Think back to when you had poison ivy, a case of hives or an itchy mosquito bite. You probably couldn't sleep well and had trouble concentrating because of the itching and discomfort. Unpleasant, right? When your pet has a skin problem, it's even worse because your pet cannot communicate its discomfort other than scratching, itching, rubbing or being irritable.
Your dog or cat is stuck feeling miserable until you take action. Because diverse skin problems can often look similar, an accurate diagnosis is critical to an effective treatment. As a pet parent you will want to pay attention to the signs of skin disease and schedule time to see us at A Pet's Place. If your pet has a skin problem there will be signs, often times, more than one.
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These signs are important clues. Here's what you should watch for:. A little chewing once in a while is fine; a lot of chewing is not. Chewing is one way pets react to itchy skin. Their teeth answer the need to scratch, at least for awhile. Chewing can be serious because it can damage skin, creating an entry point for infection from bacteria, yeast, or fungus that live on the skin. This invasion can allow the infection to move into other areas of the body. When you notice your pet chewing, observe the time of day, the environment, recent food or contact.
Note all the details you can. This will be helpful information to determine the underlying cause. Discharge is a fluid that seeps from a sore, wound or ears. It may be clear, pink, red, brown, grayish or green. Regardless of color, discharge is almost always an indicator of infection and your pet should be seen by a vet.
Caught early, an infection is often easy to treat. Delayed treatment, however, can result in complications. Changes in the color of the skin or haircoat or coat texture can be a sign of different skin problems bacterial yeast infections, allergies or hormonal disorder.
