Skin rashes are often a symptom of a health problem that is affecting the dog. Skin rashes usually appear as areas of small, red pustules that may cause itchiness with the dog. There are a variety of causes of rashes, including puppy impetigo and allergies, and treatment depends upon the cause. Consult your veterinarian if your dog has a rash for recommended treatment options.
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Benzoyl Peroxide Shampoo
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Dr. Race Foster of Doctors Foster and Smith recommends treating puppy impetigo with benzoyl peroxide shampoo. Puppy impetigo is a condition that causes spots of small, red pustules on a puppy's skin, often on hairless parts of the body, such as the stomach. Staphylococcus bacteria is often the cause of the impetigo. Foster states that benzoyl peroxide shampoo should be applied twice daily to the rash to clear up the impetigo.
Natural Treatments
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If you are looking for natural ways to treat your dog's skin rash, there are a few options. The Organic Pet Digest website recommends using aloe vera gel either directly from the plant or from a bottle to the affected areas daily. Aloe vera is a natural healer that typically works well for skin problems. Over-the-counter human stomach medication that contains magnesia is also helpful in healing skin irritations. Apply the substance to a cotton ball and sponge it onto the dog daily. Using oatmeal shampoo that contains aloe vera on the area can help to soothe the irritation, along with healing the problem. Follow the directions on the label as to how often to use the product and for soak times. Try to prevent your dog from licking the applied products. While they shouldn't hurt the dog if they are ingested, they will not have enough contact time with the rash to help it if it is licked off.
Insecticides
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If your dog's rash is caused be flea allergy dermatitis, insecticides can help resolve the problem. If a dog is allergic to flea saliva, it can experience a flare-up as the result of just one bite. Flea allergy dermatitis usually causes hair loss and a rash where the fleas are heavily concentrated. The WebMD website states that using insecticides to eliminate the presence of fleas is often all that is needed to resolve the problem, as once the fleas stop biting the rash goes away.
Antihistamines
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Antihistamines are often helpful in alleviating rashes that are caused by allergies. Antihistamines help to regulate the amount of histamine in a body, which can usually cause the rash. In addition, if the rash is caused by an allergic response to fleas, antihistamines can often help to calm the reaction.
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