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Skin Problems in Dogs-III

This post will be the last in the series of Skin problems in Dogs. It covers:

• Neurogenic


• Infectious

Neurogenic Skin Problems

As the name suggests, this type of skin disorder suggest something induced, controlled and/or modified by nervous factors. This disorder is characterized by persistent/ obsessive licking of one particular spot. Your dog may seem fixated on one part of his body and his intention would be keep chewing on it, destroying the cells around relentlessly until a sore gets developed.  Your pet would basically not allow the skin to heal. Medically, it is termed as Acral Lick Dermatitis or Lick Granuloma.

Dog Licking self

This kind of obsessive licking is usually noticed at easily accessible areas such as the limbs and ankle.

Causes for Neurogenic Skin disorders have been identified as:

• Boredom/ Loneliness


• Separation anxiety


• Being confined


• Not enough exercise


• Very little human interaction

As you can see, all the above causes may lead to some stress levels in your pet. When a dog is used to a particular level of activity and that gets reduced either because of anxiety or longer durations of being alone in the house, boredom may set in and he may resort to unstoppable licking.  Similarly, confinement by keeping him locked in a kennel/cage for hours or tied up leads could lead to similar results.

Self Mutilated Patch

When getting a dog, make sure you know your limitations. Set the rules keeping in mind that he is going to be around you for may more years to come. Decide where you want to allow him and where he isn’t allowed. Get him used to that from his puppy days.

If you are going to be housing your pet in a kennel, stress of new place and dogs in close proximity may also bring about Lick Granuloma. Your pet may undergo separation anxiety and hours of confinement which would result in keeping himself occupied by self licking and often leading to self mutilation.  Make sure, the kennel in which your pet is going to be housed has enough play time, exercise time and personal interaction allocated for each dog on a daily basis.

Before you treat your dog for Neurogenic skin problem, try and identify what could be the possible cause for the emotional distress. Most often than not the solution lies in spending a  right amount of “quality time” with your pooch and giving him the much needed attention.

10 minute activity for you and your pets:

• Try and not  talk on the mobile when you are taking him for a walk. Make him feel that you are out with him.


• Groom him for 10 minutes everyday– brush him, massage  him


• Is he a medium/large breed dog– rough him up. Play tug of war with a cloth toy, wrestle with him. He’ll love it and he’ll make sure you’ll love it too


• Run around your garden or house for 10 mins and see your dog running behind you to catch you. When he does catch you, reward him sufficiently.

A pet who is exercised well, loved by all in the family will never get bored and feel lonely. In extreme cases, where the licking and self mutilation becomes an obsessive habit, behaviour modification sessions can be undertaken with trained canine behaviour specialist.

Infectious Dermatitis

These skin disorders basically talk about any fungal, bacterial or yeast organisms leading to skin and coat related problems. This type is more or less a combination of all the earlier 5 infections that we have spoken about.

• Fungal organisms (called dermatophytes) are parasitic organisms- the most common being the ringworm. Fungal infections are transmissible by direct or indirect contact with the host. There is an increased susceptibility when the pet has a pre existing injury such as wound or a scab on the skin. Most often, the dog’s immune system deals with this fungal infection. Clinical signs such as respiration problems, enlarged lymph nodes are observed.
  
  
  
  

  Yeast ear infection

  
  
  
  


• Yeast infections also affect an already infected skin. An infected skin responds by releasing histamine (a substance that plays a major role in many allergic reactions) and this triggers of further itching and skin inflammation. Yeast infections are characterized by smelly and greasy patches. At times, the skin may also blacken.  Yeast infections may also affect the dogs ears. Also, they are mostly secondary infections as in there is usually some primary infection like nutritional disorder already present in the dog.


• Bacterial Dermatitis is also a secondary infection. Dogs with existing skin damage due to parasites or any environmental factors have a high chance of developing a bacterial infection as the skin allows the invasion and affects the body’s healing defense mechanism. This infection is characterized by moist, sticky inflamed skin lesions coupled with hair loss. This infection also spreads rapidly through biting, licking and scratching of previously uninfected areas.

Treatment- Infectious dermatitis is often air dried. By clipping the hair around the lesions, allow the skin direct exposure to air. Gentle topical creams- anti fungal & anti-bacterial are available. Yeast supplements are available  in the market. So check with your vet and get the treatment started.

