Dog Sores
What You Need to Know About Dog Sores
Dog sores are a common problem in canines. They have many causes and may be a simple skin injury or they may be a sign of some more serious health problem. It’s important that skin lesions in dogs are noticed early and treated correctly according to their cause. In all cases, a visit to the veterinarian is warranted for a proper diagnosis and treatment.
Many dog sores are caused by some sort of injury to the dos’s skin. The skin injury could be a cut, a flea or other insect bite, or even allergies. Dogs with longer fur seem to be more vulnerable to infections resulting from these events and the summer season makes an infection more likely. The type of infection will need to be determined from a close examination, inspection of any oozing sores, and sometimes a biopsy.
Usually these types of injuries that develop into dog sores, have become infected with bacteria. To detect an infection early, you need to pay attention to your dog’s behavior and handle your dog frequently. If your dog is licking or scratching an area excessively, it’s important that the area be examined closely. Hair may also fall out from the area that is injured and infected.
For bacterial infections, regardless of the cause, veterinarians will most often prescribe topical and/or oral antibiotics. Steroids are also sometimes prescribed if there is inflammation accompanying the infection. Steroids do suppress the immune system, so only a short course of them is usually given. Antibiotics may not work the first time and additional courses may be needed.
It’s important to keep the wounded area clean. This most often will require that the dog’s fur be shaved. Shaving the fur, as hard as that may be for beautifully groomed dogs, will also allow the veterinarian to better inspect the wound. It’s also important to wash your hands thoroughly after handling or caring for your dog when it has a wound, as some, but not all, infections can be transmitted to humans.
Some wounds and injuries to the skin can develop into fungal infections. Again, the dog needs to be seen by a veterinarian for a proper diagnosis and treatment. For fungal infections are more likely from ponds and streams in warm or hot weather. Fungal infections will be treated with topical fungal medications and sometimes an oral antifungal medication. Oral medications are generally only given if the veterinarian suspects that the infection has spread to the blood or other organs. In this case, the dog will be very sick and lethargic. Fungal infections take much longer to treat than bacterial infections. You may need to apply anti-fungal ointment to the sores for as long as six months. They also make anti-fungal shampoo that you may need to use.
For any type of canine or pet illness, do not use medication that is meant for humans. Human medications are not the proper strength for pets. Human medications, even those not needing a prescription, may also be dangerous or deadly for your dog. Their systems metabolize drugs differently, just the same as they metabolize foods differently and cannot eat certain foods such as chocolate.
Dogs can be allergic to ingredients in dog food, shampoos, or other things that come into contact with your dog’s skin such as flea treatments. Allergies do not directly lead to infections, but just as in people, hives will develop on the skin. Hives are itchy and by scratching an area consistently, the dog can break the skin. This can then lead to infection if the area is not kept clean, or if the animal is susceptible to infection.
Be sure to have a veterinarian check any wound or suspected infection on your dog. Unfortunately, some more serious illnesses may only be caught when a wound forms. Cancer is included among those illnesses, as well as diabetes.