Skin Problems in Dogs: Prevent Dog Skin Infection With Regular Grooming

Grooming your dog is important for making your dog look and smell nice and for good overall health. While many people have the misconception that a dog does not require grooming, some pet parents believe in overly grooming their dog. The reality is that grooming your dog is good in maintaining your dog's overall health and helps prevent dog skin infection, but it should be done in the right intervals and with proper care.

List of Skin Problems

Here is a list of skin problems that dogs are prone to if not looked after properly.

Benefits of Dog Grooming

There are various benefits of grooming your dog. From having a shiny and healthy coat to detecting underlying skin conditions, dog grooming can yield several advantages. Here are a few reasons why regular grooming can contribute to the well being of your dog:

Good Hygiene

You can be sure to have a healthy and hygienic dog if you groom your dog regularly. Regular combing, and brushing help in removing dead skin cells which build upon the coat and lead to a dog skin infection. Keeping your dog clean also helps in reducing the chances of your dog having a foul smell.

Detection of Skin Problems

Dog skin infection can manifest itself in many ways. It is not always rashes or shedding of hair. Sometimes small bumps or lumps remain hidden in the coat. If you brush your dog regularly or get your dog groomed, the groomers can easily identify any abnormal bump or growth on the body.

Prevents Fleas

One of the best reasons you should go to a groomer is their ability to spot fleas and check for them. If you want to create an inhospitable environment for fleas, you must regularly wash, brush, and groom your dog. Even clipping of hair is beneficial. You can ask your groomer to use anti-flea products while grooming your dog, which will help in eliminating these troublemakers!

The Chances of Ear Infection are Less

Untreated ear infections often cause deafness in dogs. Even though it is not related to dog skin infections, it is an important point that must be looked after. Hair growth in the inner lining of the ear often becomes the cause of irritation and infection. Groomers can trim this hair and clean the ears gently using a mild ear cleaner.

Yeast Infection in Dogs

Yeast infection on a dog’s skin can be the source of many problems. It poses a threat to the health of your dog and people around. Skin allergies, inflammation, excessive shedding - all could be the signal of a yeast infection. If you groom your dog regularly or take it to a groomer, then any spot or area which has been affected for a long time can be checked for as a site of yeast infection. The groomer can spot any unusual irritation on the dog’s skin and ask you to consult a vet. Correct intervention at the right time is always helpful in removing the source from the root. Just giving antibiotics or steroids is not enough; keeping your dog clean and hygienic contributes greatly to maintaining good health.

Treatment for Yeast Infection

Diagnosing a yeast infection in itself is a tedious task. Many times, people confuse yeast infection on a dog’s skin as an allergy or a bacterial skin infection.

The first step towards treating yeast infection is understanding and finding out its cause. Once you know what the cause is, you can remove it and even eliminate it. You must also ensure that you give your dog a balanced diet that is full of nutrients.

Grooming plays a vital role in dog skin infection, which involves yeast. Since yeast breeds in dark, damp places, it is of extreme importance to clean and sanitise the parts of your dog’s body which are infected. Creases of the groins, paw pads, genitals and armpits are some of the most common areas susceptible to the breeding of yeast. For ears that are home to yeast, they must be cleaned gently with a mild ear solution. Cleaning paw pads with a mild and good cleaning solution is also recommended. If you groom your dog regularly, you will be able to keep a check on these areas, or your groomer will clean these parts of the dog’s body with care and comfort. Grooming is the pathway for your dog to have a healthy body, mind and life.

This was all about how you can reduce the chances of dog skin infection with regular grooming.

Pro Tip: It is advisable to get your dog groomed by a professional as they will make sure that no part of the dog’s body is left ungroomed. A groomer will clean the paw pads and the inner lining of the ears properly and gently. You can always reach out to our Pawsome groomers at Zigly, who will come and groom your dog from the comfort of your home!

FAQs on Dog Skin Infection

1. How can I treat my dog’s skin infection?

It would help if you went to the vet immediately when you see a skin infection developing on your dog. Early diagnosis of dog skin infection can only be made if you get your dog groomed regularly, as that helps to check the skin condition.

2. How can I treat my dog’s skin infection at home?

There are a couple of tips and tricks you can follow at home to treat your dog’s skin condition. A reliable and often prescribed method is blending baking soda in water and applying it to the affected area. If you groom your dog at regular intervals, you can automatically improve the condition of the skin.

3. What does a skin infection look like on a dog?

Skin infection on a dog presents itself as scabs, bumps, redness or sores on the skin's surface. The area which is infected usually becomes itchy and troubles the dog. Any dog skin infection can be stopped from the initial stage if groomed regularly as it helps to keep a check on the skin, and anywhere there is abnormal growth or scabs, it is best to consult a vet and get medication.