Skin disorders in pets are more common than you think. Symptoms may be subtle at first, but they can escalate quickly, becoming uncomfortable and painful, and lead to more serious complications. As pawrents, you can learn how to catch issues early and save the day.

What to look out for

One of the first signs of a skin disorder is itchiness. This can manifest as scratching around the body or even excessive licking and biting at the paws. This is followed by redness (as a sign of inflammation) and subsequent secondary infections. Once infection sets in, owners may notice hair loss, crusts, little red bumps and discharge. It is important to know that the ear canal is a continuation of the skin. As such, skin infection may first manifest in the ears, rather than on the body.

When you should be concerned

Pay attention to the first signs of discomfort (which may be as “minor” as excessive paw licking). The key point in skin issues is to target and control them early on. Waiting to address skin disorders only allows them to get out of control and results in additional discomfort to your pet and a prolonged course of treatment.    

Indications of serious health threats

Most importantly, severe infections can result in discomfort to your pet, resulting in excessive scratching and even subsequent bleeding. In female pets, skin infections localized to the hind portion of the body can even result in an ascending infection to the bladder and subsequent urinary tract infection. We’ve had many patients with severe infections, specifically between their paws, who had difficulty walking.

Diagnosis and treatment

At Wags Animal Hospital, our in-house lab and pharmacy enable us to deliver prompt, effective care for our patients.  We perform skin and ear cytologies to assess the type of infection present. Results come back within 10-15 minutes. This allows us to assign a targeted treatment approach, which is key in addressing skin infections.  

Our in-house pharmacy is equipped to help our patients. Whether it’s therapy given during the visit or therapy sent home, we are ready to help your fur babies feel immediate comfort and help improve their condition within days. 

The allergy factor

This is very much dependent on the case and the source of the allergy to the patient. If mango pollen is deemed the allergen, we see fewer issues from October to April. However, if the allergen is storage or dust mites, which are both common to our environments and impossible to remove, then a pet’s condition may be year-round. This is why it’s important to get to the root cause of the allergy and come up with a treatment approach that works best for your dog or cat.   

Medicated baths are key in removing contact time with potential environmental allergens. You can perform a medicated bath at home to provide relief for your furry friend. This video will show you how it’s done.

Routine checks for early detection

There is no smoke without fire. That’s why we recommend that pawrents examine their pet daily for redness on the bottom of the paws, armpits, or groin area. Physically smelling the ears for odor is another good habit to have. Therapy (even at home) should begin the minute these symptoms are noted, so we can get on top of the condition before it gets bad. 

You’ve got support

Your pet can’t tell you when something’s wrong, but the signs are there if you know what to look for. At Wags Animal Hospital, we’re here to treat skin disorders quickly and effectively. If your fur babies are showing signs of itchiness or skin discomfort, don’t wait. Contact us right away for their relief and good health.