Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Took my 21.5 week old Zeus to the vet yesterday. He seems to have developed little bumps all over his coat. We are thinking its a alergic reaction to the Iams food we recently (within the last 2 weeks) switched him to. The doctor said try a different kind of food (Science Diet) so we started that yesterday. Anyone have or seen this happen before. My obedience trainer said she has seen this often in dobes who, according to her are known for skin/coat problems. Any feedback on this issue?

I saw your post on another forum, but I will answer it here - I'm sure you will get some good info on the DPDF also.

I would truly try a differnt food. Iams and Science diet are both not the greatest of kibbles. Vets recommend SD, but they are not always that knowledgeable about what is best to feed individual breeds. Dobermans are prone to some skin issues and allergies so feeding a high quality kibble is really important.

Try something with no corn or wheat in it and see if the bumps go away. I would recommend looking at California Natural Chicken and Rice, Chicken soup for the dog lovers soul, Wellness, Fromm, Solid Gold... just to name a few really high quality dog kibbles. You will not find them at the grocery store or even Petsmart. You will need to find a feed store that carries high quality feed. If there is not one in your area, some of these companies will ship.

My obedience trainer mentioned to me yesterday it might be a staph infection. The more research I do the more it sounds exactly what he has. They say it is commonon in reds (which I have), blues and fawns. It usually hits around 6 months to 1 year of age and is treated with the antibitotic Keflex. Anyone with any experience with staph in their dobe?

Yes, my black bitch had a mild staph infection when she was almost 2 years old. I treated it for 30 days with Amoxicillin. For some reason with Dobermans, staph can be hard to get rid of, and does seem to affect reds more than blacks.

I would see if the the antibiotic does the trick, but don't assume that the food has nothing to do with it. I would also change the kibble.

>>My obedience trainer mentioned to me yesterday it might be a staph infection. The more research I do the more it sounds exactly what he has. They say it is commonon in reds (which I have), blues and fawns. It usually hits around 6 months to 1 year of age and is treated with the antibitotic Keflex. Anyone with any experience with staph in their dobe?

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Because of the skin issues in Dobes, I'd go ahead and ask the veterinarian for a referral to a veterinary dermatology specialist. I think you'd save yourself money in the long run and lots of hassle and discomfort for both the dog and you.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47