What Causes Eczema For Dogs
Canine eczema has many different causes, but a case of dog eczema will either be the result of genetics at play or the environment. Examples of a genetic cause behind canine eczema would be a food allergy that your pup has had since birth. Most forms of eczema for dogs are either caused by a dogs behavior or by an external factor, such as a parasite or an allergen floating around in the environment. To recap some of the causes behind canine eczema.
Here is a consolidated list of potential eczema problem starters
- Parasitic mites
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. Georges University
Sara Redding Ochoa, DVM was raised in north Louisiana. She graduated from LA Tech in 2011 with a degree in animal science. She then moved to Grenada West Indies for veterinary school. She completed her clinical year at Louisiana State University and graduated in 2015 from St. Georges University. Since veterinary school she has been working at a small animal and exotic veterinary clinic in east Texas, where she has experience treating all species that walk in the hospital. In her free time, she likes to travel with her husband Greg, bake yummy desserts and spend time with her 4-legged fur kids, a dog Ruby, a cat Oliver James OJ, a rabbit BamBam and a tortoise MonkeyMan.
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Home Remedies For Eczema In Dogs
Many of the home remedies for eczema are complementary therapies, which can help to improve your dogs condition and soothe symptoms, but cannot treat the cause of eczema in dogs.
Home remedies for eczema in dogs could also interact with any medication or supplements your dog is taking, so you should always talk to your vet about any holistic or home remedies you want to try, and they can tell you about how effective and safe they may be for your individual dog.
But what are these possible home remedies for eczema in dogs?
The first home remedy is feeding your dog probiotic yoghurt.
Probiotics have been linked to slight improvements in skin lesions on atopic dogs. However, they don’t remedy the cause of your dogs irritations and hot spots, and they don’t cause significant improvements. But, yoghurt is a safe and tasty treat for your dog, so giving them a spoonful of a natural, probiotic yoghurt alongside the medication given by your vet could aid their recovery.
Another great home remedy for itchy skin is coconut oil. Coconut oil is highly moisturising and has some mild antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, which can protect your pups skin as it heals. However, it won’t work in every case of eczema in dogs, and studies into the oils efficacy are limited. In any case, coconut oil could help to manage your dogs symptoms and soothe their skin, but it wont treat the cause of their eczema or prevent another flare up.
How To Treat Dog Eczema Fast
Eczema is an irritating and itchy inflammation of the skin that causes dogs to chew, lick and scratch their skin. If you have ever experienced eczema yourself or know somebody that has it, you probably already understand how annoying and irritating it can be. Your dog experiences these same irritations, so you need to treat the condition as soon as possible.
The skin condition comes in two forms wet eczema and dry eczema. Wet eczema results in moist discharge from the affected area, while dry eczema usually causes dry, flaky skin that can be wrinkled. While these conditions are slightly different in appearance they will both cause severe itchiness and irritation.
Dogs will respond to eczema by scratching, chewing and licking it, which can cause self-inflicted wounds to appear. These wounds will be open to bacteria that can cause secondary infections. Additionally, due to the constant licking, biting and scratching dogs may experience hair/fur loss and matted coats.
What You Will Learn
- Bacterial, fungal or viral infections
- Deficiency in much needed vitamins and minerals
- Contact dermatitis
Are Certain Breeds More Likely To Develop Eczema?
Yes, some breeds are more likely to develop eczema. Breeds such as Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and Chinese Shar Peis are more prone to developing the skin condition. But why are these breeds more likely to get eczema?
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What If Scratching Has Caused A Wound
If scratching due to neurodermitis has caused a wound, the doctor may wrap a dressing over the area.
Another potential treatment is negative-pressure wound therapy, which involves vacuuming fluid out of the wound and increasing blood flow there.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy confines the patient in an oxygen chamber to inhale pure oxygen, which enhances the bodys ability to heal itself. Surgery on the wound is another option.
Management Of Flare Factors
Specific avoidance interventions depend on identification of all the factors associated with a flare for clinical signs in an individual dog. Common flare factors include fleas and fleabite hypersensitivity, bacterial or yeast overgrowth, and food and environmental allergens. CAD due to food and environmental allergens can present with identical clinical signs and may, in fact, be a concurrent problem.
Fleas and Fleabite Hypersensitivity
Dogs with CAD are predisposed to fleabite hypersensitivity if exposed repeatedly to flea salivary antigens.10 As a result, all dogs with CAD should be protected with year-round flea adulticides combined with relevant environmental measures. Some dogs may present with concurrent clinical signs of CAD and fleabite hypersensitivity these patients need aggressive flea treatment as well as environmental measures.1
Bacterial or Yeast Overgrowth
Specific antibacterial/antifungal interventions should be based on regular cytologic evaluation of atopic skin lesions and documented presence of bacteria/yeast at these sites.
