We often hear of dogs with a chronic and insistent itching problem. And guess what? The problem can’t always be prevented by a flea collar. There are a number of reasons why your dog might non-stop scratch and require some form of pet medication. Below I will list and try to explain 6 reasons why your dog might scratch himself.
1. Environmental Skin Disorders - Dogs with environmental skin problems are otherwise healthy, but present with signs of itchy skin and/or hair loss. By matching what is visible on the dog’s skin with a probable environmental irritant – the cause of the skin problem can be determined and corrective measures taken. Contact with some plastics can create an environmental pet skin disorder.
2. Nutritional Skin Disorders – Correction of these cases of itchy dog should be a very simple and no pet medication is required. Unfortunately, many dogs and cats live their entire lives in less than optimum health because their caretaker feeds them the least expensive food in the grocery store and feels secure in doing so because of that “Complete and Balanced†statement on the packaging! Without proper nourishment this dog’s entire body, not just its skin and coat, will be continuously under stress.
3. Parasitic Skin Disorders - Pet owners most commonly associate dog scratching with fleas. Often, but not always, this guess is correct.
There are a number of highly effective and safe flea medications and natural flea remedies. Repeated exposure to fleas can trigger a hypersensitivity to the bite of even a single flea. In some cases a simple flea bite can turn into an allergy itch from the flea’s saliva. It is very important to get rid of dog and cat fleas as soon as possible. Cheyletiella mites are often called “Walking Dandruff†because upon close inspection it seems like little flakes of dry skin are actually moving about. These mites can be eliminated easily by using any common flea shampoo and no further pet medication is needed. Sarcoptic mites can be a terrible problem and can only be solved under vet care and with pet medication. Also called scabies or red mange, they create very intense itchy skin, hair loss, and inflamed skin with multiple small scabs. Sarcoptic mite infestation, more than any other pest, is frequently misdiagnosed as Allergic Pet Skin Disorder. There are also Demodex mites (mange). These parasites live just under the skin surface in the tiny hair follicles and oil glands of the dog’s skin. Demodex mites can be seen on a skin scraping viewed under the microscope. Demodex is most commonly seen in young dogs. An older dog with these mites might have a differnt and more serious problem
4. Infectious Skin Disorders – Bacterial, fungal and yeast organisms can lead to awful skin and coat problems. Ringworm is an example of a Fungal organism. Yeasts can irritate an already diseased skin surface. Yeast infections typically create greasy, smelly and itchy signs in affected dogs. If a yeast infection is diagnosed, there’s generally some other problem going. Bacterial problems rarely occur spontaneously on a dog with normal healthy skin.
Infectious pet skin disorders are often is so irritating that dogs will lick continuously at a spot and undo any healing that has taken place. These spots can spread rapidly to other areas of the skin through chewing, licking, biting and scratching of previously healthy areas.
The treatment for Infectious skin disorders often include clipping the hair from the area to allow the air to dry it. The application of topical pet cream is helpful as is the administration of oral antibiotics.
5. Allergic Skin Disorders – These can be a challenge to diagnose, and once identified they can be difficult to treat. Food ingredients, synthetic and natural fibers, medications and pharmaceutical products, plant material and even dust all can trigger an Allergic Pet Skin Disorder.
Even common bacteria on the dog’s skin can provoke an allergic reaction to themselves! Food allergies are so common that pet food manufacturers have invested millions of dollars in research for diets to help dogs and cats with food allergies.
The treatments of allergic skin disorders include topical medicated soothing baths and ointments. The use of oral antihistamines can relieve some of the itch. More effective in alleviating the discomfort of allergies is cortisone.
6. Neurogenic Skin Disorders - This group presents a major challenge to diagnose and treat. Although rarely seen in cats, in the dog something creates an impulse to lick at a specific area of skin. Characterized by persistent, obsessive licking and chewing at a specific area, the cause of these problems is unknown. Most cases have a suspected cause such as boredom, confinement, separation anxiety, family disruption, new environment, frustration or even a minor physical origin such as a tiny wound that catches the dog’s interest. No specific pet medication can be used to prevent this skin disorder.
In summary, keep in mind that any dog whose skin and coat are not in good condition needs vet attention and possibly pet medication because that dog likely does not feel very well.
If your dog is suffering from Chronic Itching, all is not hopeless, but you must consult your vet as soon as possible.
I hope you found this information on pet skin disorders helpful. This article was condensed from a much longer article which can be found on the my-dog-has-fleas.com website at: dog skin problems
By: Jen Moore
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