dog-skin-problems.com

Dog skin problems, or allergic reactions are common but at the same time not easy to pinpoint. Patience and a keen sense of detail is needed in diagnosing and  determining the likely culprit that causes the allergies.

Symptoms include sneezing, wheezing, and coughing. Their nose and their eyes may also have runny looking discharge. If their digestive system is affected, it may result in watery stools, diarrhea, or vomiting.

The most common type of trigger for allergies are:

1. Fleas

Flea’s saliva can cause an allergic reaction in your dogs. Owner should do their best to keep fleas away with control measures and if unfortunately your dog gets infected, to clear away the fleas as quickly as possible to keep the possibility of flea allergic reaction to a minimal. 

2. Food

Dogs get allergies from food too. Some food that are known to cause allergic reactions are:  wheat, soy products, pork, beef, whey, fish, eggs, milk, corn, artificial sweeteners, and chemical preservatives that could be found in their food.

Common signs of allergic reactions to food are: head shaking, scratching the ears, irritated skin, biting and licking the paws, ear inflammation, sneezing, vomiting, and diarrhea.

3. Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is a skins allergic reaction caused by sensitivity of the dog’s immune system to substances that can be found in the environment like molds or dust mites.

Symptoms include: excessively licking and chewing its paws and licking the stomach.

You will also see red-brownish staining at the armpits, between the toes of the paws, and in the groin. This is especially obvious in light colored dogs.

4. Bacteria

Some dogs are allergic to common bacterias found in a dog's skin.

Some symptom to watch for are: hair loss with the ringworm marks on the dog's skin. The infected areas should be treated with a mild medicated shampoo and appropriate treatment creams are to be applied.

As you can see, allergies are common and each dog's response to allergic triggers can be different. In other posts on this blog I will explore in detail the different types of skin problems, such as dog rashes, hot spot on dogs, dog scabs, dog skin allergies, dog dandruff, dog yeast infection and itchy dogs. It is quite difficult to diagnose and offer effective treatment, but it is helpful to know as much as you can so you can make an informed choice on the next course of action to take for those elusive dog skin problems.