30/04/2024
Here are a few reasons why your dog might be itching, scratching, and chewing his paws..
The skin is the largest organ in the body and so it is not entirely surprising that skin diseases account for a significant proportion of dogs with allergies ,visits to the vets.
There are many conditions that affect the skin of dogs, ranging from flea bites to skin cancer, but what is almost certainly the most important canine skin disease is atopic dermatitis.
Skin Allergies
Are incredibly common in dogs, and whilst most cases are relatively mild and cause only minor irritation, dogs with allergies and dermatitis can cause significant long term suffering to affected animals.
The most common symptoms of dog allergies in the skin are:
Itching (or Pruritus as it is known to vets)
Red and inflamed skin
Fur loss and saliva staining
Paw chewing
And in long-standing cases, secondary symptoms such as the blackening and the thickening of skin.
The main causes of skin allergies in dogs are:
Atopy (allergies to things that are breathed in - dust, mites, pollen etc.)
Food allergies and intolerance
Contact allergies, including flea, tick and mite allergies, especially house dust mites.
Atopic Allergies
Are the most common and are caused by allergic reactions to inhaled allergens such as pollen from trees and grass, which tend to occur in spring when trees start to bud, and spring and summer when the grasses are pollinating.
Other inhaled allergens can be a problem all year round such as mould spores, household dust mites, chemicals on furniture and carpets, indoor air fresheners, washing powder and fabric conditioner, and fabrics like wool and nylon.
The symptoms of dog allergies tend to be expressed in the skin, licking paws and generalised itching are the classic symptoms of a case of atopic allergy
Atopy
Atopy is more common in certain breeds, with small breed dogs such as West Highland Terriers being most commonly affected - although all breeds can suffer from this kind of allergy.
Food
The next common cause of skin problems is dog allergies to food. Although these are much less common than many people think and there is much debate over their true prevalence.
There is a general consensus that dog allergies to food and ingredients such as wheat, beef and soya are responsible for a significant number of cases of skin allergies in dogs, but true skin allergies directly caused by food are actually quite uncommon.
If you think your dog having allergies to food could be the problem then your first port of call is an elimination diet to find out which food it could be.
Contact Allergies
Such as those caused by washing powders, house dust mites, harvest mites, grass and so on, are far more common than food allergies. Consider a contact allergy in dogs which have unusual patterns of allergies, such as redness only on the belly that has appeared just after their bed has been washed for example.
The good news is that in most cases, the solution to itchy dog skin is simply a matter of ensuring your pet is getting the right nutritional balance, that includes treats too (not always easy with modern complete diets) coupled with effective parasite control.
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