The sound of a dog scratching or licking may sound very annoying. But don’t blame them for this habit, because just like humans, dogs can also experience skin problems.
The causes differing from parasites, allergies and can even be caused by unknown internal diseases. These are common skin problems on dogs you must to know.
- Itchy Skin
The common causes of skin problems in dogs are allergic reactions caused by grooming products, food, and other environmental triggers, such as powder or insect bites, even your dog toys could be dangerous. Hence you should know what dog toys should be avoided.
A dog who is suffering from a skin allergy will continue to scratch, and if you examine it, the skin is often a reddish patch. Corticosteroids can help reduce itchy reddish patches, but the most effective way to cure them is to find out and avoid the cause of the dog’s allergy.
Speaking of itchy skin, you might want to read the common reasons why your dog scratching himself.
- Irritation or Skin Color Changed
Your dog may not be able to stop scratching the area around its ears or keep licking its legs, so call your vet for a yeast infection check. Symptoms include irritation, itching, or a change in skin color. Check these dangerous types of fungal infections in dogs.
This fungal infection usually affects the soles of the feet or ears, where the fungus thrives. Fungal infections are very easy to recognize and can be cured with topical medications/treatments. In some cases, the vet will prescribe medication that is taken orally or medicine for your dog to use while bathing.
- Scabies Skin
This problem usually caused by Superficial Folliculitis bacterial infection. In long-haired dogs, the most noticeable symptoms are dull coat and hair loss, followed by scaly skin. Treatment can be in the form of antibiotics and antibacterial ointments or shampoos.
- Blistered and Pus-filled Skin
Another type that is caused by a bacterial infection, Impetigo is a common occurrence in puppies. Impetigo causes blistered, pus-filled skin that can break. These blisters usually develop on the hairless area of the abdomen. Impetigo is a non-serious infection and can be treated with topical ointments. In some cases, this infection can spread or persist.
- Oily Skin
Oily skin often cause by Seborrhea and even make itu scale/dandruff. In some cases, seborrhea is a genetic disease that occurs in puppies and lasts a lifetime.
But most dogs with seborrhea develop dandruff due to complications/symptoms of other diseases, such as allergies or hormonal disorders. In this case, it is vital to treat these other causes so that the symptoms don’t recur.
- Inflammation Skin
Unlike its name, ringworm isn’t caused by worms, but by fungus. The term “ring” in ringworm comes from the circular sores on a dog’s head, treads, ears, and forelegs. Symptoms are inflammation, scaly sores, and loss of hair in the wound area.
Puppies under a year are particularly susceptible to this disease, and the infection can spread quickly to other dogs in the kennel or house dogs. Several types of anti-fungal drugs can cure this disease.
- Hair Loss (Alopecia)
Anyone who lives with a dog understands that dogs will experience hairloss, and its normal according to their breed, time of year, and environmental conditions.
But sometimes stress, insufficient nutrition, or illness can cause your dog to shed more hair than usual. If your dog is experiencing excessive or unnatural hair loss that continues for more than a week, or you notice baldness in certain areas, contact your vet. See how the preventions on hair loss on dogs might help you.
- Hot Spots
Hot spots, also called acute and moist skin infections, affect small areas. Hot spots appear red, irritated and infected. Hot spots are often found on the dog’s head, hips, or chest area, and they are often hot to the touch.
Hot spots are the cause of several things such as infections, allergies, insect bites, excessive licking, and gnawing. Treatment that can be given is cleaning the area affected by hotspots and finding out the cause of these hotspots.
- Dry and Chapped Skin
Dry, cracked skin can be a symptom of several problems. Common symptoms are allergies, mange, and other skin diseases. But more often than not, dry, cracked skin is not a serious problem.
Like humans, dog skin becomes dry due to winter. If this makes your dog uncomfortable, contact your vet immediately. This might be common signs that your dog has seasonal allergies.
- Fleas
Fleas are considered the curse of every pet owner. You may not be able to see the tiny insects, but fleas leave dirt or eggs and are usually visible on a dog’s skin. Beside dog’s itchy skin, other symptoms are they continuously licking the tick (excessively) or scratching scabs, and hot spots.
If the dog is severely infested with fleas, the dog may lack blood and become anemic, even putting the dog at risk for other parasites such as tapeworms. Treatment can be in the form of topical/oral medication to kill fleas and sterilize/clean your dog’s play area and kennel.
- Skin Tumors
If you notice a hard protrusion on your dog’s skin, immediately bring it to the vet. Sometimes dogs get tumors on their skin. The only way to diagnose whether the lump is cancerous or not is through a tumor biopsy.
If the bulge is small enough, the vet may advise you to remove it, this is a single procedure. For tumors that do not spread, only this removal method is needed.