Have you also noticed dry, flaky, or oily skin of your dog and worried about the cause and treatment of the occurrence, then you came to the right place because here we will be sharing everything related to this topic. So, first of all, this condition in dogs is known as “Seborrhea” or “Seborrheic Dermatitis” which occurs due to the unbalanced amount of keratin in the pet’s skin. This is basically of two types i.e. primary and secondary which varies from one dog to another. The best thing about this skin condition is that it is nothing to get very tensed about as it is completely curable with minimal effort only. So, to know how to cure seborrheic dermatitis in dogs, why it actually occurs, what are its types, and more, read the complete article with patience.
Table of Contents
What is Seborrheic Dermatitis in Dogs?
Seborrheic Dermatitis is a common skin condition that is usually found in dogs. In this, the skin’s most crucial element named “keratin” either increases or decreases than the balancing amount which leads to a flaky textured (dandruff) skin on dogs. The other reason behind the same is the excessive production of sebum which makes the dog’s skin greasy and oily.
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Apart from that, seborrheic dermatitis condition can also make your pet smell stinky. Not only that, but these dog skin problems also make the dogs feel itchy and irritating most of the time in the day. From oily or greasy to scaly or flaky skin textures, you can witness similar conditions in your dog that symbolize that they are going through seborrheic dermatitis.
Causes of Seborrheic Dermatitis
Medical experts or veterinary doctors classify seborrheic dermatitis into two types on the basis of their causes in a dog. To know about them, read the below-shared point!
1. Primary Seborrheic Dermatitis
In this type, the dog has this seborrheic skin condition genetically which results in the production of either a lower or higher amount of keratin in the skin. As per many reports, it is said that breeds named “West Highland White Terrier”, “English Springer Spaniels”, “American Cocker Spaniels”, and more are more likely to get seborrheic dermatitis due to the primary or genetic cause. However, it is not compulsory and can happen to any other breeds as well.
2. Secondary Seborrheic Dermatitis
In this, causes for seborrheic dermatitis in dogs are beyond genetic factors and happen due to other health conditions. They also create a disbalance in the amount of keratin in the skin. The most common reasons are vitamin deficiency, weaker immune, allergies, Diabetes mellitus, hormonal imbalance, cutaneous epitheliotropic lymphoma, and more that make the dog suffer from this issue.
Symptoms of Seborrheic Dermatitis
Below is a list of the most common signs and symptoms that you may encounter in your pet if they are going through seborrheic dermatitis. To know about them precisely, read the below-shared points!
- Extremely dull and dry skin.
- Dandruff or flaky texture of the skin.
- Excessive oily and greasy skin.
- Constant stinky or bad smells from the pet.
- Rough and crusty skin.
- Severe itching on the skin.
- Irritated behavior of the dog.
- Excessive production of earwax.
Diagnosis of Seborrheic Dermatitis
It is very important that you as a pet parent confirm the occurrence of this skin condition before following any remedy or curing ways. Below are a few methods through which you can check your dog’s skin and get confirmation about the existence of seborrheic dermatitis.
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- Get their CBC blood test done from a professional lab to know about the electrolyte imbalances.
- Make the dog’s skin culture done to know about the existence of any type of fungal infections, allergies, bacterial infections, and so on.
- Take your dog to a medical expert to get the skin’s scraping and tissue sampling tests done.
- Go for a skin biopsy test to check whether your pet is suffering from cancer or any other disorder.
- Get their hormonal tests done to know about thyroid or Cushing conditions in them.
How to cure seborrheic dermatitis in dogs?
Now, it’s high time to know about the cure and treatment for this skin condition so that our pet dogs always stay healthy, fit, fine, and cheerful. To know about the right solution for seborrheic dermatitis, read the below-shared points!
1. Anti-seborrheic Shampoos
A mild shampoo and conditioner with anti-seborrheic properties is very easily available in the market and works effectively to get the skin back in the proper conditions. These shampoos are tested by medical experts and have salicylic acid, propylene glycol, benzoyl peroxide, coal tar, and more such combinations which help in cleaning the dog’s skin, reducing the itchiness, and eliminating dandruff.
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To get the best shampoo according to your dog’s skin, you should visit an experienced veterinary doctor and consult about other aspects as well which mainly include the number of baths in a week, type of moisturizer to use, amount of shampoo to apply, and so on.
2. Medications
Oral medications that are prescribed by a veterinary expert can treat this skin condition like magic in a dog. In most cases, the professionals suggest doing dietary changes along with giving antibiotics or antifungal medicines to your pet if the cause for the same is any type of allergies.
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On the other hand, if your dog is going through this skin condition due to the autoimmune factor then the expert may prescribe immunosuppressive drugs to your dog for quick recovery of the normal skin texture. In total, there are proper medications for every secondary cause of seborrheic dermatitis which vanish this issue from the root levels.
3. Home remedies
You can treat the beginning seborrheic dermatitis issues in your dog at home as well, just by following some easy and effective remedies which are mentioned below:
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- Give natural supplements of vitamin A, vitamin C, Vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids in the dog’s diet to make the proper balance of the required minerals, enzymes, and vitamins.
- Detoxify the dog’s blood by adding sarsaparilla, Oregon grape, and red clover to the dog’s diet.
- Give the dog a good bath with a mix of apple cider vinegar and warm water to stop the severe itching of their skin.
- Apply coconut oil after bathing them with boiled dried thyme water to treat allergies and bad smell coming from the dog.
FAQs
- Is Seborrheic Dermatitis curable in dogs?
Yes, it is curable if the cause is a secondary factor but if the cause is genetics or a primary factor then it might not get treated completely. However, medications for this skin condition in dogs can help a lot to get relief.
- What is seborrheic dermatitis?
It is a skin condition that is found in dogs and causes dryness, greasiness, itching, redness, and similar skin-related issues in them. It is also known as “Seborrhea”.
- What are the types of seborrheic dermatitis?
Seborrheic dermatitis is basically of two types, the first one is when the skin of the dog becomes oily and greasy whereas the other one is when the skin of the dog becomes dry and flaky.
- What are the causes of seborrheic dermatitis?
The causes of seborrheic dermatitis can be primary or secondary which is genetic or other health conditions, respectively.
- How to cure seborrheic dermatitis in dogs?
You can try appropriate medicines, anti-seborrheic shampoos, and home remedies like giving dietary supplements to cure seborrheic dermatitis in dogs.
- How to diagnose seborrheic dermatitis in dogs?
You can take the dogs to get professional lab tests done which mainly include blood tests, skin biopsies, skin culture, hormonal tests, and so on to get confirmation of its occurrence in your pet.
Conclusion
Above we shared a brief guide answering how to cure seborrheic dermatitis in dogs, why it actually occurs, what are its types, and more which might have helped you understand the complete issue clearly. From giving medications to following some home remedies on them, you can try anything to treat this skin condition in dogs but make sure to consult at least once with a veterinary doctor.
This skin condition in dogs is not something to get worried about but yes, ignorance of the same can make the situation worse for those small creatures. Lastly, it is not contagious and can be treated very easily if given proper care and attention. Thank you for reading and if you still have any queries or want us to help you in any matter then do connect freely with us through the comment box.
