Common Issues Affecting Dog Skin

Did you know there are over 160 different skin conditions that affect dogs? I actually didn't!  I'm not able to cover all of them here, but I will cover the most common that your dog is most likely to experience at some point in his or her life.

Hot Spots

Typical location of hotspot

Hot spots are areas of skin that are red, inflamed, may ooze, and are very itchy. They occur in areas like the head, hips, and along the side of the chest.  They often feel hot to the touch, earning it the name "hot spot".  Dogs that live in a humid climate are more likely to get hot spots.  They can be caused by insect bites, excessive licking or chewing, or allergies.

They are usually treated topically, by first clipping the hair around the sore to allow the sore to breathe, and then a cream or powder applied.  In really bad cases, oral antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed.  Often, dogs with hot sports will have to wear an e-collar to prevent them from further irritating the sore or ingesting topical treatments.

Dog wearing e-collar

Hotspot on face

Hotspot on foot

 Yeast Infections

Yeast infections are fungal infections that typically occur in the ears, but can occur anywhere on a dog's body.  It thrives in warm and moist areas like folds of skin.  While yeast can and does occur in any breed, dogs with wrinkly skin like bloodhounds, basset hounds, bulldogs, shar-peis, pugs, and mastiffs are more likely to suffer a yeast infection.

pug

basset hound

 Yeast naturally occurs on the skin of healthy dogs, as does some bacteria.  When the immune system is balanced, your dog will be healthy and will not have a yeast issue, However, if the immune system isn't work well (or sometimes when it works too well and causes an allergic response), an overgrowth of yeast will occur.  Yeast usually appears as black gunk in the ears.  Your dog may relentlessly scratch his ears or vigorously shake her head. Some dogs will run their face/ears against the floor/ground or furniture  If yeast is present in the folds of skin (such as armpit, between the toes, in between folds on the neck or face), your dog will constantly scratch as his or her skin will be very itchy.  You may also notice that your dog has a stinky odor that some people have described as like corn chips (like Fritos), processed cheese popcorn, or moldy bread.

Prevention is the best thing you can do to fight yeast.  Check your dogs ears and clean them frequently.  You can use a store bought enzymatic cleanser such as Virbac Epi-Otic or Zymox Ear Cleanser.  There are many brands out there and they will work just as well as these two, but these are the two I usually use and can recommend.

If your dogs ears have any debris, clean them using an ear cleanser and cotton ball.  For daily (or at least once a week) cleansing, I usually will soak a cotton ball in the solution, then put it into my pup's ear and massage it.  I use clean cotton balls to wipe out the debris, and let my pup shake his or her  head to discharge the rest of the debris.  I usually wipe it out once more after she or he shakes their head.  For bad cases, I squirt the solution directly into the ear and massage the ear to loosen debris.  Then, I use a cotton ball or tissue to wipe out the mess.  Once my pup shakes his or her head, I wipe their ears out again.  My vet recommended that I do this periodically for my basset mix, Remy, who gets ear infections due to yeast despite getting her ears cleaned regularly (but probably not often enough!).  I also try to use a tissue, towel, or cotton ball to wipe out ears after a bath or if they happen to play outside in the rain.

Feet are another spot prone to infection.  Make sure your dog's feet are dry when they come inside.  Also, periodically check his or her feet  including between the toes and the pads for signs of irritation such as redness and inflammation/swelling.  If you notice your dog biting at his feet, he may have a yeast infection brewing, though it could also be an insect bite or sting.

red, inflammed feet that have
 been excessively chewed.

Regularly bathing your dog may also help reduce fungal infections.  You can bathe with a regular shampoo, but for best results if your dog is prone to fungal infections, you may want to buy a medicated anti-fungal shampoo.  I like to use Oatmeal based shampoos in general because they help calm the skin.

To help prevent your dog from scratching too much and breaking the skin (which could result in a bacterial infections), you may need to make your dog wear an e-collar to reduce their ability to chew on itchy spots.

Lil Bit, wearing an e-collar

Fleas, Ticks, and Other Insect Bites
Fleas, Ticks, and other insects such as moquitoes are more than just an annoyance, they actually spread disease.  I previously posted about how mosquitoes transmit heartworm and ticks transmit things like Lyme Disease.  But they, along with other insects like chiggers, biting flies, ants, mites, and bees/wasps/hornets may bite your dog and cause issues, in addition to spreading disease, bacteria, and viruses.  As always, prevention of flra and tick bites is key, and it's easy since there are several kind of products available.  Check out the above links to my posts on Heartwork and Flea/Ticks to learn more.  It's worth the read.

