What the HECK is this?!?!?

     My first thought would be flea dirt - yet I've never seen so much of it in a concentrated area before. It's difficult with Shepherd fur to notice fleas, and a few years ago I had a Beagle who was INFESTED, and we never even knew it ... no scratching, nothing.The greenish pimples make me think possibly impetego/staph infection though Could be something residual that stemmed from a flea problem???

My bet would be contact allergy -- with a couple of the bumps developing into pustules.  I'd bathe her in something that's a 'degreaser' (you can add just a bit of baking soda to your normal shampoo -- but it will dry the coat -- then I usually add some tea tree oil to the final pourover rinse). 

I'm saying a whole 'bath' (in warm water btw -- cold water won't cut the oils) because it may only have irritated her where the fur was sparse but she's probably got it all over her.  Either add ammonia or baking soda to whatever you launder her bedding and the same with what you mop the floors with.  You won't get *all* but it should help.  The tea tree rinse should help the sore area as well.

She has noticably little hair coverage in that area....I checked both of my Shepherds and their bellies are covered......maybe, some kind of contact allergy....could be anything.......has she always had a bare tummy?

It is an allergy, Kord went through that alot! The black dots are from chewing I believe. His was caused by flea allergy and food allergy, so I wish you luck finding whatever it was that made this appear.

Keep us posted!

My first thought was contact allergy.  A coupe of yeas my then 11 year old golden got into my fenced flower bed and laid in lantana.  WHAT a MESS his tummy and privates turned into.  I had to clean him with that speical shampoo every day andspray him.  But he healed just fine and I made sure he couldn't get into that flower bed again.

snownose

She has noticably little hair coverage in that area....I checked both of my Shepherds and their bellies are covered......maybe, some kind of contact allergy....could be anything.......has she always had a bare tummy?

Always bare.  She has a very short, tight coat and since I've had her, has never had a really thick undercoat like some shepherds.  I brush her once a week and rarely get even one brushful of undercoat.  She often gets dirty in that area b/c she is lower to the ground and kicks up lots of dirt and water when she runs, but Phil has been the one toweling her down so I only just noticed this.

Here she is like a day after I got her and you can see the bare area (plus her spay scare, which was 3 months old at that point and is now gone)
 

Houd Music, I suspected fleas as well, but I check all over the rest of her and...nothing.  She had fleas in the fall, and she did have flea dirt, but it was more like dirt (not so much like zits or blood blisters under the skin) and the specks were a lot smaller.  Also, she was scratching when she had fleas and I haven't seen her scratching anything.  She has Frontline Plus on her and my house and porch were treated with nylar that's supposed to last for a year.

I'm hoping it's some sort of contact allergy, given that it's really just spring here.  The grass came in this week and our trees are still in budding stages, no leaves yet.  Also, many people have put grub poison and fertilizer on their lawns recently. 

Crap I can't bathe her b/c we just did Frontline recently.  What's more important, the Frontline or cleaning this area?  The place where I bathe them has this tea tree oil soap I really like.  It seems very gentle and doesn't smell strongly.  Could I just avoid the Frontline area? 

ETA: Oh, also, while I was in Florida, these guys came and put grub killer on our lawn.  I was PISSED when I got back, but Phil said they gave him a paper saying the dogs could be on it as long as they don't eat it.  I wonder if THATS irritating her skin.  You know I think I will go bathe her if it's the poison....

Liesje

snownose

She has noticably little hair coverage in that area....I checked both of my Shepherds and their bellies are covered......maybe, some kind of contact allergy....could be anything.......has she always had a bare tummy?

 

Always bare.  She has a very short, tight coat and since I've had her, has never had a really thick undercoat like some shepherds.  I brush her once a week and rarely get even one brushful of undercoat.  She often gets dirty in that area b/c she is lower to the ground and kicks up lots of dirt and water when she runs, but Phil has been the one toweling her down so I only just noticed this.

