Pet Skin Doctor
Pet Skin Information
Archive for September, 2009
Hot spots are surface skin infections caused when populations of normal skin bacteria grow and overwhelm normal resistance. They are generally circular patches that lose hair, can be swollen, may exude a smelly pus, and can be painfully itchy, causing the dog to scratch, lick, or bite to the point of self-mutilation.
Untreated, dog hot spots can spread and provoke a normally even-tempered dog to growl or nip when touched. The most common locations for hot spots are the legs and feet, flanks, and rump — areas that can be reached by licking or biting — but these localized infections can also appear on ears, neck, and chest if the dog is continually scratching.
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As many dog breeders and show exhibitors know, proper dog skin care starts from the inside! Signs of poor nutrition are evident through a dog’s skin and coat. Although many pet owner’s aren’t concerned about winning “best in show” they should be concerned with the health of their pets!
Proper dog skin care requires a healthy diet, daily exercise and grooming. Do not bathe your dog too frequently, but daily brushing can provide for some quality bonding time as well as help prevent skin problems in the future. It can also help with early detection of any possible issues. If you notice bites, bumps, dry skin or sores under your dog’s coat then steps should be taken immediately to diagnose and treat the problem.
After bringing home a kit, you may wish to litter train your new ferret. Unfortunately, kits are not the easiest pets to potty train, but it is possible. Ferrets in general are very clean animals. Adult ferrets rarely relieve themselves in bedding or eating areas. They will naturally back into a corner with their tails raised to relieve themselves. It’s a good idea to attach a litter box to their cage to reduce a young kits chance of moving or dumping it. A young kit will also try to play in the litter; this behavior will subside as your kit matures.
The best idea to use during potty training is positive reinforcement. Your ferret does not deserve to be hit or smacked for not using the potty, but rather detract attention from unwanted behavior. Remember to put your ferret in the litter box before, and during play. Once your ferret starts catching on, you could also leave the cage door open or have an extra litter box outside the cage for playtime. If you see your ferret showing signs that they have to go, it is best to put them directly in the litter box. Practicing good ferret care and potty training will save you both time and money.
A Cat’s Whiskers can show Cat Skin Problems
Friday, September 25, 2009
posted by PetSkinDoctor @ 1:40 PM
Your cat’s whiskers are very important to him or her. These tactile hairs are long, thick and movable. Your cat has an even row and column of 12 of each side of their face. Unlike your cats fur, these hairs are deeply routed in a cat’s tissue. Whiskers give cats the ability to feel air vibrations and enable them to see or “feel” even better in the dark. A cat’s whiskers are approximately as long as their body. Also, cat’s lacks collar bones, so using their whiskers, they are able to judge what spaces they can fit in.
It is unwise to cut, trim or pull out a cat’s whiskers. These tactile hairs are vital for to your cat’s physique and movement. One of many cat skin problems called dermatitis could be the cause of whiskers falling out rapidly. A cause of your cat’s whiskers shriveling up or falling out as well as if he starts loosing weight rapidly, could be signs of an internal problem.
Cat Skin Problems Associated with Allergies
Thursday, September 24, 2009
posted by Essential Needs @ 9:16 AM
You may be aware that many potential diseases and health problems will surface by way of your cat’s skin and coat. This makes it sometimes very difficult to figure out what in particular is wrong with your feline.
However, cat skin problems associated with your kitty having an allergy are hair loss, mutilated skin, pulling out tufts of hair, miliary dermatitis, hot spots and red lesions. Most common allergies are hypersensitivity to flea or mosqito bites, an allergic reaction to their food or food additive or a contact allergen such as weeds, grass, trees, wool, house dust or dust mites, etc.
A very common cause for a pet’s dry skin is frequent bathing that removes essential oils. Bathing your dog or cat is sometimes necessary, this is especially true of dogs, who often roll in all kinds of stinky substances. Bathing is the only way to remove grease, oil or dirt from your pet’s coat.
