Skin and Coat Problems
Some Dobermans have beautiful glossy coats and others have dull lifeless coats...and Alopecia, which is a medical term for hair loss or bald spots...Many dobes that are blue or fawn get this, or dobes that have thyroid problems also get this... The latter can be due to improper nutrition, illness, Thyroid deficiency, worms, Allergies, etc...Have A Complete Thyroid Panel done and have the Vet send it to Michigan State for Eval, Thyroid can affect many areas of the body, not only the coat!
Canine Alleriges
Canine Immunity Questions and Answers!
Blue Doberman Supplement Page!
Dogfood Comparison Charts
Another thing that dobermans get are lick granulomas, this is where they obsessively lick at a spot till it gets very raw and sore. There are varying reasons for this, some can be habit, stress, boredom, tingling sensations from something going on in the spinal area, most of these sores are on the lower front leg area, around the ankle...This is sometimes very hard to stop your doberman from mutilating himself like this and it becomes obsessive...You have to go to your vet for treatment and this does not always work...
There is something new out by ARC Labs, called Bitter Orange, that is much better than Bitter Apple, horrible to the taste and might just work for Lick Granulomas or surgeries. This can only be had from your Veterinarian.
The Blue and the Fawn colored Doberman tend to have more coat problems...thin coats...dull coats...these colored dobes need extra special attention paid to them to get a better looking coat and sheen to them....They need proper nutrition, brushing, a supplement of safflower oil or pure olive oil, or whatever supplement your veterinarian suggests...and certain vitamins.....Not all Blue's and Fawn's have problems but on the whole, many do.
Here is a link to a site of Jim Anables Storm, who is a blue with a lovely coat, this page shows the supplementation that he uses to keep Storms coat in Top condition...But as with anything, first consult with your vet. to find out if and what supplements you can safely use on your own dog!.... Click Here:...To go to Storms Regime Page!
Other problems you may come across are skin problems...Puppies and younger dogs sometimes get stressed when going to a new home, new training, new surroundings and sometimes their tolerance to fight off disease's is low... They have a very low tolerance with their immune systems. These puppies will sometimes get mange if they are in a stressed situation, you will notice scaley or thinning hair, or bare spots on them , usually around the head, on the face, legs, body...if you notice this ...You should take your dog to the vet to have a skin scraping to see if there are mange mites present and the vet will help you remedy the situation... There are two major types of Mange, Scarcoptic and Demodectic...the latter is a bit harder to get rid of...A Test Should be Done for Thyroi
They can get localized Demodex infection and this can usually be taken care of, or they can get Generalized demodex infection and this usually is very hard to get rid of and possibly never does go away completly and is very costly and the dog sometimes has to be euthanized. It is wise to have the dog spayed or neutered and never breed this animal, as the chances of the puppies from this litter getting the Demodex are very high...Some beleive its a genetic trait in the suppression of the immune system of affected animals. Be safe, try not to buy a puppy affected with this or Never breed one that has gone thru this!
Also when they are stressed or their tolerance level is low they can get Staph Infections...Staph infections should be taken care of as soon as possible and are sometimes very hard to cure...There are different kinds of Staph infections...your vet will be able to help you with that and will give the proper medication....When you notice Bumps, Pimples or Pustules along your Dobes back or on his head...its a good bet he has a Staph infection thru-out his body... Take him to the vet and have him test your dog and treat him for this...It can be very painful for the dog and also make him very ill.
On the Whole...feed your dog a well balanced nutritional dogfood, give proper supplements if needed...the vet can tell you what will help and the dose's, keep your Dobe clean and well brushed, and have timely vet check,s ... Have Fecal checks for worms periodically, stay up on all innoculations, have a complete health check at least once a year, Tests should include, Hips, VWD, a one time DNA test, Complete Thyroid Panel, have vet send to Michigan State, A Ultrasound of the Heart, usually starting at three years of age, A complete Blood Workup, Cerf Test for eyes, and be intuned with how your dobe is feeling...This will help insure a healthy and Happy great looking doberman.
I am not a Veterinarian, but I am trying to give some helpful advice so that if you do notice these problems starting, you can be aware of what may be taking place and go to your veterinarian promply and get the situation under control.