Dog Skin Problems Causes, Symptoms | Dog Skin Diseases, Allergies

Skin problems don’t limit themselves to affecting just humans; they can affect your pet canine too. In-fact they can be considered to be one of the most common health ailments among dogs. Fur loss, extremely dry skin, skin rashes, irritation, dull or dry coat, bumps or lumps under or on the skin, excessive scratching, scabby, scaly or red patches and itching are some of the signs that indicate your pet is suffering from a skin disorder. All in all, the condition and texture of a dogs coat and skin, can tell a lot about its general health. Conditions of this sort could range from being acute to being chronic. Diagnosing skin problems among dogs can be quite a challenge, simply because a large number of diseases tend to display similar symptoms. Thus, it is crucial to determine what the problem is exactly, so that the right kind of treatment can be administered.

Skin problems in dogs can be brought about by fungal or bacterial infections, allergies and parasites. Just like humans, dogs too can develop allergies to several things. Powder deodorizers, carpet cleaners, shampoos, food, grass, mold, dust and pollen are some of the more commonly known causes of skin allergies in dogs. A dog suffering from a skin allergy, may display one or more of the following symptoms; rashes, extremely itchy skin, constant scratching, rubbing of the face and chewing of paws. When it comes to allergies, the key lies in identify what the allergen is, so that it can be avoided altogether. Parasites such as mites, ticks and fleas also contribute to a large number of skin problems among dogs. These pests can cause severe irritation, and in order to gain relief, the dog begins to scratch itself constantly, which then leads to some other secondary infection. While fleas and ticks are easy to detect, mites on the other hand, being microscopic in nature, are a little more difficult to diagnose. Sarcoptic mange and demodex mange are two types of conditions that are caused by mites.

A bacterial infection is generally a secondary infection to some other condition while a fungal infection, such as ringworm, is caused by the fungi that reside in the nails, hair and dead skin tissue. To conclude, whatever the skin condition is, and however mild or serious it may be, it is important that medical care is sought immediately, so as to avoid any further complications.