Dogs commonly experience skin problems and conditions. The skin is a dogs largest organ, so it’s important that it’s properly treated and cared for. Any skin conditions left untreated could affect a dog both physically and mentally. Here’s some of the most common dog skin problems and how to treat them:
Parasites
Parasites can affect dogs who are getting older, dogs who live in an unclean environment and dogs who have an insufficient diet. Cases can go from mild to severe and there are different parasites that affect dogs in different ways,. You’ll need to treat your dog according to the particular parasite that it has, so take it to the vet to identify it. Your vet will then advise you on the right way to get rid of the parasite.
Fleas
Fleas can cause dog skin problems, not just for your pet but for you too. They could be hiding in the carpet and they may have even bitten you at some point. To treat fleas, first you should wash your dog with an appropriate flea shampoo, starting with the neck (so the fleas can’t jump onto the head for safety). 15 minutes should be a good amount of time for you to continue lathering your pet with the shampoo. Once you’ve thoroughly bathed and rinsed your dog, apply a flea treatment such as Spot On, or something prescribed from the vet.
You should then thoroughly hoover your carpets regularly, getting rid of any used bags as you go. Change and wash bedding regularly and anywhere else the fleas could be.
Ticks
Ticks can look a bit like a wart at first glance but if you take a closer inspection you’ll usually be able to see legs. The tick can end up growing to the size of a bean or pea from sucking so much of the dogs blood. A dog can handle one or two ticks usually with no signs, however you may notice them during grooming.
To get rid of a tick, you should never ever pull it out without soaking it in surgical spirit first. This is because the head of a tick is buried in the dogs epidermis, and if you pull the tick out the head will remain and cause infection. Soaking the tick in surgical spirit will suffocate it and force it to loosen its grip, which will then allow you to remove the tick properly. If your dog has a severe infection, consult your vet and he may prescribe you a medicine or tick shampoo.
Lice
These are less common that ticks and fleas but there are still a fair amount of reported cases. Their eggs will be attached to the hair follicle of the dog, and this is the most noticeable sign that they are there. The lice themselves are very small white bugs and difficult to find. To treat, you should regularly wash your dog with a shampoo that contains an ingredient called d’limonene. This is non toxic for your dog and should kill the lice within 10 minutes. Eggs will carry on hatching for around 3 weeks, so you should wash your dog as often as possible. Any lice picked off your dog should be thrown away in a sealed bag.
