Only a skin scraping at the veterinarian's office can diagnose skin parasites for sure, but knowing whether your dog is exhibiting the symptoms of skin parasites is the first step in treating a pet's skin parasites.
Things You'll Need
- A Brush
- Dog Shampoo
- A Dog Who You Suspect May Have Skin Parasites!
Instructions
LOOK FOR DANDRUFF: Excessive dry skin in dogs (leading to flaking) can result from skin parasites. Also look for larger white flakes - a key symptom of skin parasites. Cheyletiella mites in particular appear as white flakes, giving this condition the nickname of "walking dandruff."
LOOK FOR EXCESSIVE ITCHING: Skin parasites are itchy! Some skin parasites, like fleas, bite the skin, while other skin parasites, like the mites involved with Scarpotic Mange, actually burrow into the skin to lay eggs. Mites cause skin dryness, which can be an itchy condition as well. If a dog it itching excessively, parasites may very well be to blame.
CHECK THE DOG'S EARS: Black ear discharge is often due to ear mites. But contrary to popular belief, ear mites to not just affect the ears. A dog with ear mites will also have mites on the head, face, neck, and often at the base of the tail. When a dog has ear mites, the entire body must be treated.
LOOK AT THE DOG'S SKIN FOR BLACK SPECKS: Tiny black specks, which often have the appearance of dirt, are usually a symptom of skin parasites. Fleas in particular leave black specks on the pet's skin. These specks are actually flea poop. One way to determine if a black speck is flea poop is this: Dampen a paper towel and dab the black flecks, transferring them to the damp paper towel. Wait about five minutes and look at the paper towel. The flea poop will dissolve and turn into reddish-brownish spots - it's actually dried blood, since fleas eat (and poop) blood.
LOOK FOR DRYNESS, SCALING, PEELING: These are all symptoms that can occur when a dog has skin parasites. It's all part of the dog's physical reaction to the parasites.
LOOK FOR SKIN BUMPS, REDNESS, RASHES AND SCABBING: When a flea or other skin parasite bites the dog, the dog's body often reacts by creating a red, itchy bump. Rashes are also fairly common, as is scabbing, which occurs when a dog excessively scratches at a flea bite or due to another type of skin parasite. The dog's excessive scratching can tear the skin, causing scabs, which can even lead to sores when excessive scratching leads to a skin infection.
LOOK FOR HAIR LOSS OR THINNING FUR: When a dog has skin parasites, the dog will often experience patches of hair loss or thinning fur. This occurs because of two basic reasons. In some cases, the dog's urge to scratch and bite at the itchy skin breaks the individual strands of fur, creating patches of thin fur. In other cases, the skin parasites (mites in particular) will invade the dog's hair follicles. This damages the hair follicles, resulting in fur loss and thinning fur.
BRUSH THE DOG WITH A FLEA COMB IF FLEAS ARE SUSPECTED: If fleas are suspected, a flea comb will catch some of the fleas, confirming suspicions of an infestation. Dog owners can also check the dog's belly and inner thighs, where the dog's fur is typically thinner, making it easier to detect the fleas.
GIVE THE DOG A BATH: If fleas are suspected, a bath using medicated shampoo will often clear up the skin parasite infestation. But remember, you will need to wash the dog's bed, and treat the rugs, carpets and furniture with anti-flea products, since fleas and flea eggs are often transferred to soft surfaces, resulting in a re-infestation.
TAKE THE DOG TO THE VET: For a firm diagnosis, a vet will have to perform a skin scraping procedure, an inexpensive and quick procedure where the outer layer of skin is sampled and examined under the microscope for signs of parasites. Ivermectin is the most common treatment for mites and other skin parasites affecting dogs. Notably, medicated shampoos will not kill most mites, since they do not live on the surface of the skin (mites live in the hair follicle, pore or even under the skin).
A bath can also help to soothe a dog's skin if dryness or flaking is present. An oatmeal-based moisturizing dog shampoo can be very helpful in moisturizing the dog's skin. If another substance is to blame for itching and skin rashes - like an irritant that's causing a case of contact dermatitis, a bath can help to remove the irritant.