10 Common Skin Infection in Dogs You Should Know
It’s very painful to see your lovely pet scratching and licking his skin every now and then and the worst part is that the poor pet cannot say in words what he is going through.
Skin infection in dogs is common during the warmer season and gets worse if left untreated. You should consult your vet even if the issue seems to be minor.
We have mentioned what you should know about the most common skin problems and the types of treatment.
First, let’s check out what are the signs of skin problem affecting your pet-
Scratching and licking is quite common, but apart from this dogs also paw or chew the affected portion.
Few other signs of Skin infection in dogs include
- Inflammation
- Rashes
- Dry or flashy skin
- Lump
- Redness
- Dandruff
- Excessive Licking the affected part
- Loss of hair
- Skin sores
- Severe scratching
Skin Infections
Now coming to the second part i.e. most common skin diseases in dogs is described below
1. MANGE
The dog’s hair and skin contain several species of mites which cause this severe skin disease.
Normally dogs have several species of mites which do not cause any harm, however, some of the species can cause infections.
There are two different kinds of Mange as given below-
a) Demodectic
It is not usually contagious and often affects a dog’s under 1 year age group. Although mites get transferred to other dogs, but usually cause no harm to a healthy dog and get absorbed into the existing mites population.
This disease results in Sores, Scabs and bald spots. Visit your vet if you notice any of the signs and treatment include either injected or oral medication, shampoo.
If this disease is confirmed by the vet then you should consider replacing blankets, beddings and collars to avoid reinfection.
b) Sarcoptic
It is known to cause by sarcoptes mites, which is an itchy condition and first appears on the dog’s ear.
This disease causes loss of hair on the face and legs and slowly spreads to the entire body, making dogs restless and scratching themselves severely.
This is a highly contagious disease and easily spread to other dogs who come in contact with the affected one.
The treatment usually includes shampoos for killing the mites and tablets to be given with food which will be prescribed by your vet.
2. RINGWORM
Cause by a fungus and not by the worm ,the name suggests otherwise.
The infection looks like circular patches in shape and can appear on paws, head, ears and front legs.
More often puppies are more susceptible to ringworm which can be passed between dogs who are staying in groups.
On noticing any of the signs you should contact your pet who will then prescribe medicine to prevent it from spreading.
3. Allergies
It can be caused by the usage of certain shampoos and cleaning products used on the dog’s body.
The reaction can show up as a rash on the skin which is quite itchy and irritating.
Allergies can be of different types like a) food allergy b) Environmental allergy.
The first step in treating allergies is to know the exact cause of it. Your vet will have a discussion with you to find out the root cause and suggests remedies for the same.
Few creams and medications are available which relieve the allergy to some extent.
4. Ticks and Fleas
It affects the dog by sucking their blood and biting on the skin. After the insect has bitten, the flea saliva enters the body which in turn causes allergic response and the dog starts itching severely.
If you know that your dog has visited the place where ticks might have been present, then you should certainly look for it on the dog’s body. Just make your pet sit or stand in front of yourself and look through the fur.
To save your pet from flea, deeply clean the bedding with vacuum cleaner along with preventive treatment to kill off any bugs as these kind of bugs survive in our carpets and beddings.
Ticks can be seen with the naked eye and should be removed completely with the help of tweezers, not removing it entirely will cause infection.
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If you are afraid of hurting your pet, then talk to your vet for the correct procedure.
5. Dry skin
This problem can be checked by parting the fur and checking for flaky skin on your pet’s body. Redness and inflammation can also be seen from scratching.
Some dogs are affected by dry skin problem epecially in winters and diet can also be one of the causes.
In order to save your pet from having dry skin, you should give them high quality sources of protein and Omega 3 & 6 fatty acid.
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Although simple cases of dry skin and dandruff can be taken care of by washing with shampoo.
6. Lupus
When the body’s immune system starts attacking its own cells then the pet is said to be affected by Lupus.
If there is a wound or a skin sore which takes too long to heal, then it indicates an immune disorder, this is mostly seen around paws, nose and eyes.
This problem should not be taken lightly as it can get serious if left untreated.
7. Yeast Infection
The areas on the body which are warmer than others are the places affected by yeast, which usually grow around paws and ears.
If the dog is infected with this infection then he or she either tries to paw their ears or chew the paws, the skin gets discolored around the affected area.
Creams, tablets and medicated bathes can cure this disease.
8. Folliculitis
When the dog is affected by Mange or other skin disease, then folliculitis comes into picture which means inflamed hair follicles.
The body have sores, bumps and scabs spread all over the place.
For treating the infection the vet usually prescribes oral antibiotics, antibacterial ointments and shampoos for treating the same.
9. Impetigo
This disease mostly affects puppies and blisters often appear on their tummy which can burst and spread all over. Antibiotics and washes are normally suggested by vets for such an issue.
10. Hot spots
The technical term for the same is acute moist dermatitis. There are red and inflamed areas of the skin, which feel hot when touched.
The parts affected are head, hips and dog’s chest. There can be a number of causes for this problem like allergies, insect bites, infections, or excessive licking.
The vet usually suggests them to clean the hot spots properly before bandaging them.
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
Conclusion
If any skin issue is going on for a long time, then you should consult your pet to find out what actually causing it to get the best treatment at the earliest and save your fluffy friend from suffering silently.
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