Here she is like a day after I got her and you can see the bare area (plus her spay scare, which was 3 months old at that point and is now gone)
 

Houd Music, I suspected fleas as well, but I check all over the rest of her and...nothing.  She had fleas in the fall, and she did have flea dirt, but it was more like dirt (not so much like zits or blood blisters under the skin) and the specks were a lot smaller.  Also, she was scratching when she had fleas and I haven't seen her scratching anything.  She has Frontline Plus on her and my house and porch were treated with nylar that's supposed to last for a year.

I'm hoping it's some sort of contact allergy, given that it's really just spring here.  The grass came in this week and our trees are still in budding stages, no leaves yet.  Also, many people have put grub poison and fertilizer on their lawns recently. 

Yeah, I see what you are saying......I still think it's some kind of contact allergy.....they are hard to figure out......Rumour had terrible ear infections.....they were treated with animax, benadryl and staying out of water......which is murder for a water loving Shepherd.....but, we cut out all wheat and corn....and that improved his condition greatly....

Here is Tanner from last year....he was under one year of age, neutered just months before......and he really has a kind of short and tight coat...

Yup, she looks a lot like that.

I took her for a warm bath, but only did her underside, legs, and paws.  I used warm water and sensitive skin/skin therapy shampoo.  The bumps are still there but at least now I know the area is clean.  If it doesn't clear up in a few days, I'll call the vet.  There's always the e-vet, but since she doesn't appear to be bothered by it at all, I think I'll save $300 for a REAL emergency.

Their current food has no corn, wheat, soy, or glutens.  Coke had that problem with turkey, so I switched to a lamb formula with no turkey.

Kenya's also been doing a lot of off leash running at a nearby church.  Maybe they put something on their grass... I'll keep her in my yard and on sidewalks for now.

She could have a flea allergy, but it seems like I would be finding fleas.  When she had them in the fall, there was a lot less dirt/irritation and she was always itching and I could easily find fleas.  Now she is not itching and I can't find fleas.

Check with Callie, but I believe you can put Witch Hazel on the sores to dry them up? I seem to remember using this with Kord.

As for fleas, I checked Kord over and over and over and OVER again and still did not find the 2 living large in the boy danglies when he had them. So don't discount them entirely, but as a bonus if she is not scratching all over, I doubt the flea allergy, could be a case of just a couple making her miserable.

 Kord, like Kenya and Tanner has a very short dense stock coat, I brush him twice a week and barely get anything off him, I get more off my short hair cat.

Question, I know you said you changed over Coke's food, did you change her's to the same thing? And when if you did?

flea allergy dermatitis always starts at the base of the tail -- it's really predictable stuff and it doesn't look like that.  It looks all staphy, scabby and sore and you often dont' *see* flea dirt because all it takes is the bite from one flea that may die immediately .. But it's an allergy to the flea's spit (yes, true). 

calliecritturs

flea dirt because all it takes is the bite from one flea that may die immediately .. But it's an allergy to the flea's spit (yes, true). 

Yes, I have heard of this before....the spit is actually what causes the problem.......hard to believe....

I have NO problem believing it, I lived through it :)

Here is a scienced based photo of the boy, be nice ladies he was embarressed!

The biggest thing is his used to look like Kenya's does now, for ohhh almost 15months. I asked about the food, cause for your neck of the woods I don't believe they are already treating grass and flowers for stuff? And that kind of irratation takes some time IMO (which could be wrong:)

Here is the boy and his dense stock coat, he is none to happy, I refused to throw the ball until he posed.

When she had fleas before I found the "dirt" mostly on her neck/shoulders and belly.  It looked just like dirt, which is what I thought it was until she started scratching and I caught fleas, but when moistened and rubbed together it would leave a dark stain on your fingers.  I read that it's b/c the "dirt" is really the flea poop, and since they feed on the dog's blood, the dirt can turn into a bloody residue.  Ick!  I am not finding any such dirt on her now.  These spots are within the skin, I can't pick them off unless I actually pop them.  I *really* hope it's not fleas again.  Such a pain to not only deal with the infected animal, but the 4 others too...