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Pet Skin Health FAQ

Probably the most asked Pet Skin Health Question is “Why do flea bites irritate my pet so much?”

There are over 15 different antigens in the saliva of a flea. Each one is capable of causing a reaction in your pet and important to control for Pet Skin Health.

1. Pet Skin Health – Do I need to treat their environment for fleas?

Yes, it is very important to pet skin health to treat any areas where the fleas exist. Failure to properly treat the infested areas will cause your pet to continue to become re-infested.

2. Pet Skin Health – Can I catch mites from my pet?

No, although if your pet is heavily infested, you might get some biting and irritation to your skin, animal mites can not live on or breed on people.

Pet Skin Health FAQ

3. Pet Skin Health – Can I get ringworm from my pet?

This is a common asked Pet Skin Health FAQ. Yes, ringworm is highly contagious and precaution must be used to protect you and the environment from the fungal spores associated with ringworm.

Pet Skin Health Questions

4. Pet Skin Health – Will my pet’s hair grow back?

In most cases, yes, your pet’s hair will grow back.

5. Pet Skin Health – What is allergic contact dermatitis?

Another important pet skin health question. Allergic contact dermatitis is a rare disease, which occurs when an animal’s skin overreacts to certain small molecules in the environment. Substances, which can cause allergic contact dermatitis include certain antibiotics applied to the skin; metals such as nickel; materials such as rubber or wool; and chemicals such as dyes and carpet deodorizers.

Pet Skin Health FAQ

6. Pet Skin Health – What is irritant contact dermatitis?

Pet Skin Health – Irritant contact dermatitis occurs when the skin is exposed to severely irritating chemicals such as the sap in poison ivy and salt on the road.

7. Pet Skin Health – How do these two diseases differ?

Pet Skin Health – Allergic contact dermatitis only affects those animals with a hypersensitivity to the molecule. Irritant contact dermatitis would affect every dog that is exposed to the irritant.

Pet Skin Health – Allergic dermatitis requires multiple exposures to the molecule before it develops. It rarely occurs in animals less than two years old. Irritant contact dermatitis often occurs in inquisitive young animals who get into things they should not.

Important Pet Skin Health Questions

8. Pet Skin Health – What are the symptoms of allergic and irritant contact dermatitis?

It is important for Pet Skin Health to be able to determine the symptoms. Lesions generally occur on the areas of skin that are sparsely haired and directly exposed to the offending molecules. This often means the back of the paws, abdomen, muzzle, and lips. The affected areas are very red, have small bumps or vesicles (blister-like lesions), and itch. In irritant contact dermatitis ulcers may appear.

9. Pet Skin Health – How are allergic and irritant contact dermatitis diagnosed?

Crucial for pet skin health to understand this. The history and physical exam can often indicate what is going on. To isolate the allergen (molecule that caused the dermatitis), exclusion trials are often performed. In these trials, the animal is restricted to an uncarpeted room and kept off the grass, for instance. If the animal’s condition improves, potential allergens are slowly introduced one by one.

A ‘patch’ pet skin health test can also be performed. In this test, a small amount of the allergen is rubbed on the skin, or a gauze pad containing the suspected allergen is bandaged on the pet’s skin. The skin is monitored for 2-5 days for a reaction.

Pet Skin Health FAQ

10. Pet Skin Health – What are symptoms of allergies?

Another important Pet Skin Health FAQ: Pets with allergies may show the following symptoms:

• Chewing on feet
• Rubbing the face on the carpet
• Scratching the body
• Recurrent ear infections
• Hair loss
• Mutilated skin

Crucial Pet Skin Health Questions

11. Pet Skin Health – What are Allergens?

A Pet Skin Health must to know: When a dog is allergic to something, his body is reacting to certain molecules called ‘allergens.’ It is important in pet skin health to determine where these allergens may come from:

• Trees
• Grass
• Weed pollens
• Fabrics such as wool or nylon
• Rubber and plastic materials
• Foods and food additives such as individual meats, grains, or colorings
• Milk products
• House dust and dust mites
• Flea bites

Important Pet Skin Health Fact.

12. Pet Skin Health – What happens to my pet when he reacts to an allergen?

Pet Skin Health – The reason that all these allergens cause itchy skin is that, simplistically, when allergens are inhaled, ingested, or come in contact with the dog’s body, they cause the immune system to produce a protein referred to as IgE. This protein then fixes itself to cells called ’tissue mast cells’ that are located in the skin. When IgE attaches to these mast cells, it causes the release of various irritating chemicals such as histamine. In dogs, these chemical reactions and cell types occur in appreciable amounts only within the skin.

13. Pet Skin Health – Do genetic factors and time influence allergies?

This is an excellent Pet Skin Health question. Yes they do. Remember that dogs must be exposed to the allergen for some time before the allergy develops. Exceptions may occur such as an allergy to insect bites, which may develop after only a few exposures. The dog’s body must learn to react to the allergen. It is a learned phenomenon of the immune system that is genetically programmed and passed from generation to generation in several breeds. Allergies are especially common in certain terriers such as the Scottish, West Highland White, Cairn, and Wire Haired Fox; Lhasa Apso; and larger breeds such as the English and Irish Setters, Retrievers, and the Dalmatian. Allergies are also well documented in the Pug, Miniature Schnauzer, and English Bulldog. In pets, allergies usually start to develop between one and three years of age. They may start as late as age six or eight, but over 80% start earlier. To make matters worse, as the animal ages, it usually develops allergies to additional things and the response to any one allergen becomes more severe.

