Skin Problems in Pets

The skin is part of the integumentary system. It is the organ that serves as the protective covering of a people and animals. For animals, the protective comvering includes the nails, horns, hooves, skin, haircoat, scales and feathers.

The skin tells you a lot of your pet’s health and is an important part of your pet’s immune system. It also plays an important role in protecting your pets from the elements and possible hazards in their environments by covering them with hair and fur, giving them protective paw pads, and growing their nails.

Here are some signs of skin problem:

• • Red, smelly, or itchy.
  • Rashes or become dry or flakey.
  • Change color (darker or lighter), hair may fall out.
  • Lumps and bumps may appear.
  • Paw pads may get dry and crack.
  • Nails may get weak or brittle.

Reasons Behind Skin Problems

• • • Poor Nutrition
      Ensure that your pet is having a well-balanced diet to promote their health and so they can grow a beautiful coat.
    • Parasites
      Preventive check-ups that involve regular flea, tick, and heartworm preventions are important when it comes to keeping your pet and your family safe from parasites and the infections they carry.
    • Bacteria and Yeast
      Bacteria and other organism living on your pet’s skin can cause an infection.
    • Allergies
      Environmental irritants, food allergies, and molds can affect the health of your pet’s skin.
    • Immune-Mediated Diseases
      Problems in your pet’s immune system may show up as skin problems.
    • Systemic Disease
      Hypothyroidism or liver disease can be detected by running blood work or other diagnostics.
    • Cancer
      Pets can develop skin cancer and this can affect the look of your pet’s skin. There are also skin issues that indicate that your pet has an internal cancer.

Your pet’s veterinarian can identify skin lesions/sores among your pets. Through an examination, their doctors can find the right diagnostic procedures to perform, including tests like skin cytology, scrapes, and hair plucks. Studying them under a microscope of will reveal any infections with bacteria, fungi, or parasites. Sometimes your veterinarian may need to run blood work, allergy testing, cultures or biopsy samples to determine what it wrong

If you have any questions about your pet’s skin or overall health, call us at 813-920-0303.