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dog’s skin is usually the most common place where problems can
occur due to allergic reactions. Here is a list of skin problems
that your dog may encounter. When first outbreak signs are present,
immediately get help from your vet. •
Food Allergies: giving the wrong food that dogs have allergic
reactions to will manifest themselves in their skin. Diagnosing
food allergic reactions is usually done by ruling out other
allergic reactions first. Treating this will be giving the dog
a hypoallergenic diet for a minimum of six weeks.
• Allergies:
pets will react to allergies by scratching sporadically. Just
like humans pets react to allergens that cause sensitivity.
Pets will have lots of things that could cause allergic reactions.
They could either be contact type, inhaled or through the food
they eat. Dogs rarely get allergic to contact such as wool.
They are
affected through the food they eat. Most common foods that should
be watched out by dogs are corn, dairy products, beef, soy and
wheat. When the dogs are just starting to have allergic reactions
you will observe that they are licking, biting, rubbing or scratching
the skin. It will eventually lead to infection that is characterized
by pimples or red bumps. Try to get professional help immediately
when noticed.
• Irritant
contact dermatitis: diagnosis is based from the history of clinical
contact allergies or presentations. Treating this will only
require you washing the irritated area and are given steroids
for a short period. Remember to prevent re-exposure.
• Hot spots or acute moist dermatitis: these things are results
of your pain trying to scratch itself to relieve from pain and
itch or self trauma. To treat this problem, you would need to
clean the pet, give antibiotics (topical or orally), and anti-inflammatory
agents.
• Autoimmune
Skin Disease: there are lots of diseases of this kind and surgical
biopsy is done to diagnose it. The treatment includes either.
Steroids, immune modulation drugs or dietary supplements.
• Bacterial
infection: These are common for dogs but are really more of
a secondary condition that results from allergies. Antibiotics
are given orally or topically to treat the problem. Treat the
bacterial infection immediately while also looking for the primary
cause.
• Atopy
or Allergic Inhalant Dermatitis: as a result of microscopic
particles in the air that lands in the dog’s skin, the skin
becomes very itchy. The diagnosis of this skin condition is
based from the clinical presentation and absence of other causes
like the ectoparasites. Treating this problem will include dietary
supplements, steroids and antihistamines, and most likely long
term. In some cases where the condition gets out of control,
skin allergen testing and hypo sensitization helps. Rinsing
and shampooing the pet also helps.
• Pyoderma:
these are wide range infections that will cause pus to a pet’s
skin. The treatment is the same as the one in hot spots. However,
the treatment is longer. Giving the pet a shower and shampooing
and rinsing the pet well also help.
• Ectoparasites
or external parasites: mites, fleas, ticks. These parasites
are able to break the external barrier of the skin, making the
bacterial infections possible or allergic reactions. You or
the vet can diagnose this condition by carefully observing the
skin through gross observation or microscopic examinations of
skin scrapes. The treatment depends on the parasites found.
The common treatment though is anti-parasitic shampoos and drugs
and rinsing the dog.
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