More Pet Skin Health FAQ

14. Pet Skin Health – How do I diagnose allergies?

Confronted with a scratching pet and frustrated owner, it is too easy for a veterinarian who specializes in Pet Skin Health to miss a diagnosis or at least fail to make the owner fully understand the problem. Sometimes veterinarians take the easy way out and “shotgun” the pet with several different medications, hoping that at least one will hit the target and make the signs go away. If the pet stops scratching, the hair starts to grow back, but the allergy is not necessarily cured.

Most allergies are the inhalant type and are seasonal (at least at first). The dog may be allergic to a certain tree pollen that is only present in the environment for three weeks out of the year. This case is easy to handle. No matter what pet skin health treatment you use; your pet will start getting better in four weeks. In cases in which the allergy is mild but the irritated skin has become infected with bacteria, a broad-spectrum antibiotic will eliminate the infecting organism and the skin may return to near normal appearance, even though the treatment has in no way been directed toward the allergy.

A definitive diagnosis of an allergy in pet skin health and determination of exactly what the animal is allergic to can be made in two ways:

1. Allergy testing (intra-dermal or blood testing)
2. Eliminating things individually from the animal’s environment until the culprit is isolated (the method most often used when food allergies are suspected)

In some instances for pet skin health, it may not be necessary to determine the exact allergen causing the problem. For example, a dog may start chewing his feet, scratching his sides, and rubbing his face on furniture every year for three weeks during the same month. These are often the signs of a seasonal allergy to something such as ragweed or tree pollen. In this case, the veterinarian may choose either tablets and/or a single injection that will suppress the allergy for the 3-4 weeks necessary when that allergen is in the environment. After a short treatment period, the animal is back to normal and only has to wait until the following year when he or she will be returned to the veterinarian with the same problem.

More Pet Skin Health FAQ

15. Pet Skin Health – Are Fatty acids in the diet good for your pet?

Fatty acids have been recommended for years for Pet Skin Health to improve coat quality and shine. Recently, new research has shown that certain fatty acids – the omega-3 fatty acids – are also very beneficial in the treatment of allergies in dogs and cats. Omega-3 fatty acids work in the skin to help reduce the amount and effects of histamine and other chemicals that are released in response to allergies. Not every allergic pet responds to omega-3 fatty acids. Some pets show improvements, others have a complete cure, and others show no change after being on the omega-3 fatty acids.  For this Pet Skin Health remedy to work, most pets need to be on the omega-3 fatty acids daily for several weeks to months to notice significant improvement. Omega-3 atty acids are very safe and have very few side effects. Studies show that when omega-3 fatty acids are used in conjunction with other treatments, such as antihistamines, the use of steroids can be decreased or discontinued. Be sure to use an omega-3 fatty acid supplement derived from fish oil. Other types of fatty acids (such as omega-6 fatty acids) can actually make some allergies worse. It is often best to use the omega-3 fatty acid supplements in conjunction with a diet lower in fat.

16. Pet Skin Health – What is anaphylaxis and what are its symptoms?

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction. The most common symptoms are the sudden onset of diarrhea, vomiting, shock, seizures, coma, and death. The animal’s gums will be very pale, and the limbs will feel cold. The heart rate is generally very fast, but the pulse is weak. There is no facial swelling.

Pet Skin Health FAQ

17. Pet Skin Health – How is anaphylaxis treated?

Important to Pet Skin Health:  Anaphylaxis is an extreme emergency. If you think your dog is having an anaphylactic reaction, seek emergency veterinary assistance immediately. Epinephrine should be given as soon as possible – we are talking within a few minutes. IV fluids, oxygen, and other medications are given as needed.

18. Pet Skin Health – What can cause anaphylaxis?

Important to Pet Skin Health to know this. Stinging insects, antibiotics, vaccines, certain hormones and medications, and foods can cause anaphylaxis in susceptible animals.

19. Pet Skin Health – Can anaphylaxis be prevented?

In general in pet skin health, there is no way to predict which animals may have an anaphylactic reaction to which substances. If a dog has already had a reaction, such as anaphylaxis, angio-edema, or hives, to a substance, the substance should be avoided. If your dog has ever had a reaction to a vaccine or medication, be sure your veterinarian knows.

Pet Skin Health FAQ

20. Pet Skin Health – What is bacterial hypersensitivity?

Bacterial hypersensitivity is a rare disease in dogs and occurs when a dog’s immune system overreacts to Staphylococcus (Staph) bacteria on its skin. When this occurs, the skin reacts dramatically to the presence of Staph.

21. Pet Skin Health – What are the symptoms of bacterial hypersensitivity?

To answer this Pet Skin Health question you have to be aware of your pet’s appearance. The skin can become very red. Pustules and large vesicles filled with fluid develop on the skin. There is severe itching, and many dogs will cause further damage to their skin through scratching and biting. It appears that bacterial hypersensitivity in the dog is more likely to occur if other conditions such as hypothyroidism and atopy are present.

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Pet Skin Health