Dog Skin Problem Symptoms Oak Park IL

When your dog has a skin problem, it is very important to treat it immediately.  Ignoring dog skin problems can cause harmful and painful damage to your dog from scratching and biting.  Also, overlooking symptoms of dog skin problems can aggravate the condition and can result in infection to you and other members of your household. 

The two most common symptoms of dog skin problems are scratching and reddening of the skin.  Below is a more detailed description of each symptom of dog skin problems, its possible causes, treatments, and when it is necessary to call your vet.

Scratching – This is a very common symptom of various types of dog skin problems.  Once you noticed your dog experiencing frequent scratching on a particular area of his body, figure out what is causing that area to itch.  Things to look for are parasites which could be fleas, mites, or lice.  Also look to see if you can find bacterial sores.  Bacterial sores are small infected spots that are scaly red inflamed areas.

Four possible causes of this dog skin problem are: ear disease, parasite infestation, contact dermatitis which is indicated by redness on the stomach, and impacted anal sacs which is indicated by dog licking sores at the base of his tail.

The way to treat this type of dog skin problem is to direct the type of treatment to the specific cause.  If the dog skin problem is due to parasite infestation, use an antiparasitic bath.  With bacterial sores, wash the infected area with an antibacterial wash.  For a more widespread bacterial sores, ear problems or impacted anal sacs, you need to see your vet for a more serious treatment. 

If the dog skin problem is due to contact dermatitis, cut off access to possible causes such as nylon carpet, floor disinfectants, or car seat covers.  Consult your vet is home treatment fails to work.  If the skin is broken, chewed, or feels sticky, consult your vet as soon as convenient.

Reddened skin – This symptom of dog skin problem may be noticeable even before the dog skin problem becomes fully established.  Four possible causes of this issue are: allergic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, fleas, and anything that causes itching such as lice, ringworm, or bacterial sores.

When treating this symptom of dog skin problem, apply calamine lotion if the redness is only in a particular area.  If the problem is more widespread, use a lanolin baby shampoo to wash out any potential irritants and to cool the skin.  Apply flea spray once the dog is dry.  If the problem persists after 24 hours, consult the vet.