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64 results for “canine skin disease”
What could cause my dog’s skin condition, and could it be demodectic mange?
From the photo and location, this could be demodectic mange or secondary pyoderma. Demodex is a stubborn parasitic skin disease; early signs are hair loss, red, thick, wrinkled skin with sticky scales, often on the face, ears, lips, and inner legs. Confirm with a skin scraping at the clinic and follow the vet's plan; keep the kennel clean and dry, disinfect, feed a balanced diet, and apply monthly parasite prevention.
Why Do Dogs Develop Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease in dogs is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi transmitted through tick bites, with only a small fraction of infected dogs showing symptoms such as fever, joint swelling, or kidney issues. A vet confirms diagnosis via blood or urine tests, and treatment centers on a course of antibiotics.
Symptoms of Canine Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a serious dog disease caused by Leptospira bacteria - also called infectious jaundice or hemorrhagic jaundice - that spreads through skin, mucus membranes, and contaminated food or water, often peaking in summer and early autumn. Two forms stand out: one brings sudden fever, vomiting, dark bile-colored urine, yellow gums, and bleeding, while the other causes vomiting and bloody diarrhea with mouth ulcers and a death rate of 60-80 percent in acute cases. Diagnosis uses microscopy, culture, and blood tests, and treatment pairs antibiotics with liver and fluid support. Clean housing, rodent control, quarantine, and the two-type vaccine are the key preventives.
What Is Canine Brucellosis
Canine brucellosis is a contagious bacterial infection of dogs caused by Brucella canis. It is best known for causing abortion, infertility, and hidden inflammation in many tissues, and most infections are silent. The greatest risk comes from infected pregnant females, which shed huge numbers of bacteria in the fetus, fluids, and afterbirth at 40-50 days of pregnancy. The disease can also infect people, so strict hygiene is essential. Diagnosis combines bacterial culture with blood tests, and affected dogs are usually isolated or euthanized; breeding stock should be tested before mating to keep the infection out of a kennel.
What Is Canine Tuberculosis
Canine tuberculosis is a chronic, slowly progressive infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex bacteria. Dogs usually catch it from infected people, cattle, or cats through the air or contaminated food and water, and it can pass to humans as well. Early signs are vague - odd appetite, tiredness, and gradual weight loss - but as the disease advances, dogs may develop a persistent cough, digestive upset, abdominal swelling, or skin ulcers depending on which organs are affected. Because the infection forms hardened granulomas in tissues, it is difficult to cure, and open or positive cases are generally humanely euthanized to protect public health. Strict hygiene and prompt testing of sick animals are the main defenses.
Canine Infectious Hepatitis: Can It Be Treated
Canine infectious hepatitis is an acute, often severe viral disease of dogs caused by canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1). It spreads through urine, saliva, and nasal discharge and hits weaned puppies hardest, sometimes with no warning signs. Typical signs include a fever that rises then falls, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and a characteristic cloudy "blue eye" in about a quarter of recovering dogs. While there is no direct cure that eliminates the virus, most dogs recover with prompt supportive care such as fluids, liver protection, and antibiotics to control secondary infection. The good news is that the disease is highly preventable through routine vaccination, with puppy shots given at 8-9 and 10-12 weeks and annual boosters for adults.
Common Skin Problems in Dogs During Summer
If your dog is scratching more than usual, the cause may be the skin itself - parasites, allergies or underlying disease. Summer brings a spike in canine skin conditions, so every owner should know the common ones. This guide lists allergic dermatitis, yeast infection, folliculitis, impetigo, seborrhea, ringworm, mange, fleas, ticks, lupus and more, with their hallmark signs. Most skin diseases develop over time, so early detection and prompt veterinary care keep them stable and curable - watch your dog's behavior and act on anything unusual.
Symptoms of Canine Distemper: Early, Middle, and Late Stages
Canine distemper is a highly contagious, often fatal viral disease that mainly strikes unvaccinated puppies, with death rates up to 90 percent in young dogs. The virus, which survives for weeks when frozen but breaks down at 50 to 60 C, spreads by contact and airborne droplets and appears as respiratory, digestive, neurologic, or skin forms. Early signs are lethargy, fever of 39.5 to 41 C, eye and nose discharge, sneezing, and diarrhea; the middle stage adds pus-like discharge, vomiting, and appetite loss; the late stage brings neurologic signs such as paresis, ataxia, and seizures. Diagnosis uses test kits, blood work, and PCR, and care focuses on vaccination, immune support, and symptom control.
Canine and Feline Aural Hematoma
An aural hematoma is a pocket of blood that forms between the skin and cartilage of the ear flap, usually triggered by vigorous head shaking or scratching. Small collections may be drained, but most require surgery to prevent a permanently scarred, thickened ear.
Canine and Feline Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction (Epiphora)
Nasolacrimal duct obstruction blocks normal tear drainage in dogs and cats, causing chronic epiphora (tear overflow) and facial staining. Congenital duct atresia usually needs surgical correction, while acquired obstruction from conjunctivitis or injury is managed by treating the underlying cause.