How To Identify And Treat Your Dog’s Skin Health Problems

Maintaining your dog’s skin health can help your dog to be free from diseases. Common factors affecting dog’s skin include diet and allergy. Here are some guidelines to help you to identify canine skin problems.

• Check your dog’s skin. Is it dry?
• Does your dog scratch and lick frequently especially the paws, abdomen, and legs? Are your dog’s ears too sensitive to be touched? If yes, then your pet may suffer from atopic dermatitis. It is hypersensitivity as the result of the reaction of the dog’s immune system against common substances such as molds and dust mites.
• Do you give enough fat in your pet’s diet? If your dog is not getting enough fat, the skin will become dry. However, make sure you don’t feed too much fat as it can lead to obesity.
• Check your pet’s stool. Large and smelly stools with the combination of frequent burping may show that your dog have skin infections.
• Flea allergy is common among dogs. It can lead to flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) which inflames the skin. Usually the flea’s saliva is the culprit. You need to send your dog for a skin allergy test at the veterinarian’s office.

For treating skin diseases especially allergy, you can relieve the symptoms with regular bath and conditioning. Water helps to relieve dogs’ skin problems and keeps their skin healthy. It also removes allergens from their body. Different kinds of shampoos, pills, and sprays are available to treat allergies, depending on your pet’s skin condition. Check with your vet on the treatment for your pet.

Supplements can relieve the symptoms of some dogs with certain skin conditions. Before you buy any supplements, consult your vet first as supplements may cause more harm than good without proper knowledge on dog’s nutrition.

For skin inflammation, the common treatment is the administration of corticosteroid. It may weaken your dog’s immune system but it is an effective treatment for allergy. You may need to observe for some side effects such as increased appetite and drinking, and risk of developing infections. Therefore, corticosteroid is only used for short term. If you plan to use it on a long-term basis, then you need to send your dog for regular blood and urine tests.

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