Identify and treat pyoderma in dogs
Problems with the skin, such as pyoderma, often occur in dogs. The possible causes of the complaints are numerous and the symptoms can vary.
How pyoderma becomes noticeable in dogs and how it can be triggered is explained below. We also explain how to treat this skin disease and how you can reduce the risk with appropriate preventive measures.
Pyoderma in dogs: what is it?
A pyoderma is a bacterial skin infection, which becomes noticeable with affected quadrupeds among other things by incrustations and pustules on the skin. If a dog falls ill with pyoderma, the coccus bacterium Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is usually responsible.
What causes pyoderma in dogs?
The skin of a dog is quite resistant and well protected by various defence mechanisms such as skin lipids and the regular renewal of cells.
Apart from that, the dog's skin is populated by various microorganisms such as bacteria and yeasts anyway. These also help to fend off pathogens and in return feed on the dead skin cells of the dog.
However, if the skin's defensive capabilities become unbalanced in a dog, under certain circumstances this can lead to pyoderma.
Among the possible triggers of pyoderma in dogs are for example
- Skin injuries
- An infestation with fleas or mites
- Skin fungus
- Disturbances in hormone balance
- Atopic dermatitis
- Very dry skin
- Cornification
- Wrinkled skin in certain breeds
How to detect pyoderma in dogs
If a dog suffers from pyoderma, this results in various changes in the skin texture. Apart from this, pyoderma is associated with very severe itching for the dog, so that the skin problems are further aggravated by constant scratching.
The typical symptoms of pyoderma in dogs include the following skin changes in particular:
- Shedding
- Papules
- Pustules
- Redness
- Discolourations
- Encrustations
Pyoderma can cause corresponding changes in the entire body of the dog. In most cases, however, regions of the body with low hair growth, such as the insides of the thighs, are particularly affected.
Dogs with pyoderma are a case for the veterinarian
If you suspect that your dog may suffer from pyoderma, we recommend that you make an appointment with your vet as soon as possible. The veterinarian will examine some skin cells of your quadruped.
In this way, a reliable diagnosis takes only a matter of a few minutes, so you will know very quickly whether your suspicion is well-founded and what is needed to treat pyoderma in your dog.
Treatment of pyoderma in dogs
The necessary treatment measures depend on the severity and the spread of pyoderma. In mild cases, it is usually sufficient to use a shampoo containing antibiotics for dogs. Sometimes, however, the administration of antibiotics in the form of tablets may be necessary.
If you treat pyoderma in your dog with an appropriate shampoo, you must allow it to work in well and then rinse thoroughly. This ensures that it can develop its effect optimally.
Chances of cure of pyoderma in dogs
In most cases, dogs with pyoderma can be treated without any problems. For a complete recovery, however, it is important that treatment is not discontinued prematurely once the symptoms have subsided somewhat.
Apart from this, it is, of course, essential to get a grip on the actual cause of the dog's pyoderma. Depending on what ultimately triggered the skin infection, both the necessary treatment measures and the prognosis can vary.
Are dogs with pyoderma contagious?
If a dog suffers from pyoderma, it is the result of a pre-existing problem that has affected its immune system. Otherwise, the bacteria that naturally live on the skin anyway cannot cause infection.
Accordingly, a dog cannot infect other dogs or humans with pyoderma.
Preventive measures against pyoderma in dogs
Given the many possible triggers for pyoderma, you cannot completely rule out the risk of skin infection in your dog. After all, you can neither prevent the race-typical wrinkling of the skin nor hormonal disorders in your quadruped.
Nevertheless, there are some things you can do to at least significantly reduce the likelihood of your dog developing pyoderma. In addition to regular skincare, this also includes the immediate treatment of injuries, allergies and skin parasites.
In our assortment you will find a wide range of natural products that you can use for this purpose:
- Bellfor Calluses and Paw protection ointment
- Bellfor Skin & Coat to support skin health
- Bellfor Mites Stop, to counteract mites and fleas
- Hypoallergenic dog food for nutritionally sensitive quadrupeds
Also, a dietary supplement with Bellfor Immun can help to strengthen your dog's immune system and thus also the defences of their skin.
The most important facts about pyoderma in dogs at a glance
Pyoderma in dogs is a sure sign that there are other health problems as well. This is because the bacteria responsible for the infection of the skin can only cause complaints if something has already led to an impairment of the skin's defences in advance.
To successfully counteract pyoderma in dogs, it is therefore also necessary to treat the actual underlying disease.
Besides, the treatment measures of the veterinarian can be supported naturally with the high-quality nutritional supplements and care products from Bellfor and the risk of pyoderma in dogs can be reduced.
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