Skin Diseases In Dogs

[music] >>narrator: your pet's skin. >>dr.webb: hi, i'm dr. webb, a veterinarianat banfield pet hospital. as your partner in pet care, it's our goalto help you keep your pet healthy and happy. today we're going to share some informationwith you about your pet's skin, coat and grooming

Skin Diseases In Dogs, essentials. your pet's skin and coat provide an importantgauge for overall health. from areas of baldness or pink and irritatedskin, to matted fur,

your pet might have skin issues during theirlifetime. regularly brushing, bathing and e examining your pet's coat will help you keepan eye on what's "normal" for your pet, so you can be aware of any problems before theybecome a bigger issue. >>narrator: generally speaking, your pet'scoat should appear shiny, clean and odor-free and the skin should appear healthy, withoutredness, crusting or irritations. skin-related issues can create signs likeexcessive scratching, rubbing,

licking, or biting of a particular area. matted fur, patchy spots of baldness, a suddenincrease in hair loss, wounds, crusts, skin redness or other changesin skin color are all reasons to bring your pet to banfield for an exam. if you see a black or reddish-colored duston your pet's coat and skin, it could be flea dirt. flea dirt is partially digested blood. you can check for this by running a moist,white tissue or paper towel over dirt gathered with a comb or brush.

flea dirt will turn the tissue reddish brown. regularly examining your pet's paws and padsand trimming their nails will help keep them in good shape. severely overgrown nails can curve aroundthe paw and penetrate into the pads, causing pain and infection. each nail contains nerves and blood vessels,or a "quick," just like ours. the pinkish colored quick is usually easyto see in light colored nails but tough to see in darkly pigmented nails. excessively long nails may have a quick that'sovergrown.

if you can't see the quick, trim very smallamounts of the nail at a time. keep a styptic powder handy to apply to nailsthat may accidentally be cut too short and bleed. if you'd prefer to have a professional trimyour pet's nails, your banfield veterinary team or a professional groomer can trim yourthem for you. if your pet scoots, licks or chews their rectalarea or if you notice excessive odors that are out-of-the ordinary, their anal sacs might be full and need tobe expressed. dogs and cats have two anal sacs located justinside the anal opening, and they produce

fluid with an unpleasant odor. having the sacs emptied by your banfield veterinaryteam is a quick procedure and can usually relieve discomfort if the glands are otherwisenormal. if your pet is showing symptoms beyond minorirritation, your banfield veterinarian will examine them to determine if there is an infectionand choose to treat it with antibiotics or surgical drainage. sacs that cause recurrent problems or becomecancerous may need to be surgically removed. >>dr. webb: if your pet is showing any unusualsigns, bring them in right away. your banfield veterinarian is here to partnerwith you in making sure that your pet is comfortable

and their skin, coat or allergy problems arekept at bay. >>narrator: thanks for listening. remember,you know your pet best. and we know how to help you keep them healthy. for more information on this or other pethealth topics, visit banfield.com