bad using two different shampoos on his skin?

Thanks for all the input.

My 4 yr old gsd had thin fur and dry flaky skin. She was on the raw diet since a pup. She smelled, flaked, and had very thin patches all over her. I tried everything. She looks super now. It took about 4 months on "Zinpro" a zinc supplement along with salmon and cod liver oil alternating. I believe she may have something called zinc responsive dermatitis, common in huskies. I am no vet or expert, however, I just know that I went nuts with skin issues on this dog. Good luck.

Doggie smell usually means the food isn't agreeing with the dog. Auster needed about 1/3 of the baths she used to get on Nutro, Diamond, etc. when we switch to California natural. If there is something in a food that doesn't agree with a dog they will stink, even if it works fine for others.

Forgot: two shampoos are a bad idea. Flea shampoo doesn't work that well anyway. Try Advantage or Frontline. What works better depends on the fleas in your area. I use advantage.

Definately use a waterprrof topical for flea and tick control, as Lauren mentioned.

How often do you bathe the dog? Unless it is something awful as VC mentioned, DON"T overdo it! The constant bathing actually will STRIP the natural oils from the coat and contribute to the flaking, and may even be the cause.

I agree wholeheartedly with supplementing oils, such as expeller pressed flax seed or peanut oil. You can also give TINY amounts of Cod LIver Oil( very potent, be careful not to overdose the dog), or one commercially prepared such as Linatone. This should help, esp. if you continue to feed high quality foods and reduce or eliminate the bathing.
I have a black and tan bi-color that GLISTENS and has NO skin flakes, and she is on Royal Canin GSD formula. I have NEVER liked any food better....

As for the odor, some dogs do smell more than others. Have you tried the spray colognes made for dogs such as Four Paws?? When I was a professional dog groomer I liked to use a few of them, they smelled pretty nice!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Lastly, I would also run it by the vet, perhaps a comprehensive blood panel to rule out a metabolic issue that could be impedeing proper absorption of nutrients might be in order....

Best of luck! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />