VETERINARY SERVICES
Pet Skin Problems
Pet Skin Conditions
At Sydney Animal Hospitals, we understand how important it is that our pets have healthy skin and fur. The condition of your pets skin and fur can be a good indication of their overall health, and even help us to find underlying illnesses that are causing your pet ongoing discomfort. Pets can experience a wide range of skin issues, from common irritations to more serious conditions requiring veterinary attention. Whether it’s itching, redness, flakiness, or lumps and bumps, identifying and addressing skin problems promptly is crucial for your pet’s comfort and well-being.
What is Pet Skin Disease?
Skin disease is very common amongst pets and around 50% of all the pets that visit our clinic will have some form of skin condition. Part of the reason why skin conditions are so common is because there are so many different types, with so many different causes, however they can usually be divided into 6 specific categories.
Immune Mediated Skin Disorders
These particular pet skin conditions are caused by an immune response in your pet, whether its an over reaction causing hypersensitivity, or an under reaction causing repeated skin infections or mange.
Physical and Environmental Skin Disorders
Some pet skin conditions are actually caused by our pets own grooming habits. These types of skin disorders are caused by your pet excessively licking or biting itself.
Infectious Skin Diseases
Flea Allergy Dermatitis
Flea allergies are caused by an allergic reaction to the saliva in flea bites. Severe cases of this pet skin disorder can result in hair loss and extreme discomfort.
Hereditary and Developmental Skin Diseases
These skin conditions are caused by underlying abnormalities or functional issues with your pets skin that were probably there since birth.
Manifestations of Internal Disease
Dog Mange
Demodex canus is a contagious skin disease caused by mites. These mites burrow through the skin causing severe irritation to your dog. Mange is highly contagious to other animals and humans.
Atopic Dermatitis
Atopy is an itchy skin disease where the animal is allergic to inhalant allergens, or substances, in the local environment. These “aeroallergens” are believed to access the body through contact with the skin. These allergens can trigger severe pruritus, or itchy skin.
How are Skin Conditions Diagnosed?
Our experienced vet staff can diagnose skin conditions in your pet through a number of different ways. The first step is a thorough skin inspection, as well as an evaluation of your pets history, as there are some skin disorders that are more common around a specific age or breed.
The next step can involve either:
01
Examination of your pets skin with a specially designed light to check for fungal infections such as ringworm
02
A skin biopsy where a small sample of skin cells is taken from a lump or bump for further analysis in a lab
03
If you have any further questions about cruciate ligament injuries, please speak with one of our friendly veterinary team at your local Sydney Animal Hospitals.
How Do I Know if My Pet Has a Skin Disorder?
There are a number of signs that your pet may be suffering from a skin condition.
Some of these include:
- Excessive licking, chewing or scratching of the tail and hindquarters, or the face, feet and ears
- Interruption of normal play activities to scratch or lick a particular area
- Discolouration or redness of the skin
- Sensitivity to contact
- Dry oily or flaky skin
- Lumps underneath or on your pets skin
- Skin sores
- A bad smell or odour coming from your pets skin
- Patchy hair loss, or a dull and dry looking coat
Latest News
For further information on the different types of skin disease that can affect your pet, please read the below articles.
Vomiting and diarrhoea in pets
Vomiting and diarrhoea are common reasons for pet owners to seek veterinary attention. The causes of vomiting and diarrhoea in pets are numerous and can be serious or relatively mild. Because there can be a number of possible causes of vomiting and diarrhoea in pets tests are often needed to determine the cause and therefore the treatment required. Significant vomiting and diarrhoea quickly leads to dehydration which can be life threatening – regardless of the underlying cause.
19th January 2021 – Leptospirosis update
Update and a summary about canine leptospirosis cases in Sydney over the past few months. In August, four cases were identified – in Newtown, Crows Nest, Balmain and Paddington.
The dog from Balmain made a full recovery. The other dogs sadly had to be euthanized. The dog from Paddington had been fully vaccinated against leptospirosis 10 months prior to presentation with the currently available vaccine (Protech® C2i, Boehringer Ingelheim, Australia) containing serovar Copenhageni. The causative serovar could not be determined, likely due to insufficient time for seroconversion.
Ensure the comfort and safety of your pets in hot weather
The beautiful hot summer weather is here, and what better way to enjoy the sunshine than to get out and about in our local parks and beaches. Our pets love enjoying the outdoors just as much as we do, however there are some things we need to keep in mind to ensure the comfort and safety of our pets during the warmer months.
Certain breeds of dogs and cats can be more affected by the heat, particularly those with shortened noses, and narrow airways such as Pugs and French Bulldogs, and also those with a heavy coat such as Huskies and Pomeranian breeds. It may be of benefit to consider having any long haired dogs or cats clipped by a groomer over summer as a preventative measure, this also makes tick searching much easier. Pugs, French Bulldogs and other short nosed breeds should be examined by a vet to ensure they do not have serious respiratory issues that may be affected by the heat.
Our SAH Locations
Providing Animal Hospital Care with Flexible Payment Options
To help with these unexpected costs Sydney Animal Hospitals offer a number of payment options such as Afterpay, Zip, VetPay, cash and credit card.
If you have pet insurance you may be able to claim on the spot and only pay the gap with GapOnly™
SYDNEY ANIMAL HOSPITALS ACCEPT
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions pet owners ask regarding TPLO surgery