Chiggers, ants, and biting flies will typically cause localized swelling, itching, and pain. The skin may become raised, and red, just like when a  human experiences a bite.  While it's okay to put hydrocortizone cream or spray on your dog, make sure it doesn't have other ingredients and don't use on a  dog who tends to lick themselves a lot.  Do not use anything like Caladryl, as it can actually be toxic to dogs.  You can give your dog benedryl, usually 1mg per pound of body weight. Make sure it's plain denedryl, and if you use liquid, ensure that it does not contain alcohol. Try to keep your dog from scratching because scratching open the bite may result in bacteria entering the bite and causing an infection.

ant bites

biting fly bite

Bee, Wasp, and Hornet stings are just as bad for dogs as they are for people.  They usually cause localized swelling, but the whole body can swell including the mouth, throat, lips, and tongue.  Dogs may pant hard, vomit, experience diarrhea, show lameness if stung on a leg or foot, have difficulty breathing, and intense itching and pain.

It's difficult to prevent a sting, but you can reduce the risk by not allowing your dog to sniff at bees, checking under porches or decks for nests, and checking the ground for yellow jacket nests and disposing of the nests.  Be sure to keep Benedryl on hand if you live in an area with lots of bees or have a very curious dog.

If your dog has been stung, first, check your dog for stingers are carefully remove them.  Don't use tweezers because you may squeeze the sac and pump more venom into your dog.  Scraping a credit card across it usually works, just like with people.  Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply it to the sting, as it will help reduce swelling and reduce itching.  You can also give your dog benedryl at 1mg per pound of body weight, upto 2 mg per pound for larger dogs.  You should also call your vet, especially if your dog has a rapid heart rate, seems lethargic, or vomits.

You can also give them an oatmeal bath to help sooth their itchy, sore skin.  Try not to rub the sting much, just let them soak in it and rinse your dog very well.  I know my dogs aren't fond of soaking, so I pet them and massage them while the affected area is soaking.  Sometimes they are good with it and sometimes they try to jump out of the tub, but mine seem to do better if they are getting some positive attention.
 Dogs that have been stung by bees, wasps, and hornets.



Mange
I have been lucky not to really have to deal with this one, but I do know about it so I will recognize it if it ever happens.  Mange is a skin condition caused by parasitic mites, and it can sometimes be transmitted to people.  It causes lesions, itching, and hair loss.

Demodectic mange is caused by demodex mites that inhabit the skin and hair follicles. They cause lesions, scabs, hair loss, and intense itching. It's usually diagnosed by doing a skin scraping or plucking hair.  General good health seems to help prevent this, as it seems demodex mites seem to flourish on less healthy or immune compromised dogs. It's treated with dips, special shampoos, and often prescription medication.  Take your dog to the vet if you suspect demodectic mange.

Sarcoptic mange is also caused by mites, but in this case they burrow deep into the skin, causing painful swelling, irritation,crusting on the skin, and itching.  Sarcoptic mange is highly contagious and your dog will need to be kept separate from others.  It's usually treated with prescription medication and special shampoo.  It's diagnosed by a physical examination of the skin and ruling out other causes of the skin irritation.  It can be chronic condition and there isn't really a way to prevent it.





Sources:
PetMD- Skin problems
PetMD - Insect bites
WebMD
Dog Care Knowledge
PetEducation

Fleas & Ticks - More Than Just An Annoyance!

You probably know that in humans, fleas can cause itchy rashes and skin infections.  Did you know they also spread Typhus and Plague, among other diseases? You've probably heard that ticks spread disease like Lyme Disease, but they also spread things like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Anaplasmosis.

Even worse, your dog can get these things and more!  All it takes is a flea or tick bite, and both are preventable.

When we adopted Otis, he was a sick little thing.  He had tested positive for Erlichiosis, and worse, Lyme Disease.  Erlichiosis is a bacterial infection transmitted by the Lone Star Tick.  The bacteria, erlichae, affect the body by infecting the white blood cells and then destroying them.  Your dog will likely be very fatigued/lethargic, may not have much of an appetite and lose weight, will likely have a fever, may become anemic, and may suffer from an enlarged spleen and lymph nodes.  It more or less causes flu-like symptoms and lasts a couple of weeks with treatment.  Treatment is generally well tolerated is typically is a course of the antibiotic doxycyline.  It took Otis several weeks to recover, but he was also dealing with Lyme Disease.


Lyme Disease is also spread by ticks, usually the black-legged tick.  It has some odd symptoms like sudden onset of lameness, which may or may not be accompanied by a fever. Anorexia and lethargy are also common symptoms.  Once Otis came home with us, he spent much of his first week sleeping.  Lyme Disease has lasting symptoms like arthritis or stiff joints when left untreated.  Luckily, Lyme Disease in dogs is treatable by antibiotics like tetracyclines (such as doxycycline) and cephalosporins.

