Dog Skin Allergies: Don’t Scratch That Itch
Dog skin allergies can be really uncomfortable for your favorite pet, so it’s good to know when they are being affected, and also good to know about a few of the other skin conditions that might look like allergies but actually aren’t, including some pretty nasty conditions that are even more trouble.
Because you have to remember that just like humans, dogs are affected by allergies similarly. It’s an itch that you want to scratch like no other, but that’s really probably not something you want to do, because that just makes the feeling worse. Unfortunately, dogs don’t really have that kind of self-control.
And it’s vital for you to know that skin allergies aren’t the only things like look like allergies as well. There are things called hot spots, and things like ulcers, that can be caused by environmental or physical conditions, and then there are parasites, bacteria, fungi, and viruses that can really be a pain as well to a dog’s skin.
Hot spots in particular are something that all dog owners should be aware of. Indeed, they can start as allergies, but when a dog chews at the spot, the area can quickly become infected, and when the pus gets caught in the dogs fur, it can spread rapidly and be more difficult to contain and recover from.
One other thing that may look like allergies is when fleas or ticks attack your dog. It’s all the same tiny red raised bumps in the beginning, right? And these little bugs can become attached to your dog in a home, outside, from other animals, or from a journey out to a wooded area or park, if that is somewhere that you have been recently.
Allergies may or may not be accompanied by hair loss or excessive shedding as well, either because the dog is scratching at the area, or there is something else wrong with its general health condition. Take a good look at the affected area to determine what you should do about it, or if it is something a vet should know about.
The actual treatment for allergies can be as simple as potentially changing your dog’s diet, to maybe just having to give it a quick shampoo, to potentially shaving off the fur of the affected area and putting a cream or ointment on it, with or with out the addition of antibiotics.
So we all know that allergies are a pain, and if you see your dog suffering, look into what dog skin allergies are and what you can do to help lessen the effects of them. If you don’t get the information you need on the internet, simply call your local vet.