What the HECK is this?!?!?

Truly, they were both on Canidae ALS.  Coke has been on Canidae Lamb for almost a week.  Kenya is eating about 3/4 ALS and 1/4 Lamb right now.  I'm finishing off the bad with her.  They've both been on Canidae since January-ish and before that they were both on rotations of Nature's Variety Prairie formulas.  Neither have any known food allergies and have eaten a variety of protein and carb sources depending on the NV or Canidae formula.  Only recently did we decide Coke might have an intolerance to turkey, which is found in the Canidae ALS.

Have the other foods contained Lamb?

Truley, that is how both my Shepherds look......and I won't tell about the undercarriage pic......lol

That is why I brought up the issue about a bare belly to Liesje....there is something going on....and I hope it can be figured out....at first I thought, maybe Kenya runs a lot and wears off the hair...but, then our dogs have access to outside all the time and get to run in the fields....no wearing off the hair.....

I was going crazy until we got Rumour's ear situation under control....his ears used to be fire engine red after hitting the water....

No, I have seen Kenya's pics and believe because of her age, and the late spay and being a former mom had something to do with some of the hair lose in that region.

What is going on now is a allergy, the hair lose doesn't really cause concern for me since I know that was really all not there to begin with. The redness, pusticles and black spots are the biggest thing. They are a big indication of an allergy, food or enviorment is going to be the question.

And Kord sends slobber kisses your way for not tellin!

I don't think the bare belly itself means much or if we can even say she lost hair.  It's been that way since I had her, and she's seen a vet 3-4 times in that period of time, plus she *lived* with an MSU vet (breeder's husband).  The only problem they told me about was ear infections and scars on her eyes that are not pannus (checked by an eye specialist for her CERF exam).  She does have white hair on her belly, just not the nether regions.

Now I'm watching to see if she will lick that area... 

I would believe it to be just allergies. Because there is little to no hair in that area it would be more sinsitive.

Actually I just thought of somthing - ants? maybe she was bit. 

snownose

Max has this bowl! Just thought I'd throw that in there.

Aren't those bowls just the coolest?......lol

Liesje, I am not saying that something happened with the hair while you had her, as you mentioned it has always been like this, and I would be a little worried why there has not been good coverage in that area........I had female Huskies that came from breeders......they recovered greatly.......one could not even tell that they had a litter........just thought I would throw that in.......but, she could be more sensitive due to not having hair.....exposed skin is more in danger for anything.....

My GSD has similar stuff, with him it was allergy based.  He had the ear discharge too.  He was just like Kord.  I changed foods and it cleared up very quickly and well.  Used a fish based food (salmon) no more problems with that.

I know that older dogs can become to allergic to foods, just seems unlikely, but it coincides with a food change, which is why I suspect the Lamb based Canidea more than anything.

Since they live further north I really don't think it is environment, yeah there might be a couple of brave fleas here and there, (and she has had them here an there with no reaction) someone might have started an early jump on lawn and plant care, but I really doubt it. I know she mentioned taking her to a different area and also mentioned Florida, but I still don't think that is it IMO.

That kind of look is what I associate to a DOT, for you none online gamers that is "damage over time" phrase.

And yes, I too switched Kord to a Salmon based food, he is doing fantastic on it, very little redness in his ears, no itching and scratching and no hot spots.

So Truly do you think it's the ALS causing the problem?  That's what she's been eating for about a month now.  She was on Lamb before and is now in the process of switching back b/c we had to switch Coke.  I figured I'd finish the bag of ALS with her since she has not had any other problems with it, but if it's causing this reaction I can toss it. 

I know I would have noticed this problem if it was there for more than a month, b/c I always have to roll her over to do her nails.  I would guess the spots have been there for no more than a month, but probably more like 2 weeks b/c I know I've done her nails within the past month.  Also, a few weeks ago she ran through a mud puddle and I had to bathe her, so I would have noticed it then but did not.

On our walk last night, I noticed every other yard had poison on it.  The sidewalks don't appear to be safe either, I think the machines just go right over the sidewalk to the curb area.  Everyone is putting down grub killers and fertilizer.  We have a major grub problem in this area, which means a major skunk problem.  It hasn't rained here in over a week, so the crap hasn't been washed away yet.

Ok, im confused, was she on ALS, and now getting Lamb ALS, or was it the other way around?

By doing this I think we determined, or maybe I just decided, that plant based oils and flax see were his problem.

There is a possibility that this is contact based, but I really think you would be having a more all over issue (feet, legs, the rest of the belly) than you see.

Remember this is just my opinion, and I am just trying to help

Here is my thread where we discussed it:

They were both on Lamb (say mid-Feb to the end of March), and then I switched both to ALS like 3 weeks ago (planned to rotate all three varieties, have not tried Chicken yet).  Then Coke started having issues with ALS, so he just switched back to Lamb, and Kenya has still been eating ALS or a combo of ALS and Lamb so I can finish up the ALS but switch her back to Lamb (don't want to use two different foods).  She ate Lamb for a month and has now been on ALS for about a month.  At the longest, these bumps popped up within the past 2 weeks. 

I could go back to Nature's Variety, it's just so much more expensive and doesn't seem all that better. 

snownose

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....

The flea spit is actually almost like a poison because it triggers such a huge effect in the body and it can be months before an allergic dog will clear up from ONE bite.  And it's always the small of the back above the tail that breaks out first -- it's not fleas in Liesje's case, truly it is not. 

However , contact allergies can come in all shapes and forms.  It DOES NOT NOT NOT have to be something outside!   It can be something one of the humans stepped on at work (a leaf from a co-workers plant that dropped to the ground -- particularly something like wandering jew), a chemical or oil from a far away parking lot that simplky got into the crack of a shoe sole or heel and then a tiny bit rubbed off on the carpet - dog was lying next to you o and 'contact' was made.

Even something as well known as poison ivy (which is a human contact allergen but not usually a dog one -- dogs are more sensitive to poison oak, wandering jew, night-blooming jasmine and a host of others) -- but if you come in with poison ivy on your boots from a hike, think you've wiped them off and you toss them in the back of your closet -- then next spring when someone cleans out the closet and picks up those boots and scratches their nose -- OOPS contact!!  It can be third or fourt 'contact' like that which transfers from thing to thing ever so easily.

That can also be why it appears so mysteriously and in such small areas (but sensitive areas -- where if the contact had been on a flank that was well covered with hair it wouldn't have irritated).

I would stop the ALS, it would be my suspect, but that is only because in the end it was the worst thing for Kord, so im biased. He did worse on that then the previous foods. He loved it though. There is just something in it that does not agree with him. Since you said you did the switch 3 weeks ago, that would be about right for knowing she did not have that at least 2 weeks ago.

And Callie, right you are, it could be contact with anything.

I know this is an old thread but that pic brought back memories. That is how Pippin started out... she got really sick.

Other symptoms.

Very red skin

Itchy

Very greas dirty ears

Funky smell.

Hair loss on back end and tail progresed to most of her body.  

 Vet diagnosed flea allergy... she got even worse....

Diagnosed grass allergy... she continued to get worse. Big infected lesions under her skin. Fevers. Poor little dog. I was sure I would loose her. 

Callie finally helped me diagnose her with Demodex. The treatment took some time and persistence and diet change. She is now a happy healthy 5 year old dog.