FIGURE 5. Skin lesions of superficial canine pyoderma on thorax of atopic dog and skin cytology revealing neutrophils and extracellular and intracellular cocci. Malassezia dermatitis affecting ventral abdomen of a dog with CAD and associated tape skin cytology revealing peanut-shaped yeast .
Pyoderma
Malasseziadermatitis
- Itraconazole 5 mg/kg q24h for 3 weeks
- Terbinafine 30 mg/kg q24h for 3 weeks
Food-induced CAD
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What Are The Most Common Canine Allergies
There are three leading causes for skin allergies in dogs:
How Does Weeping Eczema Affect My Body
The fluid-filled blisters that appear with weeping eczema ooze, causing wetness on the skin. The fluid dries and results in a yellow-to-orange crusty layer on your skin. Eczema is most common in areas where your skin flexes, such as behind the knees, inside the elbows and in front of the neck. However, it may develop anywhere on your body, including your:
- Swollen lymph nodes, especially in the armpit, neck or groin.
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Fleas And Other Parasites
- Fleas are a common problem in dogs. They cause itchy, red, skin rashes, especially around the lower back.
- Mange is caused by the scabies mite. These tiny insects cause itchy, red and thickened with patchy hair loss. Mange can also make people who handle the dog have itchy spots.
- Demodex mites are tiny insects that normally live on a dogs skin without causing problems. If a dog is unwell or their immune system isnt working properly the mites cause thickened, crusty skin and hair loss, especially on their head, feet and around their eyes. Demodex is more common in puppies than adult dogs.
- Ringworm causes circular patches of red, raised, hairless, itchy skin. Fortunately, ringworm is quite rare in dogs.
How To Use Cbd Oil
Give your dog 1-2 servings of CBD oil per day for best results. Although you can also apply CBD oil topically, it may not be as effective as other CBD topical products. Remember CBD is not meant or intended to prevent, treat, or cure any conditions. Its meant to be used as relief but we highly recommend consulting a vet for more detailed information regarding treatment.
HolistaPet provides various natural and soothing CBD products for your pet. These various products are available online on our products page.
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How Is Eczema Treated
There is no cure for eczema. But treatments can help with symptoms. The doctor will recommend different treatments based on how severe the symptoms are, the childâs age, and where the rash is. Some are âtopicalâ and applied to the skin. Others are taken by mouth.
Topical moisturizers. Skin should be moisturized often . The best time to apply moisturizer is after a bath or shower, with the skin patted dry gently. Ointments and creams are best because they contain a lot of oil. Lotions have too much water to be helpful.
Topical corticosteroids, also called cortisone or steroid creams or ointments. These ease skin inflammation. Itâs important not to use a topical steroid prescribed for someone else. These creams and ointments vary in strength, and using the wrong strength in sensitive areas can damage the skin, especially in infants.
Other topical anti-inflammatory medicines. These include medicines that change the way the skinâs immune system reacts.
Medicine taken by mouth. These can include antihistamines to help itchy kids sleep better at night, antibiotics if a rash gets infected by bacteria, and corticosteroid pills or other medicines that suppress the immune system.
Other types of treatment can include:
- wet wraps: damp cloths placed on irritated areas of skin
- bleach baths: bathing in very diluted bleach solution
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What Are The Symptoms Of Canine Atopic Dermatitis
Common symptoms of pet atopy and canine atopic dermatitis, in particular, include:
- Excessive scratching and itching of the eyes, mouth, ears, and paws.
- Inflamed skin that is hot to the touch .
- Recurrent ear infections.
- Excessive chewing on the paws and areas such as the groin and armpits.
- Scaly or greasy skin with flaking that resembles dandruff.
- A strong, unpleasant skin odor.
- Rubbing on the carpet.
Over time, the scratched skin can develop hot spotsraw, inflamed areasthat may become infected. Even though pet atopy can develop as early as six months old, or sooner, as pets age they may become more sensitive to airborne allergens. Further, once pet atopy is developed, they may increasingly suffer as their skin becomes more sensitive over time.
If you have a dog or cat with seasonal allergies, you may notice their symptoms are lasting longer or are more severe. What was seasonal pet atopy, in the spring or fall, may become a year-round problem. Additionally, neurogenic dermatitis may develop even after an animal is treated for skin allergies as they wont stop worrying or chewing at the area.
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Can Eczema Be Treated Without Steroids
Yes! Nonsteroidal medications are available for people with eczema who dont respond well to steroids or want to switch treatments.
You may also be able to manage mild eczema symptoms without medications. Techniques include:
- regularly moisturizing your skin
- bathing in water thats lukewarm, not hot
- wet wrap therapy
- finding fragrance-free alternatives to harsh skin and body products
If at-home remedies dont help your eczema symptoms, you may consider trying a medication recommended by a healthcare professional.
What Are Canine Skin Allergies
The most common canine skin allergy is allergic dermatitis or atopic dermatitisatopy for short. Allergic dermatitis is an inflammatory, persistent skin condition that occurs when a dog’s immune system overreacts to a particular allergen.