There are tons of other flea and tick borne infections and diseases such as babeiosis, bartonellosis, anaplasmosis, tapeworm, and Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, just to name a few.  These can cause serious illness, and even death, in both dogs and humans.  It's a risk you can easily reduce or eliminate.

Prevention is key.  The good news is that there are many things you can do to prevent fleas and ticks on your dogs.  Some of them are store-bought, some are natural, and some are just elbow grease.

If your dog already has fleas, s/he will need a flea bath.  You can do this yourself by purchasing or making a flea shampoo.  Alternatively, you may prefer to take your pup to a groomer or vet for a flea bath.  Some examples of a store-bought flea shampoo is Vet's Best Flea Shampoo or Advantage II flea shampoo, available at pet stores or online at places like Chewy.com or Amazon.com.  Make sure to check your dog for ticks, too.  Ears, groin, creases of skin, skin folds, and in between toes are places you might commonly find a tick.

You can make your own flea shampoo, too.  I found a simple recipe on Food.com that is perfect for natural flea treatment.  All you need is one cup of liquid dish soap (Dawn is preferable), one quart of water, and one cup of white vinegar.  For best results, mix the ingredients then put the mixture in a squirt bottle, like an old shampoo bottle.  Shampoo your dog and let it sit on him for at least five minutes (it's okay to keep massaging him while the shampoo does it's thing).  You can use this on yourself, too.  You'll also need to treat your entire home.  You will need to wash all bedding (and blankets/throws around the house) including your dogs bedding.  You will need to vacuum every room, every corner, every baseboard and throw out the bag when you're done.  If you have a bag-less vacuum, empty it and wipe it out.  Vacuum your car, too, even if your dog hasn't been in it lately, since fleas may hitch a ride on your clothing and infest your car.  You'll probably also need to purchase a spray or fogger and kill off all of the fleas.  You may also need to spread granules or spray your yard to kill the fleas there and prevent re-infestation.

If your dog does not yet have fleas or ticks and you want to keep it that way, then you need to work on prevention.  There are inexpensive flea collars available, which I am not a fan of as they can cause irritation to your dog's skin.  The skin reactions seem to be more common in cats, but it does also happen to dogs.  However, if you are on a tight budget, a flea collar is better than nothing at all.  You can also make your own flea collar using Apple Cider Vinegar and Lavender oil, but it does need to be replaced weekly.  I'll provide recipes at the bottom of this post.

example of a brand of flea collar

example of contact dermatitis (allergic reaction) caused by flea collar.

There are oral medications such as Capstar or Comfortis, that will help kill and repel fleas.  They don't really work for ticks, though, but are a good option if your dog's skin is too sensitive for topical medications.  I prefer topical medications that are applied once a month.  They work even after your dog gets wet or is bathed and lasts for several weeks.  Better yet, they kill and repel not just fleas, but ticks and other parasites like mosquitoes, which transmit the dreaded Heartworm.  I prefer K9 Advantix II over Frontline because I live in an area with a lot of mosquitoes, and K9 Advantix repels mosquitoes, whereas Frontline does not.  That being said, the Heartworm preventative I use repels mosquitoes so I could probably use Frontline without issue. I just feel better knowing that my dogs have as much mosquito protection as possible.

Other forms of prevention require some elbow grease, and should be done in addition to your other forms of flea and tick control.  Flowerbeds and corners of the yard should be cleared of leaf debris.  Bushes/shrubs should be kept trimmed back, making sure the leaves or needles of the bush don't touch the ground and all leaf debris is cleared from under it.  You may want to spray your yard or spread granules - though read labels carefully since many of these products can be toxic to dogs.  I like to use Eco-Smart products (available at places like Home Depot, Lowe's Home Improvement, Walmart, etc)  because they are safer around kids and pets, but use whatever works best for you.

Natural Flea Collar
(recipe courtesy Everyday Roots)

3-5 drops Lavender oil
1-3 tbsp water
fabric collar or bandanna

Mix the ingredients, then apply several drops (5-10) to the fabric.  Repeat weekly.  Another method is to dip the fabric in the mixture.

Natural Flea Spray
(recipe courtesy Everyday Roots)

1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 qt. fresh water
3 drops Lavender oil

Mix ingredients and put into a spray bottle.  Lightly most your dog, taking care to avoid her face.  You can spray a washcloth and then rub the washcloth on your dog's neck and face.

Flea Shampoo
(recipe courtesy Food.com)

1 cup liquid dish soap (preferably Dawn)
1 qt. water
1 cup white vinegar (ACV would also work)

Mix ingredients, put into a squirt bottle.  Shampoo your dog, letting shampoo sit for about 5 minutes.



Sources:
VetInfo
CDC
VetStreet
WebMd
Food.com
Everyday Roots