Recovery And Management Of Seborrhea In Dogs
Recovery and management depend on the cause of the seborrhea. If a primary cause of seborrhea can be found, managing the primary disease is key.
It can take several weeks for the signs of seborrhea to resolve, and the primary disease-causing seborrhea will need to be managed for life.
It is also important to understand that once seborrhea is present, abnormal keratin placement in the skin will continue to occur.
Using anti-seborrheic shampoos and ear cleaners on a schedule recommended by your vet for the rest of your dogs life helps to decrease keratin buildup and prevent infections.
If your dog gets itchier or develops skin lesions, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Management of seborrhea often requires a lifelong routine of bathing and ear cleaning, but with consistent treatment, your dog can enjoy a good quality of life.
Dogshampoo Therapy For Typical Dog Skin Conditions
Often, an owner will notice one of the following dog skin problems orconditions:
Each may be improved with the purchase of the right dogshampoo or skin care product.
Purchasing a Dog Shampoo to Clean and Moisturize the Skin:
Only use shampoos that are formulated for dogs. Look forproducts that have essential fatty acids, and preferably containbiotin, Vitamin E and vitamin B-5/pantothenic acid. Look for products that are hypoallergenicand/or all natural.
A recommended dog shampoo that meets these criteria is DermaPetConditioning Shampoo.
Dog Dry Skin Treatment
After using a product like the DermaPet mentioned above for bathing, ifa dog has dry skin, there is some benefit to using a bath oil,conditioner, emollient or humectant. Products thatcontain fatty acids can also be helpful.
These products can be applied daily to the skin, and can beparticularly helpful for dogs that live in warmer or dry climates.
A recommend dog skin conditioner is DermAllyOatmeal Skin Conditioner.
Dog Seborrhea Treatment
Canine seborrhea can result in dry dog skin or greasy dog skin. These dog skin problems result from skin cells being producedfaster than older dead cells can fall away from the dog.
To moisturize the skin of a dog with seborrhea, something as simple asbathing in plain water for 10 to 15 minutes can help.Medicated shampooscan also be of help such as those that contain sulfur and salicylicacid.
A recommended dog seborrhea shampoo is DermaPetDermaBenS Shampoo.
Treating Dog Hot Spots
Use Gentle Chemical Exfoliants
The American Academy of Dermatology stresses the importance of using active ingredients to remove scales from your skin. This is important because they soften the attachment of the scale to the skin, making the scales easier to remove.
Locate the scales that you want to remove
Your approach will be different if the scales are hidden under hair, sitting right at your hairline, or behind your ears.
Choose a spot treatment or shampoo
If your scales are surrounded by hair, its best to use a medicated shampoo to soften them. Although shampoos have milder ingredients than topical spot treatments, they provide the added benefit of gentle physical exfoliation.
A spot treatment might have stronger ingredients and should be applied directly onto hairless skin.
Choose your ingredients
Look for the following ingredients, either in shampoos or topical creams:
- Salicylic acid is a powerful exfoliating ingredient that can be found in shampoos and creams. It helps lift and soften scaling and is best as a spot treatment. Shampoos with salicylic acid should be used sparingly, as they can dry your scalp and may lead to more flaking.
- Coal tar is one of the most common ingredients in psoriasis shampoos. It helps soften any scaling on the scalp.
- Lactic acid and urea work similarly to salicylic acid. Theyre scale lifters that soften and break down the thickness of your flakes. They can be found in shampoos or spot treatments.
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Can You Prevent Psoriasis
Genetic factors may play a role in the development of psoriasis, and there is some evidence that specific environmental factors might trigger an initial attack and subsequent flares.
However, those factors appear to vary between individuals. As a result, it is not possible to prevent psoriasis.
It might be possible to prevent subsequent flare-ups by keeping track of triggers.
A person with psoriasis might find that their psoriasis worsens with stress, after sunburn, or when they eat certain foods. Avoiding these triggers can lengthen the time between flare-ups and may prevent an early flare-up from spreading.
Can A Dog Have Eczema Or Psoriasis
Dogs can develop both eczema and psoriasis. Because the symptoms are often very similar, you may confuse the two. If your dog develops scaling, redness, and itching, and irritation, it is important to seek the vet for a diagnosis. Your vet will perform specialized testing to determine what is causing your dogs skin condition symptoms. A proper diagnosis will allow for the right treatment.
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What About Physical Contact
Before doctors knew what caused psoriasis, they often confused it with leprosy — and people who had it were considered contagious. But now we know that you cannot catch the condition by brushing up against someone who has it. You also can’t get it from kissing, having sex, or swimming in the same water.
People get psoriasis because of their genes, not because of bad hygiene, their diet or lifestyle, or any other habits. They didnât get it from someone else, and they cannot infect others.
Even so, thereâs a lot of stigma around the condition, which can be hard for people who have it. They might feel uncomfortable when people stare at their lesions or avoid touching them, and they may try to hide their outbreaks under long clothing.
If you have psoriasis, you can help put an end to confusion and misunderstandings about the disease by talking openly with friends, family, and co-workers. And if you know people who have it, make sure they know that their condition doesn’t affect your opinion of them or make you not want to be around them.
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Signs And Symptoms: How To Spot Skin Cancer In Dogs
Dog skin cancer symptoms depend on the type of cancer it is and where the tumor is located on your dogâs body.
Melanomas. Benign melanocytomas may range in size from very small to more than 2.5 inches in diameter. They appear on areas of the skin covered with hair and may be black, brown, gray, or red in color. Malignant dog melanomas tend to occur in the mouth, on the lips, and in the toenail beds, and pads of the feet. When dog melanomas occur in the feet, they often become infected, leading to misdiagnosis as a simple infection.
Squamous cell carcinomas. These tumors are firm and raised with a wart-like appearance. They often occur on the abdomen and around the genitals. When they occur on the feet, they may be painful and cause your dog to limp.
Mast cell tumors. These skin cancers in dogs are typically slow-growing and rubber-like. More aggressive mast cell tumors grow faster and may ulcerate, leading to the development of sore, inflamed areas on the dogâs body. Mast cell tumors most commonly occur on the trunk of the body, though they are found on the legs about 25% of the time.
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Cellular Immunology In Psoriasis
The insufficient regulation of specific cellular immune response is also involved in the development of psoriasis . In normal conditions, Treg cells regulate the activity of autoreactive Th1 and Th17 cells, but in psoriasis Treg cells might not be functional, as was evidenced in the CD18hypo mouse model . Homozygous PL/J CD18 hypomorphic mice developed spontaneously psoriasislike skin in 12 to 14weekold mice. CD18 is a molecule that together with CD11a constitutes an adhesion molecule of the 2 integrin family, important for the complete function of Treg cells. It has been suggested that CD18hypo mice induce psoriasis because CD18low expressing Treg cells, or with a not fully active molecule, cannot regulate the activity of autoreactive Th1 and Th17 cells, since these mice improve when Treg cells from normal mice are transferred . In CD18hypo mice, psoriatic lesions meliorate when macrophages are eliminated by the use of clodronate liposomes in the skin . These results show the importance of Treg cell and macrophages in the evolution of psoriasis.
How To Treat The Most Common Dog Skin Problems
To treat dog skin problems effectively, the cause of theproblemsuchas allergy or infection needs to be identified.Reaching a quick diagnosis is sometimes difficult, since dogskin problems due to allergy and infectionoften result in similar symptoms. Because of this, a veterinarian willoften prescribe antibiotics and a medicated shampoo since this willtreat a potential dog skin infection. If the condition does not clearup, then additional steps can be taken to treat a dog skin allergy.
Veterinarians also make use of corticosteroids toaddressdog skin itch and inflammation. These are not prescribed forperiods longer than 2 weeks unless needed due to potential sideeffects such as increased drinking , increasedappetite and increased urination . You may alsosee your dog panting more than usual and tiredness. The medicationsshould be given after a morning meal. If you see any sideeffects, or changes in your dogs behavior or mental condition, be sureto immediately alert your veterinarian.