June 25, 2010 at 22:26 2 comments

Skin Problems in Dogs-II

This issue, as we know is in continuation of topic Skin Prombelm in Dogs. In the 2nd part of the series, we would be covering skin problems  under the following categories:

• Environmental


• Allergic


• Nutritional

Environmental Skin Problems

Most dogs under this category are physically healthy and follow a good nutritional pattern in terms of their diet. Most times, the diagnosis for environmental dermatitis is done by elimination of Parasitic infections. A vet will usually determine this after acquiring through information on the dogs diet, environment, dog activity (which may include swimming, rolling in the mud, garden digging etc), use of floor cleaners and any ongoing medication. An analysis of the dogs activities can be a very prime piece of information to get to environmental dermatitis. Most dogs, can be allergic to something as basic as the congress grass in your lawn. Any change of soil, manure or even pesticides which you use in the garden could cause this allergy.

In hot weather, you might notice your dog has a tendency to spill the water and sit in it to keep him cool. Some dogs also have a habit of digging into your lawn or flower beds. This leads to moisture and dirt getting locked up especially in the paws, digits and even on the skin. This serves as a breeding ground for bacteria and more often than not, lead to what is called as Hot Spots (Moist red Eczema) – Red inflamed skin between digits or on the skin. Mowed lawns can also cause generalized injury. In long haired dogs- Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and even Labs, the moisture tends to remain for a longer time resulting in matted hair and thus create an infection.

Environmental dermatitis is characterized by heavy itching, red patches, hair loss and skin irritation. The dog tries to get to the itch by biting himself persistently. The itching maybe all over the body.

A few ways by which you can avoid this:

• Towel dry after his bath and/ or swimming sessions, especially between his paws.


• If swimming in a pool, give your dog a nice bath as the chlorine in the pool may also affect the dog and may cause itching


• Have a nice dry area for your dog especially in the monsoon months


• After a nice long walk in a muddy area or a digging session or a walk in the lawn, wipe your dogs paws and digits with a clean cloth to remove any traces of mud and dirt


• If you have changed the manure, the soil in your garden, restrict his play areas and do not let him play in there

If you do notice  such scratching or red patches, consult a vet for treatment.

Allergic Dermatitis

Lots of money has been spent on doing research on Allergic Dermatitis. Allergies in dogs could be because of half a dozen objects in and around your house and garden. Food, carpets, pollen, molden, parasites, plastics are just a few which can set about an allergic reaction in your pet. When the agent- called the Antigen- makes contact with the dog, the dog sets about to disarm this antigen. Unfortunately, as this battle continues, the side effects may lead to tissue irritation, inflammation and cell destruction. This eventually leads to the basis of dermatitis- lick, itch, scratch and bite.

Allergic dermatitis is also very difficult to diagnose. Once the allergy agent is identified, try and avoid your dogs exposure to that as far as possible. Blood tests and skin scrapings are the most common methods of attempting to identify.

Most common of this allergy is called the Atopic Dermatitis. This is caused by inhaling antigens such as pollen, molds, dust etc. The common characteristics of Atopic Dermatitis is licking and chewing of paws, scratching their face, eyelids and ears. But this itching and scratching can be quite intense.

Treatment

Reducing the exposure to allergens- Once the allergy is identified, try and reduce your pets exposure to that particular allergen. Say, if he is allergic to dust mites, you need to make sure the bed he sleeps on is dusted or washed regularly.

Topical- It’s the most common way and also the safest. If the itching is localized, topical method may be the best method. Some ways of doing this are- leave on medications, bathing with medicated shampoos (containing oatmeal, aloevera or antihistamines), local antibacterial cream applications etc.

Fatty Acid supplements- The dogs diet has to include Omega 3’s and Omega 6 Fatty acid. Most dogs cannot produce this acid internally and therefore the need to supplement it by external means. Sunflower oil and Fish oil are good sources of these acids. These acids basically lessen the harmful effect the Antigen can have on the dog health. More often, fatty acids are used in conjunction with some additional therapy and can go a long way if your dog has a tendency for dry skin. Dull looking coats, brittle hair is also one more reason to include fatty acids in your dog’s diet. To show effect, this therapy need to be continued for a minimum period of 8- 12 weeks.

