5 Common Skin Problems In Dogs And How To Treat Them

Last Updated on May 25, 2022 by Dogs Vets

5 Common Skin Problems In Dogs And How To Treat Them

Skin problems in dogs are prevalent and can lead to severe pain for your dog, ranging from itchiness to soreness. Warm seasons aren’t ideal for dogs; this is when they’re more prone to develop skin problems, including allergies (from plants and pollens), stings (from insects), and other skin problems.

Remember that even if your dog appears to have a mild skin problem, it’s critical to act quickly. Itching, unexpected skin color or texture changes, and hair loss on several parts of the body can be all signs of an underlying health problem that a veterinarian hasn’t identified.

Skin problems in dogs can either be minor or severe. Some skin disorders require specialist care to prevent them from worsening. When a skin condition goes unchecked for a significant duration, the problem can soon become severe and dangerous.

For example, allergic symptoms might be contaminated with germs, or a bacterium infection could be contaminated with fungi.

Here are the five most popular skin conditions in dogs and how to manage them to help you better understand the variety of skin problems that plague dogs and establish the visible indicators connected with each condition as well as probable underlying reasons:

• Allergic Dermatitis 

Dogs, like humans, are susceptible to immune reactions when they take specific foods or due to environmental factors that cause swelling and infection, a condition known as dermatitis. Pollen from trees and grass, dirt, fungus, mites, and dead skin from cats (which are very tiny and light and may float in the air for a long time) are frequent environmental irritants.

Soreness, an unpleasant rash (mostly on the face, joints, and between the neck and the stomach), swelling around the nose (rhinitis), and subsequent microbial, skin, and ear ailments are all indications that your dog is suffering from environmental allergies.

On the other hand, food allergies exhibit or display similar effects; however, they are less prevalent than environmental irritations. They develop or persist throughout the year rather than being seasonal.

Many dogs display allergy symptoms between the ages of one and three. Some dog breeds with skin problems, such as Lhasa Apsos, Golden Retrievers, Terriers, and Dalmatians, are often atopic due to the genetic nature of allergies.

Adding supplements to their meals, on the other hand, will significantly improve their skin’s overall health.

• Parasites

Parasites depend on other species for survival; the sad part is that they repeatedly harm their hosts. Dogs are coated with fine, soft hair, making them perfect parasite carriers. 

Here are a few known parasites that prey on dogs:

• Mange

This is a type of skin problem that’s triggered by tiny bugs. Symptoms include hair loss, extreme scabbing, and irritation. It’s mostly detected in abandoned or wandering dogs. 

There’re two kinds of this parasite. The first is sarcoptic mange, which is prevalent and easily transmitted between dogs and people, albeit the bugs can’t survive long on human hosts.

Sarcoptic mange infects dogs, causing itching between the arm and the forearm, hair loss, and crusty areas on the ear margins, tummy, and feet.

The second is demodectic mange, which is triggered by bugs that thrive on dogs’ skin. The good news is these bugs aren’t dangerous. 

A strong immune system can resist many of these bugs; however, if a dog’s immune system is weak, such as pups, older dogs, or dogs with underlying skin problems, the bug invasion can be overwhelming.

Symptoms include severe pain, dandruff, and hair loss that needs treatment or one or two small patches of hair loss, primarily on the face, which can disappear without care. Itching symptoms may or may not be present.

• Fleas

Fleas plague and attack dogs, making your dog itchy. Blood and hair loss might occur if your dog isn’t treated on time. Additionally, fleas love to hang out in people’s houses and bite them. This makes them exceedingly contagious to both animals and humans.

• Ticks

They are bigger than fleas and bugs; they are visible to the human eye and don’t infest their hosts like microscopic parasites, but they can transmit serious diseases to both humans and dogs by biting. It’s hard to ascertain whether ticks have bitten your dog until they show fever, weakness, a lack of energy and excitement, vomiting, constipation, and joint pain.

• Fungal Infections 

When yeast overgrows and attacks the skin tissue, it causes fungal infections. In dogs, ringworms and yeast infections are two major fungal illnesses.

Ringworms are spread via direct contact with the fungus, which other animals can transmit, people, or items such as sofas or bowls. Round patches of hair loss, itchy skin, dry and weak hair, and uneven and weak nails are all symptoms of a ringworm infection.

On the other hand, yeast infections are caused by excess growth of a common fungus that thrives on dogs’ skin. Yeast infections in dogs are caused by immune complications, immune-suppressive medications, and allergic reactions.

• Immune-mediated Diseases (IMIDs)

Dogs, like people, are prone to autoimmune illnesses. Dandruff, tiny pus-filled bumps on the skin, skin erosions, discomfort, hair loss, and stiffened foot pads are all symptoms of pemphigus. Pemphigus is similar to other skin problems, such as microbial skin infections. Pemphigus is not irritating and does not respond to antibiotics.

The immune system is suppressed throughout treatment; therefore, your dog will receive antirejection meds.

• Tumors And Cancer

Inflammations and bumps in dogs are normal; however, not all autoimmune reactions and pimples are malignant. Lipomas, for example, are non-malignant fatty lumps that are prevalent in older dogs. To assess if a lump is tumorous or not, a veterinary practitioner removes a sample of cells from the bump, marks them, and analyzes them under a microscope.

Dealing With Skin Problems In Dogs: Identification And Treatment

Because the diagnosis of dermatitis, parasites, and fungal infections are so closely linked, some skin problems in dogs might be hard to distinguish right off the bat. Your vet will assess your dog’s skin, and any necessary tests will be done. 

Furthermore, any factors contributing to the current condition may interest your vet. It might be new home products, a change in surroundings, or spotting symptoms in your dog at a certain time of day.

Although therapy will vary depending on the condition, popular drugs include topical medications or sprays, shampoos, vitamins, and medicines given by mouth or injection.

Final Thoughts

Check your dog frequently for any symptoms mentioned above and intervene if your dog reacts. Your dog may itch after meals, during a particular season, or after you’ve done any cleaning around the house, all of which suggest an underlying skin problem. 

It’s critical to take your dog to the veterinarian if you detect any strange behavior or skin problems. Your veterinarian will be able to examine your dog’s fur, skin, and overall health to determine what is triggering their distress.

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