Top 6 canine Skin Ailments

Canine Skin Disease is the most common health problem presented to veterinarians. It can be frustrating to diagnose, because many diseases look the same yet require different treatments. But because just a few diseases account for the majority of dermatologic cases, the odds are good that the veterinarian will make the correct diagnosis and create an appropriate treatment plan.



1. The most common is allergies. Three types of allergies plague dogs, and each is treated in a different way. The first is flea allergies - a reaction to flea saliva left bejind when the flea takes a blood meal. The second common allergy is a reaction to specific proteins in food. The third allergic reaction, atopy, accounts for more than 80 percent of allergies in dogs. This is a reaction to allergens in the air, such as house dust, molds, fungi, and pllens, that are either injaled into the lungs or absorbed through the skin.

2. Skin Parasites - fleas and ticks - are the second most common skin ailment.

3. Recurrent Bacterial and Yeast Infections. Healthy skin normally resists infection, so we see these problems only when other diseases, such as chronic allergies, thyroid imbalance, or Cushing's disease, impair the dog's immunity.

4. Ear Ailments. The ear is just a specialized type of skin, and otitis - ear problems - rank 4th on the list of common skin problems.

5. Mighty Mites. The number five skin ailment is mites, both on the skin and in the ears. Skin mites (Demodex and Sarcoptes) cause mange.

6. Seborrhea. The last of the common skin issues is keratinization disorders. These tend to occur in particular breeds. Commonly called seborrhea, the cause is a fault in the proliferation and maturation of surface skin cells. The result is dry or greasy accomulations of scale on the skin surface. A related syndrome is Sebacious adentitis, a heriditary diesease that can be seen in havanese from time to time.