There are almost as many skin infections that can affect your dog as there are hairs on his body, but there are some that are more common. How to resolve the problems can vary for each veterinarian, but there are some general courses of treatment.
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Allergies
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Many dogs suffer from allergies. Instead of runny noses and sneezing, dogs often have ear infections and skin problems as a result. Typically, if your dog is just scratching and licking his paws, antihistamines and Omega-3 fatty-acid supplements can resolve those issues. If the skin has become infected and inflamed, your veterinarian will need to prescribe antibiotics, medicated shampoos and sometimes steroids. A topical ointment such as Neosporin is generally fine to use on sores, as long as you can keep your pooch from licking it off.
If a dog has fleas and is allergic to them, just one bite can set off a severe flare-up. The pup will usually lose a large amount of hair and may have sores on his body from scratching himself. Antibiotics and soothing shampoos can typically resolve the skin irritations, while eliminating the fleas will allow the hair to grow back over time. Using a product to get rid of and prevent fleas, such as Frontline Plus or Advantage, should allow the hair to grow back, as long as fleas are kept off of your dog.
Bacterial Infections
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There are many types of skin infections caused by bacteria, including pyoderma and folliculitis. Pyoderma can either be superficial, meaning it is only on the skin, or deep, in which the infection is affecting the tissue underneath. This common infection is usually caused by some other underlying issue, such as allergies, lick granulomas or wounds. Antibiotics usually resolve the infection, along with keeping your pup from licking or chewing the infected areas.
Folliculitis is an infection of the hair follicles and usually appears on the stomach or other areas where there is less hair. Folliculitis is often characterized by small pustules that usually break open. Additionally, this infection can cause scaliness and hair loss. To cure folliculitis, dogs are often placed on antibiotics for up to four weeks.
Fungal Infections
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There is a wide variety of fungal infections that can plague your dog, but the most common is probably ringworm. Not actually a worm at all, ringworm typically appears as round lesions on the skin, crusty spots, scaliness and pustules. Your veterinarian will pluck hair from the affected areas and perform a culture. This process usually takes a few days to diagnose if your pet indeed has ringworm. It the culture is positive, your pet will likely be treated with either miconazole, lime-sulfur dips, itraconazole or griseofulvin.
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