Nutritional Dermatitis

“My dog has chapattis and milk everyday for his meals since he was a pup and he loves it”.

“My dog only eats rice and chicken”

These are the most common statements we hear from dog owners. What the owners are saying about their dogs loving their food is 100% true, but is that meal sufficient in terms of nutritional values? A US based study shows, most dogs live their entire lives in a less than optimum health.

Dull looking coat, lusterless hair coat, excessive scaling (dandruff), scaly patches on the skin are some clinical signs of Nutritional Dermatitis. It’s really not about expensive or cheap foods, but more to do with what are the ingredients that make the meal.

The food along with the relative portion of each element in the food group for your pet should be based on the following criterion:

• Size of your pet- Large breed (Labs, GSD’s, Golden Retrievers); Small breed (Poms, Lhasa Apso’s, Cocker Spaniels); Giant breed (St. Bernard, Great Dane)


• Your pet’s physiological stage- Growth, Gestation, Lactation, Activity levels (Sporting, lethargic), dogs age. The dietary needs change at every stage.


• The general health of your pet- The diet has become an important aspect of any medical treatment.

You might also notice that your dog has allergic reactions to certain foods which could cause itching. So this may not be related to the dogs diet but maybe to some particular ingredient as well which is causing the allergy.

Check with your vet for the perfect and balanced diet for your pet. The variety available in the market with respect to brands, pricing and its ingredients is very extensive. Choose the right one based on your breed.

Food Nutrients and their sources

Proteins: Cooked Meat , fish,  boiled eggs, milk, cheese (Avoid raw fish and meat tenders)

Starch: Well cooked grains – rice, corn, wheat. Avoid raw grains.

Fibre: Veggies- green beans, carrots, spinach. Avoid onions.

Fats: Animal fats, vegetable oils- soya, corn

Minerals-Calcium Carbonate

Vitamins: Mineral supplements, yeast for vitamins, dairy products for calcium

“Today we recognize that nutrition and health go hand in hand. So a good diet works as a preventive element in most health related issues which dogs might face.   Including certain elements in food can reduce the incidences of diseases affecting the kidneys, digestive process or bone disorders and can counter the effects of the ageing process.”

June 23, 2010 at 11:02 Leave a comment

Skin Problems in Dogs-I

Most itching, scratching, biting and licking is what is called “pruritus” (means itching in Latin). Many canines experience skin problems at some point during their life time. Most of these diseases are chronic, but can be controlled if not cured. The kind of problems are similar to some issues which humans face such as eczema, dermatitis, warts and acne. There are also some skin problems caused by fleabites, allergic food reactions, medication or bacterial infections. Dogs skin and hair coat serve as a good indicator of a dog’s general health.

Skin problem in dogs can be classified into 6 categories

A. Parasitic B. Environmental C. Allergic D. Nutritional E. Neurogenic F. Infections

Following a thorough diagnosis, most skin and coat abnormalities can be classified in one of these categories. This is the first part in the 3-series on Skin problems and Skin care in which we would be covering Parasitic Infections.

Fleas- You see your dog itching or scratching or biting more than usual. What’s your first observation? “He must have fleas”. Most of the times, this is a correct diagnosis. Fleas are about the size of pin-head. They are big enough to be seen scurrying along the skin surface trying to hide within the fur.  Flea dermatitis is usually characterized by continuous itching. The itching is caused due to sensitivity to the flea saliva.  Fleas thrive on dry skin. Make sure your dog diet has sufficient fatty acids to maintain a healthy skin. Repeated exposure to fleas can result in a hypersensitivity to even a single flea and also expose the skin to secondary skin infections. Pulling out fleas can be a difficult task as they fly. Flea combs work best in most cases, but you do need regular care for removing them entirely.

In flea infestation– watch for

· Patchy hair loss

· Constant itching around haunches and tails

· Flea excrement– called flea dust-brown flaky substance

· Hot Spots– Acute moist dermatitis or bacterial infection (pyoderma)

Ticks- Tick is a blood sucking parasite. They latch on to the dogs’ body and can keep sucking blood until full. Following this, it detaches itself and drops off. Tick infestation can lead to  major disease transmission. In their 4 stages of life, a tick can go from being a small black speck to a full grown tick which can be the size of a raisin. Ticks migrate to an area where there is less hair so its easier to latch on like ears, paws. So don’t forget to check your dogs’ paws after every walk. When pulling out ticks make sure you pull them from their heads and preferably not with bare hands. Ticks most times tend to leave an ulcer like lesion which takes some time to heal. A tick latched on is very irritating for the dog. If you notice the dog intermittently scratching just one area, check for a tick in that area immediately.

