How do you get rid of moist dermatitis in dogs

Dermatitis in Dogs: What to Know

Dermatitis in dogs is a common diagnosis, but what does it actually mean? Heres what to know about this group of skin conditions, including possible symptoms and treatments.

What Is Dermatitis in Dogs?

Dermatitis refers to a variety of issues that cause inflamed, often itchy, skin in dogs. Unfortunately, the word dermatitis is extremely generic, explains Dr. Domenico Santoro, DVM, Associate Professor of Dermatology at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. Essentially it just means inflammation of the skin, which is about 90% of what we see in a multitude of diseases.

Signs and Symptoms of Dermatitis in Dogs

Itching, scratching, and excessive licking or biting are common signs of dermatitis in dogs. Dermatitis may occur because of secondary bacterial infections. A skin problem may start as a minor itch, but as the dog scratches, then chews and licks, they open the skin, introducing bacteria. Small, pimple-like bumps erupt, burst open, and lead to crusting and scaling.

If the problem moves from the skins upper layer to deeper layers, the infected area may become painful and leak fluid. Dead skin may even fall off.

When inflammation doesnt go away, the skin becomes thickened and darkens. It may start to become scaly, discharge more fluid, or give off a strong odor. If your dog has dermatitis, you may also see pus-filled blisters, scabs, and hair loss, among other symptoms.

Causes of Different Kinds of Dermatitis in Dogs

Because dermatitis refers to so many different conditions, there are many possible causes, including: irritants that touch the skin, burns, trauma, allergies, such as atopic dermatitis or food sensitivities, and systemic diseases, which are conditions that affect the whole body. Infections can also cause dermatitis, and can be caused by bacteria, viruses, external parasites (like mites or fleas), or fungi (such as yeast).

Ear Mites in Dogs

Ear mites are highly contagious mites (a type of small bug). As their name suggests, ear mites usually show up in dogs ears (especially puppies).

Hot Spots in Dogs

Hot spots, also called pyotraumatic dermatitis, usually result from underlying issues (like flea bites or pyoderma) that encourage a dog to scratch and chew. The scratching creates opportunities for bacteria to enter, while the chewing creates a moist environment where the bacteria thrive, causing the lesion to quickly worsen, hence the name hot.

Malassezia Dermatitis in Dogs

Malassezia yeast is a yeast (a type of fungus) thats already present on dog skin. But when it overproduces, it can irritate your dogs skin and result in canine yeast dermatitis.

Mange in Dogs

Mange is a skin disease caused by mites on your dog. There are two types of mange in dogs: demodectic mange and sarcoptic mange (also known as canine scabies). Demodectic mange, or demodicosis, occurs when Demodex mites, which normally live on your dogs skin, multiply unchecked in hair follicles. In contrast, dogs get sarcoptic mange, a highly contagious condition, when a mite called Sarcoptes scabiei moves from host to host.

Pyoderma in Dogs

A bacterial skin disease, canine pyoderma has several main forms. Often caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, skin fold (or surface) pyoderma appears in moist folds of skin or wrinkles. In superficial pyoderma, the infection has penetrated a bit deeper. Deep pyoderma occurs once the infection spreads to the skin layer closest to the dogs muscle.

Seborrheic Dermatitis in Dogs

Seborrhea is a condition where the outer layer of skin is renewed at an abnormally fast rate. Primary seborrhea in dogs is hereditary, while secondary seborrhea results from underlying medical conditions (like allergies or hormonal problems).

Skin Allergies in Dogs

Skin allergies (also known as allergic dermatitis) are the most common type of allergic reaction in dogs. They are often caused by allergies to flea bites, food, or environmental factors (atopic dermatitis).

Walking Dandruff in Dogs

Also known as walking dandruff, cheyletiella mites are contagious and can live off a dog for up to 10 days. Youll spot tiny, white moving specks on your dogs back and trunk.

Diagnosing Dermatitis in Dogs

Your vet will take your dogs medical history, then examine them and analyze their symptoms. This will help inform them about what type of dermatitis your dog may have. In the case of flea allergies, for example, your doctor will be able to see flea bites on your dog.

In many cases, your vet will perform skin scrapings or remove discharge. Once they obtain these samples, the vet will examine them under the microscope to look for yeast, parasites, mites, or other organisms.

If there are underlying causes, your vet will determine what they are. This may involve blood work or other examinations. For example, your vet may conduct an intradermal skin test to identify environmental allergens. To identify food allergies, they may change your dogs diet.

Dog Dermatitis Treatment

Treating dermatitis ultimately depends on the underlying source causing the inflammation of your dogs skin. Additionally, treating the specific symptoms of your dogs skin condition is important to prevent them from causing further trauma to themselves.

To treat itching, your vet may prescribe antihistamines, steroids, or other oral medications. They may also add fatty acids to your dogs diet. Topical anti-itch sprays can help minimize discomfort. A recovery collar can prevent further infection due to chewing and scratching.

If the cause is yeast, your vet will prescribe topical and oral antifungals. Your vet may recommend washing with canine shampoos with benzoyl peroxide, selenium disulfide, or other products designed to remove scale and grease. They may also prescribe an antifungal dog shampoo containing chlorhexidine, miconazole, or ketoconazole.

If the cause is bacteria, your vet may prescribe oral antibiotics. Theyll likely recommend regular cleansing with a mild antiseptic or antimicrobial shampoo, then using an oatmeal-based dog shampoo to soothe irritated skin. Its important to thoroughly dry your dog after bathing them. Dampness creates a breeding ground for bacteria or fungi.

If there are mites or fleas present, your vet will likely recommend topical and oral products designed to kill them. If your dog has a flea allergy, use the veterinarian-recommended flea treatment on your dog, and add a flea and tick preventative to avoid re-infestation.

Mites can be hard to find, so your vet may treat suspected cases the same way they would treat confirmed cases. Your vet will likely recommend oral medications like antibiotics and antihistamines, as well as topical options like miticidal shampoo. You will want to wash all canine bedding repeatedly. Treat the environment with dog-safe insecticidal sprays and be sure to disinfect grooming equipment.

If necessary, your vet may refer your dog to a veterinary dermatologist.

New Medications for Dogs With Dermatitis

In recent years, newer, safer anti-inflammatory treatments for dermatitis in dogs have become available. In terms of therapies, you have the antipruritic anti-itch medications, Dr. Santoro explains. These include lokivetmab, brand name Cytopoint, and oclacitinib, brand name Apoquel.

Lokivetmab fights one type of protein that helps create allergies. Administered by an injection just under the skin, each dose of lokivetmab lasts from four to eight weeks. Oclacitinib is a daily oral medication that reduces itchiness and inflammation due to allergic reactions.

Theres also the new liquid oral formulation of cyclosporine, adds Dr. Santoro. Cyclosporine decreases a dogs immune response, which in turn decreases allergy-related itching and inflammation. Talk to your vet about whether one of these medications could be helpful to your dog.

Dermatitis in Dogs

What is dermatitis in dogs?

Dog dermatitis is a condition that can affect your dogs skin, causing itching and inflammation. Itching can be very uncomfortable for your dog. If ongoing, dermatitis in dogs can start to affect your pets quality of life, affecting their appetite and their ability to rest. Constant scratching, licking and biting makes the skin red, sore and open to infection.

The main causes of dermatitis in dogs are:

• Parasites: Fleas, mites, ticks
• Infections: Bacterial or fungal
• Allergies: Environmental (such as pollen, grass, dust mites) or food

The main areas of dog dermatitis can be found on your dogs:

Certain skin conditions can also affect the face, bottom, back and sides.

Symptoms of dermatitis in dogs

There are several symptoms of dermatitis in dogs which can affect their behaviour and can eventually lead them to lose their hair. If your dog has a skin condition, you may notice that your dog is showing signs of:

• Itching
• Excessive scratching
• Rubbing on the carpet
• Hair loss
• Greasy or flaky skin with an odour
• Chewing their paws
• Saliva staining (red/brown staining on the fur where your dog has been licking)
• Redness of ear flaps, sometimes with dark waxy discharge
• Thickening or dark colour of skin (especially in hairless areas)
• Redness or rashes on the belly
• Spots or crusts on the body

How is Dermatitis diagnosed in dogs?

Some causes of dog dermatitis can be diagnosed by the areas affected and whether a single pet or several pets in a household have the symptoms.

