what to do for dog with dry skin
Dry out pare on dogs is frustrating for dogs and owners alike. In that location are many potential causes for dry out skin, which tin brand diagnosing skin atmospheric condition in dogs catchy. If dry, itchy, or flaky peel is making your dog uncomfortable, here is what you lot need to know about the causes, symptoms, and best treatment options for your pet.
What Causes Dry Skin on Dogs?
Dry out skin might non seem like a big bargain, but it tin actually exist a sign of a much larger problem in your dog. Dry skin is a symptom associated with a wide range of conditions, from allergies and parasites to serious medical disorders like Cushing's disease and hypothyroidism.
Allergies
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Dogs get allergies just like people practice. Nutrient allergies, and environmental allergies and seasonal allergies, such as pollen, grit, feathers, grass, beast dander, grain, and flea saliva tin crusade a host of symptoms in dogs that ofttimes include dry skin. If left untreated, these allergies can result in a skin condition called atopic dermatitis, which causes dry skin, itching, redness, and inflammation and can besides atomic number 82 to secondary skin infections.
Flea allergy dermatitis, which is an allergic reaction to flea saliva, is the nigh common skin disorder in American dogs. The best way to avoid flea allergy dermatitis is to proceed your dog and home free of fleas and to talk to your veterinarian about handling options for your dog's allergies.
Parasites
Parsites are another potential cause of dry out skin on dogs. Dry, flaky peel tin exist a sign of parasites that cause mange, such as the Demodex mite, canine scabies, and cheyletiellosis (Walking Dandruff), or it could bespeak that your dog has lice.
Diagnosing parasites that cause dry skin on dogs requires a trip to the veterinarian. Your family vet may refer y'all to a specialist in veterinary dermatology if he feels that your pet requires the attention of a specialist.
Infections
Bacterial and fungal infections tin can crusade a variety of peel-related symptoms in dogs. Veterinarians usually diagnose canine pare infections by taking skin scrapes for cytology. These infections are sometimes secondary to a larger problem, which is why dry out skin should always be taken seriously. Some infections, such as the fungal infection Ringworm, are also transmissible to humans.
Systemic Disorders
Sometimes, dry peel is a sign of a much larger problem. The two main metabolic diseases associated with dry skin on dogs are Cushing's illness and hypothyroidism. In both cases, dry pare is often accompanied by dry and breakable hair, hair loss, and skin infections, among other symptoms. Motorcar-immune diseases and cancer can besides cause dry out skin on dogs.
These conditions are serious. Dry peel should non be taken lightly, so make sure you lot take your dog in to see your family veterinarian as soon as you notice symptoms of dry skin.
Breed-Specific Skin Conditions
Some breeds are more than decumbent to pare conditions than others, particularly when it comes to dry skin. Hairless breeds, such as the Xoloitzcuintli and the Chinese Crested, are prone to a multifariousness of peel conditions, and Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, and fast-growing large-brood puppies can get a condition called zinc-responsive dermatosis. Veterinarians can narrow down the possible causes of your canis familiaris's dry pare.
Other Causes Of Dry Peel on Dogs
Sometimes dry pare is caused by environmental conditions such equally cold weather condition and dry air, or by excessive bathing, harsh soaps, and poor nutrition. If you suspect that your dog's dry skin is the effect of nutritional deficiencies, ecology weather condition or bathing habits, information technology is still a adept idea to consult your veterinarian in society to rule out more serious conditions.
Symptoms of Dry Skin on Dogs
Dry pare does not present in the same way for every dog. Symptoms associated with dry skin include:
- itchiness
- dandruff
- flaking
- pimples
- scaling
- hair loss
- inflammation
- odor
- increased oiliness
- scabs
Some dogs feel only one of these symptoms while others present with several. Keeping an eye on your dog'south symptoms tin can help your veterinarian diagnose the crusade of your dog's dry skin.
Treating Dry Skin on Dogs
Treatment of your canis familiaris'southward dry out skin depends on the crusade, so the starting time step is a diagnosis. While the Internet is total of valuable resources virtually canine health, consulting your veterinary is the best way to determine the cause of your dog's skin issues.
In some cases, dry skin might exist a symptom of a larger crusade, in which instance your vet volition treat both the dry skin and the status. Demadex mange (secondary demodicosis) is often associated with Cushing'southward illness, which means your vet will need to care for both the mange and Cushing'due south. Treatments and testing for these diseases vary, only most can be controlled with medication.
Treating allergies that cause dry skin on dogs can get tricky. For canine food allergies, your veterinarian might prescribe an elimination diet, equally there is no reliable diagnostic test for diagnosing food allergens. The most common ingredients that cause food allergies in dogs are beef, soy, corn, wheat, dairy, craven, and eggs.
Environmental allergies can be tested for, but at that place is no cure. The three common treatment options for allergies are:
- avoidance of the allergen
- controlling the symptoms (itching, dry pare, etc.)
- immunotherapy options, such as allergy shots
Normally, veterinarians apply a combination of these treatment options to command canine allergies.
Some factors, like excessive bathing, are easy to control. Purchasing a humidifier to use when the weather is common cold and dry, using a veterinarian-approved shampoo, and reducing the frequency of baths unremarkably resolves dry pare on dogs, every bit long as those factors are the cause. Some canis familiaris owners volition utilise a dog skin moisturizer to help sooth the dry peel. Switching to a high-quality nutrition provides the necessary nutrients your dog needs for a healthy coat and skin, then talk with your veterinary nearly a nutrition plan, along with any supplements, that he recommends.
Preventing Dry Peel on Dogs
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, the proverb goes, and it proves true when information technology comes to skin weather in dogs. While some breeds are more prone to dry skin than others, there are a few things you can practice to forbid dry skin on dogs:
- Feed a high-quality, balanced diet from puppyhood
- Prevent parasites by keeping upwardly-to-date on preventatives
- Groom your dog regularly to preclude the buildup of dirt and debris
- Give supplements when necessary as prescribed past your veterinarian
- Schedule regular veterinary checkups to monitor your dog's overall wellness
- Go along facial peel folds clean in breeds with folds
- Research your breed to discover what skin weather condition they are predisposed to and how to preclude them
The all-time way to prevent dry skin in dogs is to ensure that your pet leads a happy, healthy life. Some pare weather cannot be prevented, but by beingness a conscientious owner who regularly examine her dogs, you can catch your dog'south dry out skin before it gets out of hand.
Source: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/dry-skin-on-dogs-causes-symptoms-treatment/