Ifyour dog has very flaky or very greasy skin and fur, then he or shemay have canine seborrhea. Canine seborrhea, sometimes called doggydandruff, is a very common skin disorder in dogs and is easilytreatable. Although mild canine seborrhea is not a cause for concern,you should address the issue since it can cause secondary skininfections if left unchecked.
WhatAre the Symptoms?
Yourdog may have dry, scaly skin. When you brush your dog or take him orher to a groomer, seborrhea can be quite apparent because brushingcan cause flaky skin to slough off.
Whilesome dogs may experience dry skin, other dogs with canine seborrheamay have greasy skin. Seborrhea causes your dog's skin to exude awaxy, smelly substance that is especially noticeable on ears,armpits, and stomachs.
Besidesproducing a foul odor, seborrhea can be uncomfortable to your dog. Heor she may start losing clumps of hair. He or she could scratchexcessively and inadvertently cause wounds that could get infected.
WhatCauses This Problem?
Numerouscauses exist for canine seborrhea. Discover just a few to know about.
YourDog's Genes
Everybreed is predisposed to certain health issues. Breeds that are morelikely to develop seborrhea are Spaniels, Dachshunds, Basset Hounds,German Shepherds, Dobermans, Golden Retrievers, and LabradorRetrievers.
YourDog's Diet
Canineseborrhea can be caused by a poor diet. You should always feed yourdog the right foods for his or her weight, breed, and nutritionalneeds. Your vet can recommend the right foods for your dog. Proteins,Vitamin A, and Omega-3 and -6 Fatty acids are essential nutrientsthat can help regulate your dog's production of sebum, a naturallyoccurring oil secreted by sebaceous glands in your dog's skin.
YourDog's Environment
Yourhome or your yard may have allergens that affect your dog's skin.Some grooming products may even cause an allergic reaction thattriggers seborrhea. Besides allergens, be aware of the air quality inyour home. Dry air can cause flaky skin, so you may need to use ahumidifier in your home.
YourDog's Health
Whilecanine seborrhea isn't a serious condition on its own, it can beindicative of other issues. For instance, seborrhea can be a sideeffect of bacterial infections, parasites, or fungal infections —like ringworm. Keep an eye out for not only dry and flaky skin, butother symptoms of health issues.
WhatCan You Do to Treat the Issue?
Ifyour dog's seborrhea is from allergic reactions, talk with your vetabout all-natural grooming products. Shampoos with honey and oatmealcan be great since they soothe the skin and help it retain moisture.
Keepin mind that bathing your dog too frequently can also causeseborrhea. While some breeds may need a bath every week or every twoweeks, others may need a lot less.
Visityour vet to make sure that your dog's vaccines are up to date and tomake sure that the seborrhea is not indicative of another issue, likeparasites. Your vet can scrape a small piece of skin off your dog tolook at under a microscope. Your vet can use these skin-scrapingtests to check for parasites. Your vet can also perform bloodwork torule out dietary deficiencies or disease.
Lastly,your vet can give your dog a medicated bath. These baths can removeallergens and ease itchiness and swelling so that your dog is nottempted to scratch and make his or her skin worse. Contact BaywoodAnimal Hospital formore information about canine seborrhea. We offer medicated baths,nutritional counseling, and checkups.