Tests we can carry out during a free consultation are:

• Flea comb: Flea dirt or live fleas will indicate a flea infestation
• Tape strips: Where we use sellotape to collect a small sample of skin cells and surface bacteria which we can examine under a microscope. This will often show yeasts and bacteria if present.
• Skin scrapes: This is where we scrape the top surface of the skin to examine under a microscope. This is used to detect mites which live in the skin layer.
• Hair plucks: These will allow us to detect some parasitic and fungal infections.
• Woods lamp: A UV light is used to detect some types of fungal infection (ringworm).
• Blood tests: These can be used for dogs with allergic dermatitis to find out what they are allergic to. This can sometimes be helpful to avoid the triggers of allergies.

Tests we may need to carry out under sedation are:

• Skin biopsy: Sometimes a full-thickness sample of skin is required to find certain types of mites and to detect certain skin conditions which cause hair loss.
• Skin scrapes: Of sensitive areas such as around the eyes or paws.

Treatment of dermatitis in dogs

There are various ways to treat dermatitis in dogs and care for your pet depending on the severity of their condition.

• Parasitic dermatitis: Regular use of a prescription flea, tick and mite treatment will eliminate the majority of these problems. Unfortunately, many fleas are now resistant to supermarket products so they cannot be relied upon to treat an infestation. 95% of the flea life cycle occurs off your pet, so a household treatment will also be required. Only certain prescription products will cover mites and ticks, so be guided by your vet as to which product your pet needs. Most of these require monthly treatment, although there are some which can last up to 3 months.

• Skin infections: An infection on the surface of the skin can be effectively controlled by the use of medicated shampoos. These require regular (often twice weekly or more) use initially to bring the infection under control. They can then often be reduced to once a fortnight to maintain the skin, dependent on your dogs condition. Some dogs with deeper skin infections may require prolonged courses of antibiotics (6-8 weeks or more) to control the infection.

• Allergic dermatitis: The management of this is more complex and will likely be for the lifetime of your pet. They may become allergic to more things as they go through life. If your pet is allergic to dust mites or storage mites, reducing the numbers of these within your dogs accommodation may help. Storing food in sealed containers will reduce storage mites.

• Treatment of carpeted areas, bedding for dust mites can also help, or ideally having your pet on hard floors and washing bedding regularly.

• Avoiding known triggers such as grasses/pollens and washing your dogs legs after walks can help reduce irritation.

• Conducting a food trial can be worthwhile, as many dog allergies can be at least partly controlled by an appropriate diet. This involves a 6-8 week exclusion diet, using a prescription hypoallergenic diet. Nothing else must pass your dogs lips, except water, during this time. After the food trial, you will need to gradually expose your dog to normal foods/treats to find out what the triggers are. This may not work for every dog.

• Oatmeal and skin hydrating shampoos can be very useful for dogs with dry, flaky skin.

• Medications to control itching these include steroids, Atopica, Apoquel and Cytopoint. Steroids are usually used for short term management of itching as there can be long term side effects. They are usually very effective. Atopica treats the immune system cause of the itch so is useful at preventing skin infections. Apoquel is an anti-itch tablet, and in conjunction with the other measures above, can be very effective. It has fewer side effects than steroids. Cytopoint is the newest treatment available. It is given by regular injection, every 4-8 weeks and is very specific to itch, meaning it has very few side effects.

Is dog dermatitis contagious?

Allergic dermatitis and most dog skin infections are not contagious to other animals or members of the family. The only conditions which could affect other pets and also humans are:

• Ringworm: Is a fungal infection, which is spread between dogs and humans through spores. Ringworm in dogs is a patch of hair that can either be a scab or inflamed and in humans, ringworm will look like a circle red rash, which can be fairly itchy.

• Flea infestation: All animals in the household will need treating. Humans may be bitten on the ankles/feet by emerging flea larvae, but they will not live on humans.

• Harvest mites: These are tiny, bright orange mites, only found in late summer. They will often affect multiple animals in the household and can cause an itchy rash where your pets feet have come into contact with you, so often on the tummy or legs where they have sat on your lap.

Prevention of dermatitis in dogs

There are ways to prevent dermatitis in dogs and caring for your pet including adapting their diet, and similar to humans, avoiding the use of cleaning or wash products that could cause irritation to their fur:

• Regular use of prescription parasite control
• Feed good quality food without artificial food colourings and flavourings
• Prompt veterinary treatment for itching to prevent secondary infections
• Avoiding contact with strong detergents /cleaners which may cause skin reactions
• Avoid buying puppies from dogs with skin conditions, as allergies are often inherited.

If you are concerned about your pets skin, please contact your local Animal Trust surgery or book a free consultation online.