Pet Skin Issues and Allergies

Pet Skin Issues and Allergies

What Is Wrong With Your Pet's Skin?

If your pet has developed strange-looking or strange-feeling areas of skin, it is probably time to consult your friends here at New Hope Animal Hospital. Skin issues ranging from allergies to tumors strike animals frequently, and these problems call for prompt diagnosis and treatment. The causes may include:

1. Allergies - Pets often develop skin problems as a reaction to inhaled allergens, allergens in food, or allergens that lurk on physical objects. Itching, swelling, and reddening are all common skin reactions to allergen exposure -- even in cases of food allergy (alongside respiratory and digestive issues). Many pets are also allergic to flea bites.
2. Infections - Skin infections often involve bateria or fungi. Bacteria entering a patch of broken skin can cause infections. Ringworm, caused by a fungus, creates characteristic ring-shaped lesions of thick, scaly skin. An infection called sarcoptic mange caused by scabies mites. It can result in severe itching, sores, scabs and hair loss.
3. Behavioral Issues - Any kind of obsessive licking or chewing at the skin can cause irritation, hair loss and even open wounds. This kind of skin damage can promote bacterial infections. In some cases, however, the pet is acting this way, not in response to an actual irritant, but because of an emotional of psychological problem. Pets who feel constantly bored or anxious, for instance, may indulge in this behavior.
4. Tumors - Skin tumors may be either benign or malignant. Owners often detect them as a lump just under their pet's skin. It is important to have such lumps evaluated, removed and biopsied as soon as you discover them, since some forms of skin cancer can prove deadly.

We Can Treat That Skin Problem

Bring your pet's skin issues to our clinic. We can determine the exact cause of the problem and apply the proper treatment, from allergy elimination diets to tumor removal and suggested lifestyle changes. Your pet deserves a chance to feel comfortable in his own skin!

How long has your pet exhibited a skin issue? What does it look like?