If you have a dog, you know they can get sick or injured just like humans. Dogs also share some of our health issues, including dermatitis. Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin that can cause itching and pain. It’s possible to treat your dog’s dermatitis at home if it isn’t severe, but it can also lead to more serious problems such as infection. In this article, we’ll discuss how to prevent canine dermatitis and help your dog feel better.
Types of Dermatitis in Dogs
Skin irritation can range from mild to severe. Mild skin irritations include pruritus (itching), redness, and skin scaling. Dermatitis is a broad term that describes any skin inflammation that appears as an itchy rash or hives. Dermatitis may be caused by contact with something external (contact dermatitis) or an internal cause such as food allergies or flea bite dermatitis. The most common types of dermatitis include:
- Contact dermatitis is a reaction to irritating chemicals found on plants, foods, and other materials. It can be caused by anything from poison ivy to a new laundry detergent you’re trying on your dog’s favorite blanket for the first time.
- Atopic dermatitis – Atopic Dogs have inherited hyperactive immune systems that overreact when exposed to certain stimuli like dust mites or pollen, often causing allergic reactions such as itching and scratching due to inflammation in the skin surrounding blood vessels.
- Food allergies – Certain foods contain proteins that do not agree with our pets’ digestive tract causing allergic reactions when ingested; one such example would be soybean products which might trigger symptoms similar to those associated with allergies humans experience after eating peanuts.
Causes of Dermatitis in Dogs
Several causes of canine dermatitis include allergies, environmental factors, skin conditions, and infections. Other potential causes include:
- Skin infections such as yeast infections or bacterial infections are caused by infected skin wounds or bites from other animals. These can be treated with antibiotics from a vet but may require more aggressive treatment if they’re severe.
- Skin parasites like ticks or mange mites burrow into the skin, causing intense itching and irritation for your pet. They’re usually easy to spot when you brush them off but sometimes require a vet’s medication to get rid of them, so they don’t continue making their home on your pup’s body. You can also get flea or allergy medicine online from a website like PetCareRx, but you will still need a vet’s prescription.
- Skin cancer can develop over time if left untreated, so it pays off handsomely if we take care before anything terrible happens later in life when things start getting ugly.
Symptoms of Dermatitis in Dogs
The most common symptom of dermatitis in dogs is redness. It can occur on the skin’s surface or under the hair. Another sign of this condition is bumps, which may be more pronounced on some regions of the body and around certain joints, such as elbows and knees.
Diagnosing and Treating Canine Dermatitis
When diagnosing canine dermatitis, the first step is establishing a diagnosis based on your dog’s symptoms and then identifying the underlying cause. Your veterinarian will use a combination of skin scrapings, biopsies, and blood work to determine if there are any microscopic organisms causing your dog’s condition.
Left untreated, canine dermatitis can lead to more severe infections such as sepsis (blood poisoning) or cellulitis (inflammation of the underlying muscle tissue). In some cases, surgical correction may be necessary if a bacterial infection has spread beyond the outer layer of skin into deeper tissues.
Bottomline
There are several different types of dermatitis, which several factors can cause. Some dogs develop it from allergies or environmental irritants, while others may have an autoimmune disorder that causes their skin to react abnormally.
Your dog’s skin is a valuable asset that should be cared for. To ensure your dog is healthy, it’s essential to watch for any signs of problematic conditions or conditions that could lead to others.
We hope this article has helped you understand the causes and symptoms of dermatitis in dogs to recognize better when something might be wrong with your pet.