Dogs skin

Abscesses are pockets of pus under the skin. They are often caused by a bite or puncture wound that closed up trapping bacteria inside. Snakebites are notorious for causing abscesses. Occasionally an abscess will burst open on its own and allow for drainage, others will need a veterinarian to lance and clean it out.
Bacterial infections are often a secondary infection to another conditions. A dog that has scratched or rubbed at an area and left opened skin without proper cleansing or antibiotic treatment will often have a bacterial infection set in. The infected area or wound becomes red, swollen, warm to the touch and very painful. This infection can worsen and cause a discharge of pus that will require a veterinarian to treat.
Calluses are typically seen in the larger breeds that regularly lay on a hard surface such as concrete. These calluses usually occur on the elbows, outer sides of the hocks, hips and legs. The skin will thicken and become gray, wrinkled and the dog will lose all hair in the affected area. The best prevention against calluses is to provide the dog with a soft, padded bed area.
Hot spots are usually seen in dogs that have heavy, dense coats like the Collie, Samoyed, German Shepherd and so on. They can appear in others but the heavy coat actually aids in worsening of the problem. Hot spots seem to appear overnight and without warning. They worsen quickly as the dog licks and chews at the skin to find relief from the pain caused by the moist, swollen, foul smelling area. Treatment should include clipping or shaving the area as well as a portion of the unaffected area around the hot spot, cleaning and medicating as soon as the symptoms appear. Owners need to use caution if they attempt treatment on their own. Hot spots are extremely painful and even the best natured dog may attempt to bite during the clipping and cleansing process.
Hypothyroidism is the cause of many of the skin problems seen by veterinarians. Certain breeds even seem to have a prevalence towards the condition. Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland doesn’t secrete enough of the hormones that control the metabolic rate of the dog. When an insufficiency occurs, the dog will often gain weight, become less active, and lose hair from the main portion of the body. There will often be a darkening of skin pigmentation while it also becomes scaly. Bacterial and ear infections often set in as well. To determine whether your dog suffers from hypothyroidism, a veterinarian will do testing on a sample of blood. If thyroid insufficiency is proven, the veterinarian will prescribe a hormone replacement such as Soloxine. The initial dosage will be educated guesswork and will require follow up blood testing to ensure the proper blood levels are reached. Once started on the thyroid medication, the dog often shows miraculous results in as little as two to three weeks. The time for re-growing of hair may take up to several months.
Ringworm isn’t an actual worm but a contagious fungal infection. The hair is lost in a circular pattern and scaly lesions appear. These lesions can be small or encompass large areas of the body. If left untreated, crusty areas will often occur. Ringworm treatment is an involved, drawn out process that often requires several days of oral medications. Owners need to be warned that ringworm isn’t just contagious between dogs. It is a Zoonotic infection that can be transmitted from dog to other animals as well as to humans. A veterinarian will use several ways for diagnosing ringworm such as skin scrapings, fungal cultures and a Wood’s lamp. Owners are very fond of the latter procedure since the Wood’s lamp is similar to a black light. A technician will usually hold the dog, the veterinarian will pass the lamp over the dog in a darkened exam room and the owner can actually see infected areas on the dog. Fungus such as ringworm will glow under the Wood’s lamp but all too often; the owner is horrified to find spores also glowing on them.
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