Skin Disease in Dogs

1. Skin Problems In Dogs www.PetsGroomingTips.com

2. Allergic Dermatitis Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory, chronic skin disease associated with allergies. In fact, this is the second most common allergic skin disease in dogs. These allergic reactions can be brought on by normally harmless substances like grass, mold spores, house dust mites, and other environmental allergens.

3. Yeast Infection Yeast dermatitis is a fairly common inflammatory skin condition in pets. The condition is caused by overgrowth of the Malassezia species of yeast, which are normal inhabitants of the skin, ears, and mucocutaneous areas. Yeast infectionsare particularly common in hot, humid environments.

4. Folliculitis Folliculitis is most commonly caused by Staphylococcus (“staph”) bacteria, usually secondary to other skin disorders such as allergies, demodicosis (mange), endocrine problems, trauma, foreign bodies, and many others.

5. Impetigo Staphylococcus bacteria are usually present and thought to be a main cause of puppy impetigo. In the dog, impetigo is used to describe small areas of infection found on the hairless area of the abdomen (belly). Small areas filled with pus (pustules) can be seen.

6. Seborrhea Seborrhea is a skin condition in dogs that causes flaky skin (dandruff) and greasiness of the skin and hair. This disorder is very common and can lead to a secondary infection of the skin. Often, dogs will smell bad due to the buildup of oil on the skin and hair.

7. Ringworm Classic symptoms of ringworm include lesions that typically appear on a dog’s head, ears, paws and forelimbs. These lesions can cause patchy, crusted circular “bald spots” that sometimes look red in the center. In mild cases of ringworm, there may be just a few broken hairs, while bad cases of ringworm can spread over most of a dog’s body. 

8. Mange (Mites) Hair Loss is Caused by Mites (Canine Scabies) or Mange in Dogs. Sarcoptic mange is a highly contagious skin disease found in dogs, caused by the Sarcoptesscabieimite. These mites will burrow through the skin causing intense itching and irritation.

9. Shedding and Hair Loss (Alopecia) Alopecia is the partial or complete lack of hairs in areas where they are normally present.

10. Fleas When these fleas are feeding, they’re injecting saliva into the skin. These salivary proteins are often allergenic and animals end up with allergy. The most common skin disease of dogs and cats is what’s called flea allergy dermatitis, where they bite and scratch and lose their hair.

11. Ticks Dogs generally get ticks because they’re out in that environment, walking through the woods or high grass, and these ticks undergo what’s called questing, where they crawl up on these low shrubs or grass, generally 18 to 24 inches off the ground and they basically hang out. And when the dog walks by or we walk by and brush up against these ticks they dislodge and get onto us. 

12. Color or Texture Changes The skin and coat of a dog may sometimes change color or become lighter or darker. This may be a normal process, or may be due to a serious disease. If the skin or coat has a color other than white, it is said to be pigmented. Colors include brown, black, red, purple, and yellow. If the skin is a darker color than normal, it is said to be hyperpigmented.

13. Dry, Flaky Skin Scaliness of the skin, which can look like dandruff, may simply be caused by dry skin, however, there are many other causes, some of them serious. There are several conditions which can cause scaliness.

14. Acral Lick Granuloma A lick granuloma, also known as acral lick dermatitis, is a skin disorder in dogs. It results typically from the dog's urge to lick the lower portion of one of his or her legs. The lesion can initially be red, swollen, irritated, and bleeding, similar to a hot spot (wet eczema).

15. Skin Tumors Just as in people, malignant melanoma is a type of skin cancer in dogs that affects pigmented cells known as melanocytes. Dogs often develop benign tumors in pigmented cells that do not metastasize, which are called melanocytomas. These tumors are found on areas of the dog's body that have hair.

16. Immune Disorders In dogs with auto-immune disease, the immune system fails to recognize itself and begins to attack and reject the body's own tissue as foreign. Common symptoms include intense soreness in certain parts of body, itchy, flaky skin, inflamed ears, excessive licking of the front paws and swelling of the toes.

17. Anal Sac Disease Anal gland disease is a common problem in dogs and cats. The anal glands also called 'anal sacs,' can become impacted, infected and abscessed. Affected pets may lick the anal area, 'scoot' along the floor, or have problems with defecation.