However, pet dry skin from bathing is because the shampoos contain soaps that strip away the essential oils from your pet’s coat. Frequent bathing is anything in access of every 6-8 weeks. I remember when my dog was just a pup and he couldn’t make it through the night without going to the bathroom. He got a bath nearly every morning for several weeks straight! I noticed his skin problems like dandruff and dry, itchy skin developing. Consider using a pet appropriate moisturizer or a daily food supplement to put the essential fatty acids back into your pet’s skin and coat. Also, use pet skin therapy lotion for any dry patches.
A Sad Reminder of the Importance of Proper Ferret Care
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
posted by Essential Needs @ 11:36 AM
I don’t mean to upset anyone by telling this story, I just want to remind pet owner’s that it only takes one time for something bad to happen. No matter how responsible you are with your pet 99% of the time, there is always that 1%. I was recently told of a situation in which a pet owner’s ferret had gotten away from them in their home. Unfortunately it was discovered the next day dead, because it had wondered into detrimental circumstances. The owner had often let it out of the cage inside his home, but he always kept his pet ferret on a leash. One time he decided to allow it to roam around free and this is when it escaped. The owner spent hours searching for him to no avail. Ferrets are fast, curious critters and I don’t know of any that come when they are called.
Sometimes proper ferret care is more than just taking it to the right exotic vet, feeding them properly and supplying a clean, sturdy cage. Pets, especially young ones are often compared to our children for a reason. They are our babies aa well as a member of the family and they need to be treated as such. Sure, accidents will happen, but any measures that can be taken to prevent these accidents should be, every time, no matter how tired we are or how much we think our pet can be trusted. The fact is that they just don’t know any better. I, myself learned this the hard way when I was younger and decided to let my puppy outside without a leash. He was playing as he ran away from me into the road. We take on the responsibility of caring for a pet the moment we invite them to live with us in our homes.
When dogs are experiencing some form of irritation they often demonstrate their discomfort by itching. Skin conditions are commonplace in the veterinary world, and any number of things could cause a dog to itch more than usual. Dog atopy manifests itself in the following symptoms: scratching of the flank, chewing of the feet, hair loss and even skin mutilation. Luckily this problem is highly treatable.
Atopic dogs should be bathed in hypoallergenic shampoo on a biweekly basis. It’s important that the cleaning products are intended to treat allergic reactions – otherwise they can have a deleterious effect by drying the skin even further. If you choose to apply a topical solution to treat a dog’s dermatitis, watch and make sure that he doesn’t remove the product by licking it.
While it may be relatively easy to treat a pet’s allergic reactions, you won’t want to leave out an essential step in the process: diagnosing the problem. Indeed, tracking the allergies to their source could be the most difficult part about dealing with this issue. There are three general types of allergies, and your cat or dog could be susceptible to any of them. Airborne allergies are the most common, but contact and food allergies are also valid concerns.
Food allergies are by far the easiest issue to address for obvious reasons. Solving the problem is as simple as curtailing the use of a certain brand of pet food. In the event of an airborne or contact allergy, you should take your pet to the veterinarian. He or she will be able to help you narrow down what triggers are causing the pet allergies. Contact allergies could stem from carpeting, dog bedding or even linoleum.
Cat Dry Skin May Be Nutritional Deficiency
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
posted by Essential Needs @ 4:44 PM
Nutritional deficiency in cat’s is often times not at the fault of the pet owner. In most cases with pets, especially health issues, until these things are experienced you aren’t necessarily aware of them. If you are like most cat owner’s you wanted a companion and you didn’t expect it would be so involved to care for. However when you are dealing with cat dry skin issues the number one cause (with a fairly simple fix) is malnutrtion.
Our feline friends need a healthy and nutritional diet based on their life-stage, just as we do. Your cat’s skin is also it’s line of defense against infection and infestation. When it’s not in tip-top condition your cat is at risk of developing a variety of health problems. If your cat has dry, flaky skin then take a look at the ingredients in the food your are feeding him. Treating dry skin starts from the inside out. You need to find out if the brand food that you are using contains enough Omega-3 fatty acid. Compare ingredients with other brands and types of food and talk to your vet as well. You may choose to upgrade the food or add all-natural dietary food supplement to your cat’s current food.