DogSkin Itch:To help avoid scratching, anti-itch medications are often prescribed.Itching in a dog in reaction to an allergy is the equivalent of a humansneeze. The allergen causes chemicals to be released in the dog’s bodywhich causes skin inflammation. The result is a dog skinitch.
Prescription medications such as cortisone can bring shorttermreliefby blocking the release of the chemicals in the body that cause itchydog skin, but are often avoided due to potential side effects.
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Is Psoriasis The Same As Eczema
Psoriasis and eczema are two different skin conditions. They differ in where the disease appears on the body, how much it itches and how it looks. Eczema tends to appear more often behind the knees and inside the elbows. Eczema also causes more intense itching than psoriasis. Many people, especially children, can get both eczema and psoriasis.
Is It Possible To Prevent Dog Psoriasis
While it is not always possible to prevent canine psoriasis, a strong immune system is a goal. Psoriasis will typically only develop in a dog that has a compromised immune system. Supporting your dogs immune system will greatly reduce the risks of him developing psoriasis.
If your dogs breed is genetically disposed to developing psoriasis, it would be wise for you to talk to your vet and learn what steps you can take for prevention. Preliminary changes to your dogs diet may help reduce the risks of psoriasis development.
Start with the supplements listed above. Feed your dog high-quality foods. Understanding dog nutrition is key.
You should also make sure to help your dog get plenty of exercises. Spending time out in the sunshine can do wonders for your dogs skin health. It is especially helpful to allow him to spend time outside when it is not overly hot.
When your dog is fed the right food, gets vitamins, and receives exercise in the sun, he is less likely to develop skin conditions like psoriasis.
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Treatment Options For Psoriasis In Dogs
Psoriasis is a skin condition that can affect either dogs or people, and is caused by an autoimmune disorder that often lasts for prolonged periods of time, leading to changes to the texture and colour of certain patches of the skin. It is usually easy to identify by its scaly, red patches that are often flaky as well as itchy and irritable, and as the skin itself is damaged in such areas, this can also raise the chances of the dog developing a secondary infection. Psoriasis may affect small, localised spots and patches of the body only, or become very severe, spreading across virtually the whole body of the dog.
While psoriasis is not contagious or at all dangerous to other dogs or people and is often overlooked as a minor condition because it is topical and affects the skin, it is important to get treatment for your dog from the vet, as the condition can lead to additional complications. Left unchecked, your dog is likely to bite, scratch and lick their psoriasis patches to distraction, leading to open wounds and secondary infections developing in a dog that is already, by the nature of the condition, immuno-compromised.
While the condition can affect any breed or type of dog that is immune compromised, psoriasis tends to present more often in some breeds of dog than others, including the West Highland terrier and the Golden retriever.
In this article, we will look at the symptoms of psoriasis in dogs, and how it can be treated and managed. Read on to learn more.
The Role Of Cytokines In Psoriasis
Other sort of psoriatic animal models includes those where cytokines and cells of immune system are involved. The importance of type I interferons in the psoriasis was demonstrated in IFN regulatory factor2 deficient mice, a transcriptional repressor for IFN signaling. These mice developed skin lesions similar to human psoriasis , in fact, type I interferons promote the activation of dermal dendritic cells .
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Types Of Plaque Psoriasis
There are a number of different terms that help doctors tell one type of plaque psoriasis from another:
Small plaque psoriasis: This version causes lots of little lesions, each one no bigger than a few centimeters. They may remain separate or they could merge. The crusty parts on top are pink with a finer grain and thinner crust than in large plaque psoriasis. Family history of psoriasis is less common in this version of the condition.
Small plaque psoriasis can happen at any age, but itâs more common after age 40. It often responds well to phototherapy.
Large plaque psoriasis: Here, the lesions are thicker and often larger with edges that are more clear than in small plaque psoriasis. The crusty parts are red rather than pink and show a whitish-silvery scale.
Large plaque psoriasis can emerge anytime but is more common in those younger than 40. Some studies link the condition to metabolic syndrome. Itâs harder to treat than small plaque psoriasis, and itâs more likely to run in families.
