Dog Skin & CoatPet skin conditions and disease or dermaitis do end up looking rather similar but dog skin treatments depend on the cause. Dogs itch and scratch (the correct veterinary term is actually Pruritus), the skin looks red and may become raw and painful and develop scabs and the hair can fall out.
The commonest causes of dog skin problems are parasites, skin allergies & skin infection: Use flea-killing sprays such as Staykill, Acclaim or Skoosh to prevent fleas in your home. - Allergy to flea saliva from their flea bites, atopic dermatitis (also known as atopy or ezcema) where the allergy is to house dust mites, grass, tree and weed pollens, or food allergies which account for up to 15% of all allergy cases. Atopy or atopic dermatitis is commonly managed with Essential Fatty Acid supplements and prescription medicines such as prednisolone or Atopica. - Dog skin infections with bacteria such as staphyllococcus intermedius can be managed with a variety of shamppos including the prescription shampoo Malaseb. If Antibiotics are required, you will need to ask your vet for a prescription before we can dispense them for you. - Some dogs will groom themselves excessively – rather like people who bite their fingernails – and his can lead to extensive hair loss. If this sounds like your dog, think about DAP or Zylkene - In addition there are a number of slightly less common causes including hormonal imbalances (sometimes seen after spaying or castrating), genetic abnormalities and skin cancers. The list is long. Many of these cases will need Prescription Medicines chosen by your vet after careful clinical examination and diagnosis, but there are many ways in which you can help to reduce the so-called Pruritus Threshold. This is the point at which an itchy dog actually starts to scratch and traumatise the surface of the skin. Sensible use of supplements such as Essential Oils have been shown to reduce the inflammation and itching can help keep your allergic dog just below that level, sometimes reducing the overall amount of medication required. Dogs are usually fairly easy to bath, and there are a wide range of Shampoos that can make significant improvements to skin health. Anti-oxidants from herbs and in multi-vitamin preparations together with minerals such as Zincaderm and Copper aid skin healing and help prevent some of the acute flare ups.
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