Skin Problem

Question
Dear Patti,
My toy poodle about 3 months recently suffering from skin problem. It starting from her stomach part, where there are some dots look like acne. Because of something urgent, I hand her to the day care. After taking her back, I found the dots had spread to her head and the side of her stomach. Besides, her hand ankle part have quite serious problem, where the fur seem to drop and the part is red. I can see some dandruff on it but it may be cause by her scratching. Yesterday, she scratch herself until the wound bleed. I now apply cream name CANISEP and have the wound wrapped so that she cannot lick or scratch it. Her body also has a small part dropping fur, but not yet become red or skinless. It's near her leg. May I know what is the skin disease she suffering? Me and my boyfriend have red dots on our body these days. They are itchy though small in size. It's like insects bites. Thank you.

Regards,
San

Answer

Hi San,

A good place to start, would be to look for fleas on your dog, since you think the skin condition looks like bug bites. You may not actually see any fleas on your dog. Instead, look for what fleas leave behind: namely "flea dirt" (their waste material). Look for tiny dark flecks that look like black pepper or dirt on your dog's skin and in her hair coat. Collect a a fleck or two on a wet a cotton ball or paper towel. If it dissolves into a reddish-brown material, it means your dog is having a flea problem. The most effective flea control products are the ones you can buy at the vet's office. You will also need to clean your home, as fleas spend only part of their life cycle on a dog. The rest of the time, they live in the dog's bedding, in the cracks of floors, in carpet and upholstered furniture. You can read about how to clean for fleas here:

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Fleas

If you can't find any flea dirt on your dog, she may have demodectic mange, a bacterial skin infection, an autoimmune problem or a hypersensitivity disorder such as atopic dermatitis, a hormonal problem or a food or another type allergy. There's no way to guess at which problem it is, and treatments will vary depending on what the problem actually is. Wrapping the infected skin up might be doing more harm than good, since you don't know what the problem is. Don't bandage unless a vet tells you to do so.

Because your dog is suffering with an intense itch, don't put off having her examined by your vet. The longer the condition goes untreated, the harder it's going to be to get a handle on the problem. Secondary skin infections can set in, which would also need treatment, extending the recovery time and adding to the cost of the treatment.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti