Are you worried about your dachshund’s constant itching and licking?
Dachshund dogs are prone to more allergies than other dog breeds, making them more likely to suffer from skin problems. Dealing with these skin problems can be stressful for you and uncomfortable for your dog. Therefore, knowing how to treat dachshund skin problems is essential. Here is what you need to know:
Providing your dog with omega fatty acids, probiotics, consistent grooming, and bathing will help you treat and prevent skin issues on your dachshund.
How To Treat Dachshund Skin Problems
There are various skin problems that we can find, many of them much more difficult to detect than others.
However, when dealing with minor conditions such as superficial wounds, a flea or substance that has generated dermatitis could be resolved easily and quickly thanks to its rapid detection and a simple first aid kit, even from home.
But, if your dachshund presents the signs such as inflamed areas, redness, a lot of itching, and other characteristics of a severe condition, attending the urgent veterinary center is essential to prevent the condition from worsening and the dog from suffering.
But, if the issue just began and isn’t too serious, here are some recommendations for you:
Omega Fat Acids
Omega-3 is a powerful supplement to your dog’s diet. Adding omega-3s can help reduce itchy skin and inflammation on your doxie’s skin.
You can purchase omega-3 fish oil from your local pet store as a chewable treat or liquid food supplement. Adding pumpkin pure to your dog’s food is an easy alternative as it is also high in omega-3 and fiber, helping reduce any itchiness on their skin.
Probiotics
Probiotics are great for improving your doxie’s gut health and will help reduce their itchy allergies. They offer gentle and effective relief for dachshunds suffering from skin allergies by balancing bacteria levels in their GI tract.
Using probiotics will diminish or eliminate your dog’s allergy symptoms due to the rise of “good bacteria” in their GI tract. They help your dachshund’s immune system function efficiently to suppress their over-reactivity to allergens.
Best of all, probiotics will have no side effects on your dog since they are made up of naturally-occurring bacteria.
Please consult your vet on how probiotics can help restore your doxie’s health and stop allergy symptoms from diminishing their quality of life.
Bathing and Grooming Your Dog
Use hypoallergenic shampoo for bathing your doxie. These shampoos contain natural ingredients like primrose oil and aloe vera to soothe your dog’s skin. To treat and protect from fleas, use an anti-flea soap and a special comb on your dachshund’s hair.
Wirehaired and longhaired doxies should be groomed once a week with a comb and bathed once a month. Dachshunds with smooth hair are easier to keep clean and require less maintenance.
How to Prevent Dachshund Skin Problems
There are several ways to prevent skin problems on your dachshund’s skin.
Step 1
Start with flea and tick prevention. Providing your dog with a monthly flea and tick preventative med is an easy way to keep these awful bugs away along with the diseases they carry.
Step 2
Check your dachshund’s skin and fur regularly. You should continuously groom your dog’s coat and ensure it is clean and healthy. Look over your doxie’s back, armpits, between their paws, and ears for any rash or irritation.
Step 3
Avoid any irritants for your dachshund. Many environmental and chemical agents may irritate your dachshund’s skin. Things like household cleaning products, garden pesticides, plants, smoke, and dust may cause your dog skin issues.
Always wipe off your doxie’s paws after their walks to help decrease the number of pesticides and pollen your dog may have been exposed to.
Step 4
Your dachshund’s diet is an essential key factor in preventing and treating skin diseases. You must provide your doxie with high-quality food to avoid any allergies. Even if your dog isn’t allergic to their current diet, they might lack essential nutrients making their immune system weaker and more prone to skin issues.
Including fatty acids in your dog’s diet will also stop their dandruff and prevent the possibility of growing any skin infections.
Consult your veterinarian on how to adjust your dachshund’s diet for the treatment and prevention of any skin diseases.
How Do I Detect My Dachshund Skin Problem?
As in almost all cases, there are symptoms that make us determine or realize what is happening with your dachshund; some are more noticeable than others. Here are some things to look out for:
- Red spots anywhere on the pet’s body.
- Flakes on the skin when you pet your dachshund or when you attempt to brush it, and small pieces of skin fly into the air (very similar to dandruff).
- Hair loss for no apparent reason, not only when brushing but when your dog shakes.
