Dogs are prone to skin rashes, which can be acute or chronic, mild or severe. The skin is the largest organ, and as such, reacts to irritants in an obvious manner. Causes of rashes in dogs include infection from bacteria and fungus, a parasitic infestation or allergies. Luckily, all of these conditions can be treated and cured, but the trick is figuring out which one is the problem.
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Bacteria
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Bacterial infections need moisture and warmth to flourish, which is why dogs who swim are frequently infected. The dog’s skin will appear red, and tiny pustules may be present. He will be very itchy, and scratching will pop the pustules, causing a crusty covering to form over them. This crust itches as well, so the dog will scratch even more. Eventually, the scratching will abrade the skin, causing tiny cuts that give the bacteria a place to take hold, exacerbating the problem. A course of oral and topical antibiotics is used to treat this type of rash.
Yeast
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Yeast is a type of fungus that is always present on the skin in small amounts, but when something happens to change the skin condition, like an illness or allergy, the yeast take advantage of the new environment to multiply and flourish. Yeast infections are characterized by dry, crusty “elephant” skin and an offensive odor, and can be especially itchy. Yeast infections are treated with an oral anti-fungal medication in conjunction with a series of baths with benzoyl peroxide shampoo.
Ringworm
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Ringworm is another type of fungus that is found in soil. An infected dog will have a raised ring-shaped lesion that appears in the center of localized hair loss. Oral and topical anti-fungal medications can treat the lesion within a couple of weeks, but ringworm is transmissible to humans and other dogs. Isolation of the infected dog may be necessary, or all members of the household may be treated together.
Mange
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There are two types of mange: demodectic mange, which is hereditary, and sarcoptic mange, which is contagious. Mange is caused by mites that live on the dog’s skin and cause severe itching and patchy hair loss. Cases that are allowed to advance without treatment can become smelly, and tend to play host to secondary bacterial or yeast infections. Depending on the type of mange and the dog’s breed, age and general health, mange can be treated with a series of injections or anti-mite dips.
Allergies
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Allergies can cause skin infection as a response to anything from fleas to food. Food allergies tend to cause seborrhea, a condition where the dog’s skin is producing too much oil and not releasing dead skin cells fast enough. The cells pile up with oil trapped between them, causing itchy, flaky, crusty patches of skin and spotty hair loss. Seborrhea is treated with a diet change and a series of baths with anti-seborrheic shampoo. Dogs who are extremely sensitive to flea bites may develop worse-than-usual itching and hair loss at the base of the tail. The only treatment for flea allergies is a strict flea-control regimen and baths with a skin-soothing shampoo, usually oatmeal.
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