Walking dandruff- These creatures live on the skin surface and seem like dry flakes of skin. But when inspected under a microscope, one can see that these “flakes” are actually moving around. Diagnosis usually involves skin scrapings. The scientific name for this is Cheyletiella Mange. Symptoms include dry skin, which may be accompanied by hair loss. In some cases the skin becomes flaky with crust like formation. If you find your dog experience a persistent dandruff like problem, check with the vet to rule out the possibility of Walking dandruff. The dog in this case may not itch persistently.

Scabies- The scientific word is Sarcoptic Mites. These mites burrow right under the skin and diagnosis can be difficult. This is characterized by intense itching, skin rashes, inflammation and patchy hair loss and lesions on ear margin (pinna region). It can be very localized and infestation can be sudden. The mites burrow deep and lay eggs. Scabies can affect humans as well. So if you notice excessive itching make sure you visit a dermatologist.

Demodex Mites- Also called Mange, these parasites reproduce under the skin surface in hair follicles and oil glands of the skin.  These are more common in young dogs. In adult dogs, getting mites is attributed to poor nutrition, stress, immune system disorders and even severe weather. Demodex causes very little itching and hairloss can be seen in patches. They can be identified under a microscope by taking a skin scraping.

Prevention of walking dandruff, scabies and demodex mites

Use shampoos specifically for sensitive skin. Oatmeal shampoo works best for most skin conditions. Anti dandruff shampoos and medicated shampoos are also available in the market today. Few of these are: PetDerm, Petben, Patina shampoo, Venky’s Oatmeal Shampoo

Flea & Tick prevention

Most products available in the market work on fleas and ticks together. Here are some of them:

Flea Collars: They don’t kill fleas, but repel them. They come with an expiry date after which they need to be replaced. Remove it while bathing your dog. Wash your hands after you have handled the flea collar.

Soaps & Shampoos- A variety of shampoos are available today in the market. Neem shampoos work best as flea repellants. Notix brand is most common.

Powders-  Dusting powders also repel fleas and ticks,  and can be applied daily.

Spot treatments- Frontline, Revolution, and Advantix are the 3 products available which guarantee 95-98% clean up. It’s a small tube with the medication available depending upon on dog weight. Needs to be applied on the spine as its difficult for the dog to lick. Part the hair and apply directly on the skin. Do not bathe your dog for 10 days at least.

Home remedies for parasitic infections

Neem- Neem is a very effective way of treating most skin problems be it mange, fleas or ticks. There are of course a variety of neem products available in the market, but you can also use neem leaves in its raw form on a regular basis to give your dog a healthy skin and a shiny coat.  A herbal touch will never go waste.

• Neem paste: Make a paste of neem leaves and apply it over your dogs’ skin/ coat or over the affected areas. Leave it on for sometime before you wash it off. Works well for scabies


• Neem Oil- Avoid using concentrated neem oil on dogs. Instead dilute it with any light carrier oil like almond in a 1:10 proportion and give your dog a massage. Leave it on for a few hours before you wash it off. Make sure the dog does not get any rash, in case of which wash off immediately. For Demodex Mange, increase this proportion to 1:1.

Aloevera– A  natural remedy which works very well for dogs with skin issues. You can use it in its natural form by scooping out the gel from the leaf. If you have noticed any intensive itching or licking, apply a bit on the affected area. As Aloe has a bitter taste, chances that the dog would avoid licking the area, thus giving the wound time to heal.

Eucalyptus Oil– Works very well against fleas and ticks as it acts as a repellant. Apply Eucalyptus oil on the skin and hair coat. Leave it on for a few hours and wash it off with regular shampoo. Not only will you have a nice smelling dog, but also a shiny coat and a healthy skin.

The best part about herbal remedies is that even if the dog does manage to lick some off its body, it does not cause vomiting or any other side effects. Adding such natural products to your dogs diet can also do wonders not just for the skin but also for digestion and immunity problems.

June 15, 2010 at 16:52 Leave a comment