Common dog dry skin problems are discussed here.
Bacterial infections:
The cause of the bacterial infection is the staph bacteria (also called as the staphylococci) in the dog. The bacterium is not contagious. The common symptoms of this are the dog itching, yellow pustules, redness in the skin or hair loss and odor are seen during the times of the infection. This infection can occur in all the parts of the body of the dog and most commonly seen in the trunk part. The infection is diagnosed from the symptoms that are found. Some cases the doctors test the culture of the skin of the dog. To know the causes a blood test or the skin biopsy is done. The removal of hair and washing the dog with good medciated dog shampoo are done as a part of the treatment. The anti – biotic are given for three to four weeks. There may be recurrences in the dog’s life time. It is important to follow the instructions given by the veterinarian doctor.
Fungal Infections:The causes of the fungal infections are due to two species whcih lead to dog dry skin. One is the Microsporum and other is the Trichophyton. The skin infections that are caused due to fungi are called as ringworm. The ringworm is a common infection seen in the puppies. The loss of hair, circular patch and dry appearance are the most common symptoms seen. The dog is mostly affected in the head and the legs. The infection may spread over the other parts of the dog if not treated. The history in their development of the lesions and the age are helpful when the infection is diagnosed. When a fungal culture is done, we will be able to find the definite results. The treatment is done by clipping the hair and applying shampoos. Topical sulfur can be used. The ringworm can be infected to humans too. Therefore, it is better to stay away from the dog when it has ringworm. Adults should be clean and wash them after handling the infected dog.
Allergic infections: This is one of the most common dog skin problems. The dog scratching is a common symptom of this. Other symptoms are nasal or eye discharges. There are numerous skin diseases caused in dogs due to allergies. Allergy can be said as a hypersensitive reaction. It is caused by allergens (referred as antigens). Flea saliva is a common allergy. This will lead to intense itching. This is seen in the summer time. Atopy is another common disease due to allergy. There are redness and moist over the skin and these are called as hot spots. The dog scratches and licks the affected parts. The flea allergies can be seen in the dog’s back and in the tail part. The lesions help in the diagnosing what type of allergy is present. These can be controlled mostly. The blood tests are taken often to know how far the treatment helps the dog. Remember that a good shampoo for dogs will also help with the dog itching and the dog dry skin.
Thanks for reading about dog dry itchy skin.
