Canine Skin Diseases

By Bethney Foster

Instructions

Lesions

Step 1:
Several conditions can cause dogs to develop lesions, pus-filled bumps, on their skin. Diagnosing what is causing the lesions is often difficult because so many diseases can cause them. Diagnosis is necessary, however, because treatment depends upon the condition causing the problem. Among conditions and diseases that can cause lesions are abscesses, allergies, sweat gland cysts, bacterial infections, distemper, demodectic mange and impetigo.

Color Changes

Step 1:
Various diseases can cause the skin and coat of a dog to change color. Among conditions that can cause pigment changes are Acanthosis nigricans, which is an inherited disease in dachshunds. A secondary form can occur in other breeds. Other conditions include various forms of dermatitis, sweat gland cysts, basal cell tumors, black hair folliculars, Bowen's disease, bruising, irritation, inflammation, Cushing's Disease and demodectic mange.

Alopecia

Step 1:
Alopecia refers to hair loss, which might be a few thin spots or might leave the dog nearly bald. Several conditions can also cause this symptom, including Acanthosis nigricans, various forms of dermatitis, allergies, an autoimmune disorder, bacterial infection, calluses, sarcoptic mange, congenital hypotrichosis, Cushing's Disease, folliculitis, granulomas, hypothyroidism, interstitial cell tumor, lice, leishmaniasis and Diabetes mellitus.

Scratching

Step 1:
Perhaps the most obvious symptom of a skin ailment in dogs is scratching and licking. With other symptoms, this can be caused by a variety of diseases, some of which are not serious at all and some of which can be detrimental to your pet's health. Among diseases that may cause scratching, licking or hair pulling are various forms of dermatitis, allergies, Acanthosis nigricans, bacterial infections, insect stings, sarcoptic mange, chiggers, demodectic mange, ear mites, hookworms, hot spots, lice and lymphoma.

Scaly

Step 1:
When a dog's coat looks as if it has dandruff, this is usually caused by scaly skin and may be nothing more serious than dry skin. However, there are some more serious conditions that can cause this symptom. Among diseases that can cause a dog's skin to become scaly are bacterial infection, impetigo, black hair follicular, distemper, sarcoptic mange, Cushing's disease, demodectic mange, certain types of lymphoma, hypothyroidism, leishmaniasis, different types of dermatitis and ring worm.

Photo/Video Credit

Brittyyy: Stock.Xchng

More Puppy Pages

Different Kinds of Mange

Mange can affect dogs of all ages and breeds. There are two types of mange that can affect dogs, each with varying treatments and symptoms.

Mange is a skin condition that occurs in dogs but can also occur in other animals, including other household pets. There are two types of mange that occur in dogs: demodectic mange and sarcoptic mange (see References 1 and 2).

When you welcome a dog into your family, you commit to doing everything humanly possible to keep him healthy and happy. But sometimes, despite your best efforts, pets suffer from uncomfortable conditions such as mange disease. There are two types of...

Mange is a mild to serious condition caused by several types of parasitic mites. These mites irritate dogs' skin and take residence near or in the hair follicles, causing itching and hair loss. Of the three main types of mange dogs tend to acquire...

Mange is a persistent skin disease in goats caused by parasitic mites, microscopic members of the arachnid family. The four main types of mange that produce symptoms in goats are demodectic mange, sarcoptic mange, psoroptic mange and chorioptic mange...