Unstable plaque psoriasis: In unstable psoriasis, the plaques of psoriasis lose their sharp, clear edges as they enlarge and sometimes join together. New plaques may appear too.
Chronic, stable plaque psoriasis: This is the most common form of plaque psoriasis and psoriasis in general. Lesions tend to stick around or reemerge after the first outbreak. The most common areas are the elbows, knees, torso, and head and scalp, though there may be other areas too.
Why Do Dogs Get Gum Disease
Blame bacteria for gum disease in people and in pets. Almost immediately after an animal eats, bacteria, along with food, saliva, and other particles, begin forming a sticky film called plaque over teeth.
“The bacteria in plaque does a lot of things,” says Brett Beckman, DVM, FAVD, DAVDC, DAAPM, a veterinary dentist practicing in Florida and Georgia. “But one thing it does both in pets and humans is to cause our immune system to recognize it as foreign.”
When the body of your dog senses a foreign invader, it marshals white blood cells to attack. In turn, the bacteria in plaque tells the white blood cells to release enzymes to break down gum tissue. This skirmish leads to inflamed gums, destroyed tissue, and loss of bone. The end result: Tooth loss.
Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, happens five times more often in dogs than in people, says Colleen O’Morrow, DVM, a veterinary dentist in Manitoba, Canada, and fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry. The reason? Dogs have a more alkaline mouth than humans, which promotes plaque formation. Also, most pets don’t have their teeth brushed every day, giving plaque-forming bacteria the chance they need to multiply.
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Diagnosis And Treatment Of Dog Skin Conditions
As you can see from the discussion above, there many possibletypes of dog skinproblems. If you decide to treat the condition yourself atfirst, consider the shampoo therapy recommendations listed above. If you do not see improvement after several days, or notother changes in your dog’s general condition, be sure to seek theadvice of a veterinarian or veterinary dermatologist.
Psoriasis: Too Many Skin Cells
In psoriasis, new cells build up in the top layer of your skin. They grow faster than your body can remove, or shed, them. Blood vessels below become swollen. This causes thick, red patches, or plaques. What they look and feel like depends on what type of psoriasis you have. Doctors aren’t sure what causes it. They think problems with genes and the immune system play a role.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Dog Psoriasis
Being aware of the symptoms of canine psoriasis is essential. The following are some of the most common symptoms you may notice with your dog if he has psoriasis.
- Excessive levels of dandruff
- Patches of red skin
- Excessive itching
- Scaly patches that may develop on the head, legs, tips of the elbows, and the sacral area
The symptoms of psoriasis can often be mistaken for other skin conditions, including eczema, seborrheic dermatitis , and food allergies. It is important to find out if psoriasis is the proper diagnosis so treatment can begin immediately.
Treating Gum Disease In Dogs
It’s only recently that most of us have even heard of dentistry for dogs, so chances are good your dog may already have some gum disease. Studies show that more than 80% percent of dogs have some stage of periodontal disease by the age of 3.
Once the problem is under way, treatment depends on its stage, though initially all treatment requires an exam and X-rays to determine the presence of disease.
- Stage 1 of gum disease in dogs consists of mild redness or inflammation of the gums, without periodontal pockets between the gum and tooth. For this stage a cleaning above and below the gum line is the only treatment required. “This is where we would like to see the patient,” Beckman says, but “unfortunately we donât come across this very often.”
- Stage 2 occurs once there are periodontal pockets between the gum and tooth, but before any significant bone involvement. Here the gum tissue and tooth root are cleaned, rinsed, and treated with a gel to help reattach the gum to the tooth root.
- Stage 3 gum disease in dogs is when periodontal pockets around the teeth go deeper than 5 millimeters, which means there’s now bone loss. “Depending upon the anatomy of the bone loss, many times we can expose the defect by opening a gum flap and cleaning out the diseased tissue around the tooth root and bone,” says Beckman, then use special therapies to grow new tissue and bone.
- Stage 4 is when bone loss is over 50%, and tooth extraction is the only treatment.
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