This morning as you left to go to work you happened to notice that your Golden Retriever was scratching at his left shoulder. A few hours later when you came home for lunch he was quite distraught and had a large infected patch of raw skin there. It seems quite tender and he does not want anyone to get too close to it. In fact, although he’s usually very well mannered, he growled at you when you attempted to examine it closer. This is all incredibly unsettling. You don’t understand what has happened to him or, for that matter, what to do for him.
## What is going on with my dog? I’ve never seen anything like this.
Don’t worry. It sounds as though your dog is experiencing a fairly common skin disorder referred to as dog hot spots. Also known as acute moist dermatitis or pyotraumatic dermatitis, it is a self-inflicted irritation caused by excessive scratching or biting. Usually it presents itself as a red, raw patch of itchy, infected skin. Sometimes it’s also accompanied by loss of fur.
## But I don’t understand what’s caused this.
While the infection and inflammation is is a simply result of the biting and scratching there’s often a relatively simple inciting factor such as mites, fleas, injury, or insect bite. It is also feasible that your dog has suffered some sort of allergic contact to something that made him itchy.
## How do I treat it?
You’ll want to get your dog checked out by a vet as soon as possible to help ensure that any infection does not spread or worsen. Usually the afflicted area will be shaved, dried and kept clean. Often some sort of dog collar is used to prevent the dog from worrying at the area. It’s possible, based on the severity of any infection, that the dog will be prescribed a course of antibiotics or perhaps a medicated shampoo.
## How can I prevent it from happening in the future?
The best way to prevent outbreaks of hot spots on dogs is to limit the potential inciting factors. Keep your dog well groomed. Use a dog shampoo that helps to reduce itchy skin and employ products that will effectively control fleas and mites.
If you’re interested to learn more regarding common dog skin disorders simply go online and Google ‘dog hot spots’, ‘dog rashes’ or maybe a more generalized search like ‘itchy dog’ or ‘stop dog shedding’. While it’s upsetting to see your dog suffering with any sort of condition it’s good to know that hot spots are fairly common and entirely treatable.
For some of the best pet care products available come to Evolution Pets – Natural Pet Remedies for Dog Skin Problems, Hot Spots, Dandruff, and Dog Seizures. Itchy dog skin? Visit Evolutionsupply.com for an effective natural solution.
© SierraCantaras for Uber Articles, 2011. |
Permalink |
No comment |
Add to
del.icio.us
Post tags: Dog Dry Skin, dog odor, dog odor removal, dog shedding, dog skin allergies, itchy dog skin, natural dog shampoo, organic dog shampoo, pet odors, Pets, salmon oil for dogs
Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh
