# Skin turning black/ irritated in summer



## Sindyeli (Apr 22, 2005)

My GSD is allergy-prone and in the summer, the skin on his belly and groin turns black, he gets itchy and licks it a lot, and has a body odor. The black skin also makes some scabs that fall off after a bit. He also has a couple of welts on his chest that he plucks at and I treat with Florasone cream. It seems that swimming in the river makes it worse, probably because his skin stays humid a good while (even though we live in very dry weather) but he looooves swimming and as he gets pretty hot during his walks, that cools him off nicely.

I wonder if this is a yeast infection and if he's going to need antibiotics. We are boarding him on August 12 at a great place, and I worry that if we don't do something he could get worse.

Does anyone have had similar experiences with that issue, or any advice? I would really appreciate help! I could also take a photo of his skin tomorrow morning and post it.

Thanks ahead.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Your description with the odor and all sounds like it could possibly be a yeast infection. I would think antibiotics would be the opposite of what you want for a yeast infection though. At this point I'd say a vet visit is a good idea. If it is yeast, they may prescribe an oral or topical antifungal or a medicated shampoo. 
A shampoo might also be a good thing to use in the future after the swimming to prevent future issues. You can ask the vet about that.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

My horse had the black crud. The only thing that worked was the Maleseb (sp?) shampoo that a vet prescribed. If it smells then I would have a vet look at it for an infection of some kind.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I'd also try some Vetericyn, I swear by that stuff


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## Sindyeli (Apr 22, 2005)

thank you for the comments, the Vetericyn seems great, I'll order some and hope it helps.


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## asja (Mar 22, 2011)

JakodaCD OA said:


> I'd also try some Vetericyn, I swear by that stuff


What is that stuff?


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## lisgje (Sep 3, 2010)

www.vetericyn.com


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

I keep trying to figure out if this Vetricyn stuff is worth the hype... I just bought a small bottle of eyewash and haven't used it long enough to know. It seems to be touted as the latest cure-all for everything, like colloidal silver. So what's the deal with this stuff? It's pricey, so I want to know if it's worth it.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I've been using Vetericyn (the spray) for quite a while now and I am still not sure if it's worth the hype. Any time any of my pets has some skin thing my vet says to use it. No miracle cures yet but I figure it can't hurt. I'm going to order their ear wash and give that a try.


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## Cody (Aug 3, 2011)

There's lots of interesting tips here Pet Savvy German Shepherd Skin Problems and How To Treat Them.

Owners reported good results using safflower oil or Nzymes Nzymes Healthy-Skin Program for Yeast Overgrowth | Nzymes.com
Blizzard - German Shepherd Dog Recovery from Skin and Itching Problems | NZYMES.COM


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