Allergens can be anything from plant pollen to mold spores to food to pests. While allergies in humans often present as nasal symptoms and hives, dogs tend to react with skin irritation and even gastrointestinal problems.
Interestingly, many dogs that suffer from have an inherited predisposition for developing them. Often, dogs begin showing signs of skin allergies before age 7, but that’s not a hard and fast rule. Just like humans, dogs can develop skin allergies at any age. In fact, many allergies actually worsen as a dog ages.1
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Consider The Role Of Cutaneous Adverse Food Reaction
Food related pruritus can be caused by two different mechanisms, one a non-immune mediated reaction , the other immune mediated which includes IgE-mediated hypersensitivity . Because reactions to food components can present clinically as canine AD, or serve as a flare factor in canine AD, dogs with CAFR may be indistinguishable clinically from canine AD . The presence of gastrointestinal signs, such as diarrhoea, vomiting, tenesmus, soft stools, flatulence, and increased number of bowel movements is more typically seen with food-induced canine AD . In any canine AD case that has year-round clinical signs, CAFR can only be ruled out by effective strict elimination diet trials, since accurate diagnostic commercial tests are not currently available. This is especially important in trials evaluating drugs for the treatment of canine AD since food-induced AD may not respond well to those drugs, as shown for corticosteroids . Unfortunately, there are no diets that have been shown to be effective in all cases of CAFR. Therefore in some cases, especially when gastrointestinal signs are present, multiple different diet trials may be needed until a sufficient control of the clinical signs has been achieved.
Once steps 14 of the diagnostic work-up has been completed, a clinical diagnosis of canine AD should be considered if the pruritus is still present.
Things You Can Do To Ease Pompholyx
You should try to avoid contact with anything that might irritate your skin, including soaps, shampoos and other household chemicals.
Use an emollient as a soap substitute and wear cotton-lined gloves when youre at risk of contact with other potentially irritating substances, such as when washing your hair or doing housework.
Do not burst the blisters. Let them heal on their own. If theyre particularly big, your GP may be able to drain them.
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Prevention Of Bed Bug Bites
If you have bed bugs rather than eczema , you will simply continue to suffer from bites if you donot get to the root of the problem and get rid of the bed bugs.
In fact, you can even move to a new houseand bring bed bugs with you. So, you must eradicate them.
The EPA provides recommendations here for killing the bed bugs once you locate them, including non-chemical methods such as heat or cold treatment or steam cleaners.
Once you believe you have eliminated the threat, use traps or interceptors to prevent future infestations of your furnishings.
Can Dogs Get Eczema
YES!
Dogs can suffer from eczema and will often develop very similar symptoms to those experienced by humans. Often referred to by its clinical name, atopic dermatitis, or the common term hot spots, eczema in dogs requires careful attention and treatment to ensure your pets long-term health and recovery from the occasional flare up.
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How Can I Help My Dog Right Now
If you want to give your little tail-wagger some much-needed relief, consider giving him a good grooming session and a bath designed to soothe the skin.4 A thorough brushing will help remove unwanted dander and dandruffwhich helps remove any allergens attached to your pup’s fur. For bathtime, be sure to select a shampoo that will keep unwanted pests away as well as soothe your pup’s irritated skin. is a noteworthy option because it’s enriched with soothing aloe, oatmeal, coconut extract and lanolin.
As a pet parent, it’s up to you to prevent harm when possible, so preventative measures are paramount.5 Control and prevent what you can, and remember that canine skin allergies are extremely common. Obviously, you can’t bubble-wrap your furry friend, but you can take steps to keep him happy and healthy by removing potential allergens where possible.
Managing a dog with skin allergies can be involved and even frustrating for both you and your pup. But remember in most cases, allergic dermatitis can be controlled with a proper diagnosis. So, consult your vet and find a treatment plan that works best.
*excludes California.
How Do I Get Rid Of My Dogs Eczema
Supplement your dogs skin health with supplements, like Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids. Bathing your dog with soothing medicated foam shampoo helps heal dermal ailments and relieve itching. Immunotherapy in the form of a hypo-sensitizing injection can help target the offending allergens, once and for all.
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Will Baking Soda Help My Dog Stop Itching
Baking Soda becomes thick when mixed with water and it can dry out skins rashes. It is also an effective dog itching relief while decreasing inflammation and redness. Apply the mixture or paste to the itchy part and leave it for 20 minutes before rinsing it completely. You can add coconut oil to moisturize the skin.
How I Cured My Eczema Naturally
This article explores the best natural remedies for eczema.
Hi, Im Tiffany. Im an experienced dog trainer and owner of a free-range Siberian Husky who is a family pet that loves his tennis ball. In addition to being an instructor in animal behavior, Ive also worked as a technical writer for over ten years and have taught dozens of dog trainers from beginners who have never trained or rehabbed a dog in their lives to people with decades of experience. Im also a technical writer for my day job and have helped several clients write about dog training and behavior.
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