Pet Skin Doctor
Pet Skin Information
Hot spots, open or infected sores are not a delightful site to pet owners. There are so many causes for hot spots it’s hard to know where to begin. Was the problem spotted quickly, in the development stages or does your cat already have nasty, infected sores?
As our feline friends tend to “clean” and lick themselves more often than dogs do anyway, simply over-grooming can be the cause of the cat hot spots. But how do you stop this behavior? It depends on why your cat won’t stop grooming itself. From OCD, to fleas, allergies or another medical condition. Start by addressing the problem with your vet.
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At Pet Skin Doctor we hear of many pet skin problems or conditions, some more complicated than others, but all are of great concern to loving pet owner’s. One pet owner’s battles with her dog’s sensitive skin comes to mind. Her Dane was loosing patches of hair on her elbows. The canine also seemed to have an excess number of “battle scars” after walking and playing.
Dog skin care is an important part in the responsibility of pet ownership, but often canine’s with sensitive skin require a little extra effort. Great Danes may be large dogs, but do not necessarily have a thick skin or coat. Walking the dog through the woods for instance can cause sores and scarring. In this case, the Dane is still a puppy and tends to lay directly on her front paw elbows on the deck and hardwood floors of the owner’s home, causing the hair to rub off and not grow back fully, quickly. We recommended an all-natural skin therapy lotion applied to the trouble areas. The Dane didn’t need a lot very often before the fur returned (and stayed!). The skin therapy ointment also allowed the sores to heal quickly and without scarring (as a bonus!)
As an advocate of preventative care, here is one more reminder! fall is quickly approaching and many pet owner’s simply forget or think that their dog no longer needs their flea treatment. Prematurely stopping this treatment can cause many potential problems including dog itchy skin!
Flea treatment should continue well into fall – at least until your areas first frost - and possibly all year depending on your location in the country. Please keep in mind that most dog itchy skin is not caused by flea bites, so be sure to accurately diagnose your pet’s underlying skin problem prior to treatment.
If you’re worried your dog may be experiencing dog dermatitis, be sure that you have all of the facts straight on the matter. There is much confusion on the difference between dog dermatitis and other dog skin problems.
Dog dermatitis is ofter used as a general term for dog skin problems and conditions. It is more clinically known as a historic sensitivity prone to certain breeds.
With the hot sticky summer upon us, many of our pets tend to experience skin problems such as hot spots or dry skin. But is the weather really the cause?
Examine closely the location and type of pet dry skin. Often, pets are more active in the summer and may not be receiving proper nutrition and care. Other times, there is an underlying cause for the dry skin that may not be easy to diagnose.
Pet Skin Problems; Preventative Care Not Always Enough
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
posted by Essential Needs @ 9:58 AM
If you’ve read any number of our posts then I’m sure you’re well aware of how we feel about preventative care. However, there are times when preventative care just isn’t enough. Some pet skin problems are NOT caused by things that can be prevented.
For instance, a flea allergy can be kept at bay with preventative flea treatment. However, inhalent and contact allergies can begin at any time and there is very little if anything that can be done to prevent them.
What Does Food Supplement Mean For Pet Skin Care?
Monday, August 16, 2010
posted by PetSkinDoctor @ 8:51 PM
As the manufacturer of an all-natural pet food supplement, we are often asked what a food supplement has to do with a dog, cat or ferret’s skin.
Pet skin care isn’t just about the surface of your pet’s skin. Bathing and proper grooming are important, yes, but it’s the all together healthiness of your pet that makes their skin and coat shine. If your pet is not receiving the proper diet then you can be sure the coat will reflect that.
Does your pet havesores between their toes from constant licking? Licking between their toes may be a sign of a pet skin problem, although they may also have the sores from a cut or they could have a fetish – especially if your pet is a cat.
However, if the sores are literally between their toes or you’ve witnessed constant licking specifically in that area, then you are most likely dealing with pet hot spots. “Hot spots” is actually a generic term for the sores it is not an actual disease or specific pet skin problem.
As a dog owner, you are probably aware of the possibility of your canine friend running off, getting into something gross, contracting fleas or another parasite, or even becoming ill. A dog may show signs of a health problem through its coat and skin.
Because so many different underlying causes exist, it is difficult to diagnose many dog skin problems for certain. Fleas may be obvious, but a nutrition deficiency may have the same symptoms as the underlying cause for seasonal hot spots.
Whether your dog, cat or ferret; if your pet is experiencing dry skin, then it’s quite possibly a more serious problem then you may think.
So what can pet dry skin mean? Your dog may be hypersensitive, or your cat perhaps is suffering from dry skin because of an improper diet. Maybe your pet has an allergy to its food, medication or even the bed where he sleeps! You must observe and document all symptoms your pet has and go from there.