There are many culprits for skin problems in dogs, such as allergies, parasites and bacteria. Many skin problems are caused by a combination of these causes.
Allergies
Environmental, food or parasite allergies can cause skin problems.Dogs exhibit allergy symptoms through their skin, rather than theirsinuses.
Of the three, the easiest to cure is parasite allergies, which caneasily be prevented with flea and tick repelling medication. Eventhough you haven’t seen any parasites on your dog, an allergic dog canexperience an allergic reaction weeks after only one flea bite.
Food can also cause skin allergies, which cause your dog to chew onhis skin and excessively lick himself. Diagnosing a skin allergyusually requires a food trial, during which you remove your dog fromall food except one novel protein and vegetable source, such as duck orvenison and potato. Food items are gradually added back in until theallergens are identified.
If treating parasite and food allergies doesn’t solve the problem,it could be environmental allergies, which can be determined through askin test. There is often no cure for environmental allergies, butregularly bathing your dog with an oatmeal shampoo or wiping him downeach time he comes in from outside can ease symptoms.
Parasites
Many different types of parasites can infect your dog and cause skinproblems. Fleas and ticks can often cause allergic reactions that leadto skin problems, but they’re not the only threat to your dog’s skin.
Common types of mites include Cheyletiella mites, Sarcoptic mitesand Demodex mites, all of which cause dry, flaky skin, which looks likedandruff, hair loss, scaly skin and red, itchy skin. Of these,Sarcoptic mites, also known as scabies, are the most difficult todiagnose because they burrow into the skin and can often not bedetected by a skin scraping.
If your older dog contracts Demodex mites, also known as mange, itcan be an indicator of an underlying problem such as stress, poor dietor a low immune system.
All of these mites can be passed to humans, so you will often beexperiencing the same symptoms as your dog if he has contracted aparasite.
Bacteria and Yeast
The skin of every healthy dog contains large amounts of bacteria andcomes in contact with yeast on a daily basis. Thus, bacterial and yeastinfections are usually secondary infections. These are caused by anallergy or parasite infection causes your dog to excessively lick andchew on his skin, giving the bacteria or yeast a chance to enter thebody and cause more problems.
Bacterial infections often cause hair loss in particular patches,which can become inflamed and red, while yeast infections cause greasyor scaly skin with a stronger odor. These can be easily treated withantibiotic or anti-fungal medication from your vet, but the underlyingcause should be investigated as well.
Skin problems are extremely uncomfortable for your dog and should betreated as soon as possible. There are many different sources for skininfections, so consult your veterinarian on what is causing your dog’ssymptoms.