| Dog Guide For Dog Lovers! | Guide for all breeds of dogs, health and training information. From Dog Breeds to Picking a Puppy. Everything for the dog fancier's needs! Working Dogs, Toy Dogs, Herding Dogs, Sporting Dogs, Non Sporting Dogs, Terrier Dogs, Hound Dogs. See All Dog Breeds. Dog Articles. | ||||||
Four Common Skin Problems in Dogs
Excerpt : Dogs are susceptible to various skin problems -- which can be frustrating for owners who want to see Fido comfortable and happy. Does your dog have a skin problem, and if so, how do you fix it? That
Buy this Art Print
Fleas, Lice and Ticks One of the most common problems in dogs is the presence of fleas, lice and ticks, which are parasites that live on the surface of the skin and feed on the dog’s blood. These parasites’ saliva causes skin irritation and results in intense scratching. Lice and ticks can be detected visually when you check your dog’s fur, while fleas are hard to spot with the naked eye. However, fleas cause red pimple marks on the skin and also can be spotted through the black, gritty trail of “dirt” they leave on a dog’s belly. 
Buy this Art Print
While you can remove ticks and lice with tweezers -- applying alcohol to relax the tick’s grip before doing so -- you can also adopt more general methods. For instance, you can give your dog a dip with special tick shampoo to eliminate ticks. Flea sprays or flea powder can also be applied to the dog to kill parasites. But all these require persistence and it may be a while before you see results. One of the best methods to keep your dog comfortable is to prevent ticks from living off your dog in the first place through the use of a spot-on product, such as FrontLine or BioSpot. To apply these chemicals, you drip a small amount onto the back of your dog’s neck once a month. The chemical spreads throughout the dog’s skin and kills parasites -- including the eggs and 
Buy this Art Print
Mange Mange is a skin problem caused by mites that burrow underneath the dog’s skin, causing intense and even agonizing itching. Bald spots or inflamed red skin are common symptoms of mange. Two types of mange exist in dogs: sarcoptic mange and demodectic mange, depending on the kind of mite involved. Most dogs carry the mites involved in demodectic mange or demodex. However, these mites usually do not cause itching except when they suddenly multiply into huge numbers. This may happen in young puppies, or in dogs with decreased natural body defenses, sometimes from stress. On the other hand, Sacroptic mange or scabies causes intense itching in the dog as the mites burrow under 
Buy this Art Print
Treatment for mange requires patience and time, as eliminating them or lowering the mite population takes a while to take effect. The best way to kill the mites is to soak your dog in a lime and sulfur medicated dip for 10 to 15 minutes a few times in a week. The dip should not be washed off, but left to dry on your dog’s skin and fur. During this time, it’s best to watch your dog closely and prevent him from licking himself dry. As a
Buy this Art Print
When fighting mange, it’s also important to support your dog with the highest quality diet you can find, to improve his immune system. Healing from mange will take a lot of his internal resources. You might consider looking into the raw diet for dogs and avoiding any corn or rice-based products for the time being. About the Author Blake Kritzberg is proprietor of Poodle-oo: Fashion for Toy Dogs. Stop by for toy dog couture and home decor, free toy dog postcards and the Toy Dog Blog.
More Dogs ArticlesDogs - Comparing Pure Breds With Mutts The Importance of Breeds of Dogs Dogs are considered as man's best friend. If one decides to get a dog for a pet, one can choose either a... Your Dogs Health - The Basics Every Pet Owner Should know Your dog is probably stronger and healthier than most humans that you know. However, by taking him from his natural environment, where only the... 
Buy this Art Print
|
Recently Added Dogs Articles
Some News About Dogs
|
.gif)