Doberman health Help

[Scooby4]

My neighbors went out of town and I am watching her 2 doberman's. They are fawn colored and both rescued dogs. They just moved in and I've basically only been around them with the owner's only. Only one will come near the fence if the owner isn't around.
The owner took me around to show me how she cares for the dogs. Her husband is home but does NOT like dogs and will not participate in their care. The dogs are kept outside but have a unfinished loft in which they sleep at night. I've got to put them up at night.
Here is the issue. I went by the fence a few hours on another side from my house. I reached to pet the female and she tried to bite me! The male dog was approachable. This scared me a bit because it was still daytime and I still had to enter their fence at night! I knew that wasn't good to enter a doberman's terriotory at night.
So I went back to my house side of the fence, to let them know who I was. The female finally approached the fence. However, I noticed that she was NOT looking good. She was shaking. The owner has a sweater for her to wear when it gets cold but it was about 70 degrees out. Her eyes seemed to be a little conjunctivitis. Then I noticed patch of skin about the size of a quarter missing on her right leg. It isn't bleeding. This concerned me.
I feel she may have an infection. If she does, I am afraid of her behavior. Female doberman's are known to attack even their owners unprovoked. I am debating if I should attempt to take her to the vet or not. She is also a little thin and the owner told me to feed her extra because of this.
The dogs are NOT mistreated at all. I just believe that the female dobie has gotten injured and it is a coincidence the owner is going out of town before getting it treated. I believe the owner would take her to the vet immediately.
The good news is that I was able to get into the fence to feed them and put them up at night last night. However, I am not sure how the next few days will do.
Should I attempt to treat the dobie? I believe I can treat the abrasion myself. (I have 4 dogs myself) The other will need antibiotics which will take the vet.
I am also debating to allow the dobie's to come over to my house to play with my dogs. Don't know if I should do it one at a time or not. They interact between the chain link fence pretty well. Not loving eachother but they speak.
Thanks for any suggestions. I am really worried about Sierra the female dobie. I love doberman's and always wanted one or two. So I am taking advantage of this!

[lv4dogs]

I would talk to the husband and have him get a hold of his wife to see what she wants to do with the situation.
Good luck.

[LorraineO]

Well at the risk of starting another freak out session with some users,,, I will say again,,, DOBERMANS ARE NOT NOT NOT OUTDOOR DOGS!!!!!!!
the owner needs to be notified of this right away,, perhaps they are unaware of this fact.... they have very little fat to protect them from the elements....

as for the skin,,, perhaps a call to your vet for advice might be in line first.... but yes,,, the girl needs some sort of attention,,,, firstly,,, to be brought in out of the cold!!!!!!!! that applies to her male companion as well....

my dobie girl is strictly in indoor girl.... I cant imagine at all leaving her outside!!! yikes!!!!!!!

[bckrazy]

By the way, my next door neighbor has 2 rescued fawn colored Dobies. They are kept outside with cover and are really great dogs! However, my other neighbor next door has 3 yippee yappee pomeranians they keep inside and they are the MOST uncontrollable loud dogs in the neighborhood. The owner's mistreat them and use them as trophy dogs. So don't tell me that inside dogs aren't trophies and kept as ornaments for the owners. I often feel sorry for those dogs as they NEVER get the attention as the Dobie's do. And they are outside ALL the time!

posted by you. I'm sorry, it was way, way, way too irresistable

This goes on to prove our point (especially Lorraine's and Pit Chick's) that outside dogs do NOT recieve anywhere near the proper attention that inside dogs recieve. If that poor girl was kept inside, I'm positive her injuries and behavior would've been noticed. Also note the severe aggressiveness of these dogs - it is not common, or accepted, in Dobermans! These dogs should be reserved towards strangers, but highly obedient and not ready to attack anything/anyone. Their behavior is due to being isolated to the backyard their entire lives... that is the only world they know, it's all they have, of course they'll protect it with their life. What if, for some reason, this lady's husband decided they can't keep the dogs anymore... what are these dogs chances of getting adopted by any decent person? Little to NO chances. Yes, this is neglect, and it's heartbreaking that these poor innocent dogs are in such a bad situation... I can't believe the lady's husband, their OWNER, won't even go outside to feed and care for the dogs. That is NOT a loving home.

Seriously, you should definitely tell the husband about the injured female, and call a vet immediately. There could be a number of problems... she could be in shock, losing blood, infection, anemic, etc etc. She needs more than just "more food" and an unfinished shelter to sleep in. It's ironic that they're "rescues".. rescued from what?

[caseysmom]

the round bald spot could be ringworm...I'd keep them away from your dogs and wash your hands after contact....I just went through ringwork and its a pain in the rear.

[Scooby4]

I did not think about ring worm. The dogs are NOT kept outside ALL the time. They live in a nice unfinished heated loft that doubles as the owner's office. The husband doesn't like dogs so they don't go into the residence itself.
The dogs just moved in and things are getting settled out. The dogs were staying at someone else's house prior to moving over to this house. They are well cared for and loved.
However, the owner did notice the issue prior to leaving and mentioned it. It was after she left that I discovered other issues. I don't think she realized the seriousness at the time and had done some additional care on her own.
I called a vet and he said to put some neosporin on the wound just in case. He said the shaking was not a good thing and to keep observing. I may talk to the husband this evening about taking the dog to a clinic.
My dogs are kept inside by the way. However, I don't judge other people that don't keep them in. That isn't my place.

[dragondawg]

get a tranquilizer from the Vet, and wrap it in a cheese ball. Once sedated the female can be taken to the Vet.