Typical Skin Conditions & Allergies

Typical Skin Conditions & Allergies

Dandruff

Symptoms:

• Dry flaking skin, which can be caused by cold winter weather and diet

Treatment:

• Increase high quality omega 3 and 6 fatty acids in diet
• Targetted shampoos

*vet will want to check for underlying conditions.

Environmental Allergies

Symptoms:

• A bit like hay fever in humans except it causes itching skin in dogs rather than sneezing and water eyes in humans
• Typically, sudden itching on face, feet, chest or stomach after dog being in contact with cause of an irritation

Diagnosis:

• By blood test by a vet

Treatment:

• Can involve shampoos, tablets and injections

Fleas & Ticks

Symptoms:

• Fleas salvia is a strong allergen for pets and can cause extreme itching
• When ticks bite they stay attached to the skin so you will be able to see these. They can carry diseases so it’s important to monitor the area for infection after removal. It’s important to remove the whole tick and not leave the head attached. You can buy tick remover.

Prevention:

• Vacuum your home regularly, and wash bedding. Make sure your pet is up to date with their preventative medication.
• Prevent Topical treatments
• Collars and clothing imbedded with permethrin which repells ticks and fleas
• Always check your dog and yourself for ticks after a walk and remove quickly.

Folliculitis

Symptoms:

• Sores, bumps and scabs on body

Diagnosis:

• Take your pup to the vet if you are concerned

Treatment:

• Oral antibiotics, antibacterial ointments, shampoos

Food Allergies

Symptoms:

• Itching of face, feet, ears and anus signs of an allergy to dog’s food.

Diagnosis & Treatment:

• Like humans this is diagnosed by an elimination process to rule out different allergens – this should be vet led and can take 8-12 weeks.

Impetigo

Symptoms:

• Blisters on dog’s tummy which can burst and scab

Diagnosis:

• Take to vet as soon as your notice any symptoms, as with all conditions in young animals.

Treatment:

• Antibiotics and specialised washes.

Lupus

Symptoms:

• Open sores which take a long time to heal particularly around nose, eyes and paws.

Diagnosis:

• Take your dog to the vet immediately if you notice these symptoms.

Treatment:

• A series of Vet prescribed antibiotics and immunosuppressive tablets.

Mange

Symptoms:

• Intense itching first seen on dog’s ears resulting in hair loss on face and leg.
• Demodectic mange (caused by Demodex mites)
• Tends to affect dogs under one or older dogs with another underlying condition.

Treatment:

• Tablets and dedicate shampoo prescribed by Vet.
• Wash bedding regularly and make sure infected dog avoids contact with other pets.

Ring Worm

Symptoms:

• Circular crusty bald patches on dog’s head, paws ears and front legs
• Inflamed and red skin from scratching irritated areas.

Diagnosis:

• Contact vet immediately.

Treatment:

• Vet prescribed topical treatment to kill fungus and prevent spreading.

Yeast Infection

Symptoms:

• Skin thickening and itching in ear canal, between dog’s toes, groin area and perineum.
• Discolouring of skin in these areas and unpleasant smell.

Diagnosis:

• Take your dog to the vet.

Treatment:

• Topical Cream, Washes, and Tablets.

INFOGRAPHIC