Why is my puppy getting bald spots
Here’s why your puppy is getting bald spots:
1: Ringworm causing fungus in dogs
2: Dog food allergies: There’s nothing comforting than knowing that your pet is eating the best pet food(possibly Vegan Dog food available here on Amazon) possible. Unfortunately, some dogs will suffer from food allergies which can cause serious skin problems including bald spots and skin irritation.
3: Pests like mange mites
Ringworms In Dogs
Dog ringworms are also problematic for most pet owners… despite its name ringworm is not caused by a worm but by a fungus.
The term ringworm comes from the circular patches that can form anywhere but are often found on a dog’s head paws ears and forelegs
A visibly raised skin inflammation which is also has scaly patches and hair loss often on the surrounding of the lesions.
Puppies less than a year old are the most susceptible and the infection can spread quickly between dogs in a kennel or to pet owners at home.
Good news for pet owners is that various antifungal treatments are available
Symptoms of Ringworm in Dogs.
Ringworms in dogs often develop these symptoms classic ringworm lesions that are noticeable on the under-belly of animals as patchy areas of hair loss and scaliness.
These dog skin lesions are not exclusive to the belly as they can also escalate on to the dog’s head, ears, paws, and limbs.
So, if you have been wondering why is my puppy getting bald spots? Well, ringworm infection on a dog may be the real cause for your dog’s bald and patchy spots. These patches simply look like a bald spot, with very little inflammation or redness—and it’s not usually itchy.
Causes Of Ringworms In Dogs
Ringworms in dogs are predominantly caused by an infectious fungus Microsporum Canis.
According to published(1) reports, a total of 70 percent of ringworm cases reported over the years were a result of this ferocious ringworm-causing fungus while 20 percent are caused by the fungus Microsporum gypsum, and the other 10 percent are due to Trichophyton mentagrophytes.
While the initial infection of ringworms on pets may look superficial, considering the fact that most cases of ringworms only affect a few areas of the dog’s body.
Mange Mites
Mange mites infestation has been known to cause severe bacteria that can lead to consequential infections that may ultimately cause your puppy to start getting bald spots all over his body.
Tackle the infestation of mange mites in your dog and you will begin to see the patchy and bald skin of the dog start getting to heal progressively.
Symptoms Of Mange In Dogs: How To Know If Your Dog Has Mange Mites Infestation.
Here’s how to spot symptoms of Mange in dogs:
Intense itching: Mange mites attack the dog’s skin, therefore, causes a skin disease that triggers severe itching of the dog skin.
Dogs with symptomatic mange mites will constantly scratch their skin to a bleeding point. There are mites two types of mites that can affect dogs, sarcoptic and demodectic mange.
Sarcoptic mange, also known as canine scabies is the most common of the two and is known for being highly contagious.
It causes intense itching and, as a result of scratching, dogs suffer open sores, scabs and hair loss.
Along with hair loss around the ears, eyes, mouth, and elsewhere, signs your dog may have mites include oily skin, thickened skin, itching, and inflammation.
Top ten skin problems in dogs one dog skin problems the sound of a dog constantly scratching or licking can be as irritating as nails on a chalkboard but don’t blame your pooch for these bad habits, a skin condition is probably the culprit.
Possible causes range from parasites to allergies to underlying illness
In this post, learn some of the most common canine skin problems:
Allergic dermatitis: Dogs can have allergic reactions to grooming products food and environmental irritants such as pollen or insect bites.
A dog with allergies may scratch relentlessly and a peek at the skin often reveals an ugly rash corticosteroid can help with itchy rashes but the most effective treatment is to identify and avoid exposure to the allergen
Yeast infection
Yeast infection in dogs also causes lots of dog skin conditions like hair loss, scabs and odor. If your dog can’t seem to stop scratching an ear or licking and chewing her toes ask your veterinarian to check for a yeast infection symptoms include the irritated itchy or discolored skin the infection usually strikes the paws or ears wear yeast has a cozy space to grow yeast infections are easy to diagnose and often respond well to a topical cream in some cases your veterinarian may prescribe oral drugs or medicated baths.
Folliculitis
Superficial bacterial folliculitis is an infection that causes sores bumps and scabs on the skin. These skin abnormalities are easier to see in short-haired dogs. In long-haired dogs, the most obvious symptoms may be a dull coat and shedding with scaly skin underneath.
What Causes Folliculitis In Dogs?
Folliculitis often occurs in conjunction with other skin problems such as mange, pet food allergies or injury.
Folliculitis Treatment In Dogs
Treatment may include oral antibiotics and antibacterial ointments or shampoos
Impetigo in Dogs
Another type of bacterial infection impetigo is most common in puppies. It causes pus-filled blisters that may break and crust over the blisters usually develop on the hairless portion of the abdomen.
Despite all the misconceptions, Canine impetigo is not contagious like impetigo in humans.
