Skin Allergies in Dogs
Many dogs are susceptible to skin allergies, called Dermatitis, and there are different kinds of dermatitis within this group.
Lets look at the first type called Infectious Dermatitis.
You might think these scabby lesions are hot spots but they are in fact a more stubborn type of skin dermatitis. They present with moist, scabby areas that the dog will not stop licking, chewing or biting. Sometimes it is just a yeast infection that does well with a drug called Panalog (a topical antibiotic).Dog skin allergies make your dog itch and can drive you crazy with their scratching Dog skin allergies may not always be an allergy - I found out what I thought was an allergy was in fact a bacteria that can be spread.
Sometimes though, this condition is so serious that it just won’t go away and although you are treating each spot, another one soon appears on the dogs body. Usually found on the underside of the dog, it likes moist dark areas. The yeast loves this environment and is hard to or even impossible to control.
When my dog did not respond to this treatment I took her to the vet. He said that the Dermatitis was so serious that I could not treat it with Panalog cream alone and he prescribed an antibiotic. The drug took effect almost immediately. No new outbreaks were seen and the infected areas were drying up and getting smaller.
Along with this treatment the vet also told me to bath her in a medicated shampoo called Malaseb.
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Malaseb is a shampoo available from your veterinarian or online. This product was recommended to me by both my Vet and Groomer. It will help the skin heal and get back to normal faster. It is very effective for yeast, but will not treat bacterial infection, or underlying allergies. It also has the benefit of making your dog feel a lot better and that’s what we want for out pets.
Things that may help you are:
- Medicated Shampoos such as Malaseb
- Wiping the dog down with Malaseb wipes
- Healthy food with no wheat (poisoned) or corn (genetically modified)
- Wash bedding at least every other day in dye free/ perfume free detergent
- Adding a good source of omega fatty acids like fish oils
- Use of prozyme or other similar product
- Immune boosting supplements
Scratching is a certain indicator of skin allergies in dogs.
Many dogs are itchy and scratch because they are allergic to fleas. The flea bites your dog and injects histamines at the bite site. This will cause the dog to scratch for many days afterwards.
Fleas or food can cause skin allergies in dogs which causes your dog to scratch constantly.
How many times have you asked yourself, Why is my dog scratching? What is making my dog itch? I bet you have treated him with the favorite flea medications on the market but even though the fleas are gone, your dog continues to scratch.
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Notice
Any information contained on this site relating to various medical, health, and fitness conditions of Westies and their treatment is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own veterinarian. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing a dog's health - you should always consult your own veterinarian.
