Dog Skin Parasite (s)

Dog skin parasite (s) are a common problem for dogs. Fortunately, most parasites are easily treated.

Symptoms of Dog Skin Parasite

The primary symptoms of dog skin parasite you will notice is itching. Your dog will scratch, lick, and/or bite at his skin. If you look closely at his skin, you will likely notice signs of irritation. Skin will usually appear red and inflamed. You may be able to see the actual parasite. Exact symptoms depend on the type of parasite:

Fleas - are the most common skin parasite that affects dogs. You may be able to see fleas on your dog if you look closely. If you comb your dog with a fine-toothed comb, you will see black and white specks, which are flea eggs and feces. You may also see fleas.

Lice - are another skin parasite that you may see by looking at or by combing your dog. They are small whitish insects. You may also see small white specks, which are their eggs.

Ticks and Lyme Disease Dog Treatment - are black or brown, and attach themselves to your dog. They begin to swell as they feed on your dog�s blood. You may feel them on your dog�s body or find them when brushing or combing your dog.

Ear mites - are yet another common skin parasite in dogs. Dogs with ear mites scratch their ears a lot. They may scratch all of the hair off the back of their ears. The inside of the ears will appear dirty. Dog Mange - There are two types of mange, sarcoptic mange (also known as scabies) and demodectic mange. Both cause intense itching. Sarcoptic mange causes loss of hair and crusting skin. The ears, front legs, chest and abdomen are most often affected. Demodectic mange affects the front legs and the face. The skin is reddened and scaly. It often resembles ringworm in appearance, having red patches with paler centers.

Ringworm

Picture of Dog with Ringworm

Diagnosis of Dog Skin Parasite

We don�t want to discourage you from going to the vet, but you can often determine if your dog has fleas, lice, or ticks just by looking at his skin and looking for the symptoms described above. If you discover that your pet has one of these dog skin parasite, you can often treat them yourself at home.

Vets can diagnose most dog skin parasites simply by looking at them. For conditions such as the mange, a skin scraping test is performed to determine the type of mange and the appropriate treatment.

Vets will diagnose ear mites by taking a swab from your dog�s ear and looking at it under a microscope. The vet can see the mites moving around under the scope.

Treatment of Dog Skin Parasite

Again, we do not wish to discourage you from going to the vet, but if you see that your dog has fleas, you can treat these at home with products available at the pet store or from your vet�s office. There are special dips, shampoos, and powders for this purpose. It is best, however, to act preemptively and use a spot-on flea treatment, which is applied to your pet�s back and prevents fleas, lice and ticks. If home treatment does not seem to do the trick, or if your dog�s skin is very inflamed or scaly or has scabs from scratching, see your vet. His skin may be infected from all the scratching.

To treat the mange, special dips and shampoos such as Dermisil for Pet Mange are often recommended. Since mange is difficult to diagnose, treatments are applied and then if there is improvement, a more definitive diagnosis is made. As an alternative to home treatment, antibiotics may be prescribed if the skin is infected.

For ear mites, a special solution is prescribed to clean the ears. This solution may need to be used several times before the mites are all gone. Your vet will instruct you on how to use the solution.

Sources

Papadogiannakis, E. I., DVM
Ectoparasitic Skin Diseases in the Dog: Diagnostic Approach and Treatment

Mueller, R. S. (Ed.)
Dermatology for the Small Animal Practitioner

lowchensaustralia.com/health/skin.htm

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