- The proliferation of rotten smell, sometimes some skin infections or skin problems in dogs give off certain odors that become evident at any time. It is even possible that the smell is not very scandalous, so it can go unnoticed until the discomfort is too much for your pet.
- Changes in the appetite of your loved one. It may be that he stops eating, decreases his diet, or chooses, among the variety of foods you give him, only some.
What a Healthy Dachshund’s Skin Should Look Like
It should be red or black, depending on if your dachshund is eumelanin or phaeomelanin. But these pigments can differentiate, resulting in various color options.
- It should be free of crusting, itching, scaling, black or white spots, and infected or hot, swollen areas.
- His coat should be shiny, thick, and free of broken hairs, bald patches, dandruff, or pesky fleas.
- It can shed throughout the year but usually sheds more in summer and fall.
- His skin should be smooth, and his coat should be clean.
Common Skin Conditions in Dachshunds
Common skin problems in Dachshund dogs include yeast infections, acanthosis nigricans, and hypothyroidism.
Yeast Infections
Dachshunds are likely to suffer from yeast infections due to the constant licking of their paws or skin.
Also known as Malassezia Dermatitis is a yeast infection in a dog’s skin that may appear as a pink rash and turn into a thicker elephant skin.
If your doxie suffers from a yeast infection, skin inflammation is likely to happen, especially in the paw areas. The infection will also cause itchy skin. It gets worse, and your doxie’s skin may become crusty and develop a stinky smell.
Ask your vet for guidance when it comes to treating your dog’s yeast infection. They will be able to recommend an anti-fungal medication along with some medicated shampoo for your doxie to get better.
Acanthosis Nigricans
Acanthosis nigricans, also known as hyperpigmentation, is a skin condition commonly found in dachshund dogs. Typically, the signs for acanthosis nigricans will begin to show before a dachshund’s first birthday.
Symptoms of this disorder include thickening and darkening of your doxie’s skin, hair loss, and bacterial skin infections. Your dog’s skin may also appear flaky and seam greasy to the touch.
Without proper treatment, this skin disease can easily spread over your dachshund’s body very quickly.
Unfortunately, this skin problem is not curable but can be treated with special shampoos and medications. If your dog shows any symptoms of hyperpigmentation, consult your vet on what is the best way to treat their skin.
Hypothyroidism
When your dachshund is older, they are at risk of developing hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is a disease that occurs when there is not enough hormone production coming from your dog’s thyroid glands.
Symptoms include discoloration, dryness, hair loss, itchiness, and skin thickening. Since the disease is caused by hormonal changes in your doxie’s body, they may also experience frequent ear and skin infections, lethargy, and changes in their behavior.
Your veterinarian can help you treat your dog if they experience hypothyroidism.
Common Causes of Skin Problems
If your dachshund is suffering from a skin problem, it is essential to look into the real cause of the issue. Common reasons for skin problems in doxies include bugs, seasonal allergies, and food allergies.
Bugs
Scabies, fleas, and ticks commonly cause skin irritation in dogs.
Scabies, also known as mange, is a common skin disease caused by tiny mite bites. These little bugs cause severy itchy skin and small red spots on your dog. Bites can also be found on your dachshund’s ears, which may appear crusty, or even their elbows and back legs. It gets worse; these small bugs easily spread from other infected animals and even bedding.
If your dog is itching and biting around their tail or legs, this could mean they have fleas. These are common tiny bugs that spread by jumping. If these bugs set in on your dachshund’s skin, they will likely develop an itchy rash and bumps around their armpits and inner thighs. This is usually known as flea allergy dermatitis.
Lastly, ticks are another type of bug that can cause several diseases when attaching to your dog’s skin. These bugs carry bacteria and spread diseases by sucking onto your doxie’s blood.
You can easily prevent fleas and ticks with treatment and medication found at your local pet store or vet.
Seasonal Allergies
If you notice your dachshund is scratching, licking their paws, sneezing more than usual, or shedding a lot more during specific times of the year, they could be suffering from seasonal allergies.
In dogs, a seasonal allergy is often referred to as inhalation allergy or canine atopy. This allergy is caused by seasonal pollen and is more likely to affect dachshund dogs than other breeds.