With that said, be aware that Canine impetigo is considered to be relatively benign providing that measures to contain the underlying factors are swiftly implemented to get rid of it with a potent topical impetigo treatment of the skin lesions.
Impetigo is also known for being more prevalent in Puppies as they are more prone to impetigo. All in all, puppies suffering from impetigo may also be as an indication of an underlying serious skin condition.
How To Spot Impetigo Symptoms In Dogs?
Impetigo is easily spotted by examining your puppy dog for visible lesions that usually can appear on the dog’s stomach in a form of blisters, and these blisters often can burst and dog skin scabs start to encroach over the healing blisters.
How to treat Dog Impetigo?
Dogs can be treated for impetigo with antibiotics or washes and your vet can run a few tests to diagnose the existing problem.
And for those of you wondering, how do you treat impetigo in dogs?
There are excellent choices of dog shampoos with a concentration of benzoyl peroxide, ethyl lactate, and chlorhexidine which can be used to treat impetigo in dogs.
As most of these shampoos for impetigo are available over the counter, your local veterinary will be instrumental in advising you on how often to use the shampoo effectively.
Washing your dog once or twice a week for a month is usually the standard advice by the majority of the medicated dog shampoos. Some of the topical creams or ointments that your veterinarian may prescribe are mupirocin, neomycin, and polymyxin.
Impetigo is rarely serious and can be treated with a topical solution in a small number of cases the infection may spread or persist
Canine Seborrhea.
Seborrhea is yet another dog skin condition that is liked to cause your puppy to get a bald spot. Canine seborrhea in dogs attacks the skin hence causing flaky skin (dandruff) and greasiness of the skin and hair.
What most pet owners do not foresee is the secondary infections this disorder commonly can lead to. If your dog smells bad for example, they may have an excess to the buildup of oil on the skin and hair.
Seborrhea causes a dog’s skin to become greasy and develop scabs, dandruff in some cases.
What Causes Seborrhea In Dogs?
Seborrhea in dogs is mostly a genetic disease that begins when a dog is young and lasts a lifetime but most dogs with seborrhea developed the scaling as a complication of another medical problem such as allergies or hormonal abnormalities.
In these cases, it is vital to treat the underlying cause so symptoms do not recur
Dog shedding and hair loss /alopecia
Anyone who shares their home with dogs knows that they shed, how much shedding is normal depends on breed, time of year and environment.
But sometimes stressed dogs, or those whose feeding is more on poor nutrition can cause a dog to lose even more hair than usual
If your pet dog’s abnormal or excessive shedding persists for more than 4 weeks or you notice patches of missing fur, you need to check with your veterinarian for food allergies if not anxieties that cause dogs to get stressed every time they are left home alone.
In case I did not stress enough about mange mites, they are a skin disorder caused by tiny parasites called mites sarcoptic mange also known as canine scabies which can also spread easily among dogs and can also be transmitted to humans.
Good news is that mange parasites don’t survive that long on humans.
Symptoms Your Dog Has Mange Mites.
Your dog may often engage in an intense scratching fit due to itching which also leaves the red-skinned sores and hair loss.
The dog’s ears, face, and legs are the most commonly affected by a skin type of mange known as demodectic mange which can cause bald spots, scabbing and sores.
Is demodectic mange contagious?
No, contrary to popular beliefs, demodectic mange is harmless to other dogs and not contagious to other near-by animals or humans.
In fact, Demodex mites are only transmittable at birth from mum to the puppies during their first few days of life.
However let it be known to you as a pet owner, Demodex mites are not contagious between animals or people.
Is demodectic mange curable?
Yes, demodectic mange can be curable over time with Amitraz as long as it is not localized demodectic mange. Treating demodectic mange will predominantly depend on what type of mange you are dealing with.
Like I said before, as long as it is not localized demodectic mange, with the help of Amitraz and time, it will go away, if not…usually demodectic mange does not have to be treated, but you will have to wait and hope that it will resolve itself as the puppy ages.
If you are the unlucky pet owner, whose dog develops the generalized type of demodectic mange, then be aware that your dog’s treatment is most certainly going to be lengthy and an expensive one.
Though Amitraz dips that have been applied effectively every two weeks as per advice. … Dogs should not really be considered as cured until the one year mark from the day of their last treatment is past.
Fleas
Fleabites are the bane of any pet owner…they are not visible to the eye as they are tiny insects themselves. Thanks to their feeding on blood, flea droppings or eggs are usually visible in a dog’s coat.
And other flea bites symptoms also include excessive licking or scratching, scabs and hot spots all over the pet’s skin.
On the same note…Severe flea infestations can cause serious blood loss and anemia to dogs especially puppies. The worst part of fleas bites is that they can also expose your dog to other parasites such as worms
Flea Treatment
Flea treatment in dogs may include a topical and oral flea killer while also making sure that the dog beddings are thoroughly cleaned if not replaced and making sure the home is also been cleaned or fumigated.
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