D.L.E - has anyone got any experiences?

[Kellys Heroes]

Just back from the vets because our GSD has started with inflammation and scabs around her lips. This has come up quite fast and has got worse over the last 48 hours I'd say.
She also has an itchy medial thigh but he isn't too concerned about this at the moment (he's just put this down to an itch-scratch or stress cycle as my parents are away).
He thinks the lesions on her lips could potentially be DLE - discoid lupus erythematosus - especially as we've been out walking a lot lately and it's been quite sunny here (as I understand, UV light exacerbates it). She's no lesions anywhere else and the rest of her coat is good so he's not worried about SLE. I've never had any experience with this before and although he assured us the prognosis is good (with treatment when necessary), I'd like to know more.

For now, he's put her on steroids and a broad spectrum antibiotic just to see if he's putting 2 + 2 together and getting 5! (his words!) I'm hoping this clears it up, but if not, what can we expect? He's told us that the next step would be biopsies.
K x

 

[Oberon]

My Salem is a Utonagan - so he has GSD in him.

He has always been itchy and gets scabs and raw skin to his belly and armpits.

He was constantly scratching

We went Raw last year and his itching got much better. I found it was better still without chicken in the diet.

Stupidly, I started feeding chicken again. He had a wound on his nose that just never healed for months. He developed tiny blisters around his lips.

I cut out all chicken - and poof, the ulcer to his nose healed and the blisters disappeared.

I originally went to the vet who shrugged about the itchy areas and gave me some cream

 

[Kellys Heroes]

My Salem is a Utonagan - so he has GSD in him.

He has always been itchy and gets scabs and raw skin to his belly and armpits.

He was constantly scratching

We went Raw last year and his itching got much better. I found it was better still without chicken in the diet.

Stupidly, I started feeding chicken again. He had a wound on his nose that just never healed for months. He developed tiny blisters around his lips.

I cut out all chicken - and poof, the ulcer to his nose healed and the blisters disappeared.

I originally went to the vet who shrugged about the itchy areas and gave me some cream

I know most vets are generally very "shruggy" about the itchy dog syndrome (believe me, we've been there!) but our current vet really is very good - our last GSD had severe atopic dermatitis (the worst case our vet had ever seen) and he dealt with her so brilliantly, referring her to the correct specialists and carrying out all the possible tests and treatments - we are well used to antihistamines, steroids, antibiotics, injections, creams, tablets....!! Nothing in Roxy's diet has changed at all since we got her 9 months ago - did Salem's come gradually or all at once? (What a beautiful breed by the way!!)
K x