Dachshunds are more exposed due to their short legs. Their paws, arms, and bellies are closer to the ground, dust, carpets, etc., making them more vulnerable and, therefore, more likely to develop skin irritation or allergy.
Food Allergies
Many processed dog foods include ingredients such as soy, dairy, corn, wheat, chicken, and beef, which are usually responsible for many food allergies.
Dog food will also have additives, preservatives, and food coloring that may cause different allergy issues in your doxie.
Dachshunds, and many other smaller breeds, have a more difficult time digesting starchy veggies like carrots and corn. Corn is usually used as a filler ingredient in most processed dog foods.
You should always check the label on your dog’s food before buying to avoid using anything that contains starchy fillers within the first five ingredients.
Others
Some other causes of skin damage include:
- Atopic Dermatitis: This is one of the most common in veterinary cases; it is a genetic predisposition that the dog has to contract or develop an inflammatory disease and itchy skin as a response/reaction to some substance in the environment. Commonly, it is due to dust mites, pollen from certain plants or trees, fungi, insects, or the soil itself.
- Medication allergies are less common; however, they can appear minutes or hours after a particular medication has been applied or administered. Sometimes it only presents with itchy skin; on other occasions, in addition to itching,
there is redness of the skin in areas such as the face and inflammation.
Common Dachshund Allergies
Now, knowing that there are common allergies due to specific factors, there are also problems that are a little more serious and complicated to treat than simple allergies. Here are some of the most common:
- Fungi: This is a complicated topic; many can affect your pet; however, we will talk about the most common, a fungus called “Ringworm.” Ringworm in dogs is a fungus that can cause circular alopecia in different areas of the animal’s body. This can become contagious, both among animals and from dogs to humans, which is why immediate treatment is so necessary.
- Pyoderma: This is positioned as one of the leading causes of skin diseases, and it is a bacterial infection of the skin. This is characterized by showing itself through rashes, sores, ulcerations, swelling, or reddened bumps in certain areas, and occasionally, there may be malaise and fever.
- Bacterial folliculitis: This is a dermatological disease that can affect dogs of all ages, although it is more common in puppies and young dogs. The disease is basically a superficial pyoderma, and it affects the upper area of the hair follicle. This condition is promoted by specific alterations in it and develops infectious
- Dermatitis: It is characterized by the appearance of small pimples or pustules.
- Acute moist dermatitis: This skin problem in dogs is very annoying and painful, so much so that it is better known as the “hot spots” disease. These are red dots that appear along the dachshund’s body; they are inflamed areas that ooze pus and produce a bad smell.
- Seborrhea: This skin problem in dogs is a chronic disease characterized by a keratinization defect with increased scaling, occasionally excessively oily skin, and sometimes secondary inflammation.
- Malassezia: This is Yeast that can cause a skin disease in dogs. It is associated with canine otitis. In cases like this, it will present itself with itching in the area, redness, skin lesions together with peeling; it can also be accompanied by bad odors.
- Pododermatitis: This is an inflammatory condition that generally proceeds to culminate in an infectious process.
They are commonly located in the extremities, so on some occasions, it generates lameness.
Alopecia Areata: A Silent Skin Problem
Have you heard of alopecia? It is a silent problem; little by little it leaves marks on the animal’s skin.
You can prevent a possible alopecia areata in case the dog is prone to it with a diet. Provide rich Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, biotin, collagen, and vitamin E.
This reinforces the natural barrier of the dachshund epidermis. In addition to food, various supplements will help you.
Final Words
Unfortunately, Dachshund dogs are more prone to experience skin problems compared to other breeds. Thankfully, many of these skin problems can be treated and prevented.
Providing your dog with omega fatty acids, probiotics, consistent grooming, and bathing will help treat and prevent skin issues on your dachshund.
To prevent skin problems from happening, you may also give your dog preventative meds, avoid any irritants, and feed them a high-quality diet.
By now, you should be able to know how to spot a skin issue on your dachshund. At the sign of any rash or constant itchiness, pay careful attention to identifying the cause of your dog’s allergy.
If you know your dachshund is suffering from a skin problem, contact your vet as soon as possible and consult on what treatment is best for your dog.
Let us know any questions, and share your experiences in the comments below!