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Any dog can have skin problems, such as mange, allergies, and even acne. While many common dog skin conditions aren’t life-threatening, it’s important to see a vet to confirm a diagnosis and get the condition treated. Crusty dog skin conditions can be especially irritating, and they may also indicate an underlying health concern.
Learn more about how to tell if your dog has a skin condition, treatment options, and how pet insurance could help you cover the cost of care for your furry friend
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Skin allergies, often in the form of atopic dermatitis (AD), are a common skin condition in dogs. Environmental factors, like pollen or other plant particles, can cause allergies in dogs. Although less common, food allergies can affect dogs as well.1
Itchiness is the most common symptom of allergies in dogs. Scratching leads to other signs, such as wounds, scabbing, hair loss, scaling, and ear inflammation. Since many of these symptoms align with other diseases, diagnosing AD requires allergen testing to help identify an allergen.1
Once the allergen irritating your dog is identified, your vet will work with you to set a course of treatment. They may recommend allergen-specific immunotherapy and anti-itch medications. They may also encourage you to bathe your dog with medicated shampoos or recommend other home remedies for itchy skin.1
Yeasts are natural, fungal organisms that grow on your dog’s skin. A yeast infection occurs when there’s an overabundance of fungi on your dog’s skin. The condition is characterized by a musty odor, itchy skin, itchy ears, and otherwise irritated skin. Dogs may get yeast infections from yeast dermatitis, skin parasites, allergies, or a weak immune system.2
You can treat yeast infections with topical antifungal creams, medicated shampoos, ear drops, or ear cleaners. In particularly bad cases, your vet may prescribe oral antifungal medications. Keeping up to date with your pup’s vaccinations and regular vet visits can help keep them healthy and less likely to develop yeast infections.2
Ringworm is a fungal infection characterized by bald, scaly patches and acne-like bumps on your dog’s skin — most commonly on their tail, feet, face, and tips of their ears. Ringworm is typically spread from contact with either infected animals or contaminated objects.3
While some ringworm infections can resolve themselves, treatment could help the infection clear quicker and decrease the spread of the fungus. To treat ringworm, your vet may put your dog on a medicated shampoo or oral antifungal medication. You’ll also need to disinfect all areas of your home that your infected dog may have touched with diluted bleach.3
Pyoderma is a common bacterial infection that causes itchy skin. It may also be a secondary complication of allergies and immune disorders. It’s often characterized by redness, bumps, crusting, and hair loss.4
Puppy pyoderma — also known as impetigo — is another form of pyoderma that specifically impacts puppies. They typically experience pyoderma in areas of the body that have little to no hair, like the underarms, belly, or groin.4
Depending on the cause of the condition, your vet may recommend oral or topical antibiotics, or they may prescribe medicated shampoo. Antibiotic treatment typically lasts a week or two, but recurrent or severe pyoderma may require a longer course.4
Seborrhea is a condition where the outer layer of skin isn’t renewing properly. This leads to scaliness and can also cause greasy skin and hair. Often, secondary infection or inflammation can stem from seborrhea, or seborrhea can be a sign of a secondary, underlying disease.5
Since seborrhea is often a chronic condition, you’ll need to create a long-term treatment regimen to help manage seborrhea symptoms throughout your dog's life. Treating the condition includes giving your dog frequent baths and using a medicated cleanser. Your vet may also prescribe antibiotics to treat any secondary diseases or infections.5
Alopecia is a condition that causes chronic fur loss and the inability to regrow fur properly. It can be congenital or acquired. Conditions that lead to alopecia include parasitic infections, other types of infections, inflammatory skin diseases, or skin trauma, such as from burns or friction from a tight collar.6
Treatment depends almost entirely on the specific underlying cause of the alopecia. If your pup is experiencing itching or discomfort as a result of the hair loss, your vet may prescribe medication for relief.6
Mite infestations on a dog's skin cause mange. This skin disease is characterized by crusty skin, sores, hair loss, and sudden, intense itchiness. Several types of mange can affect dogs, including:7
Mange is contagious and can affect other animals or even humans. If your dog is diagnosed with mange, be sure to ask your vet about other animals in the home. You may also check with a physician to discuss possible medications for you and any others living in your home. Mites can live without a host for several days, so thoroughly cleaning the home and your pet’s environment is crucial.7
Mange treatment includes medicated shampoo baths, topical creams, anti-mite dips, and oral medicine.7
Cancer in dogs can be the result of genetic predispositions, environmental factors, or old age. It shows up in various ways for different breeds, including tumors and even allergic reactions for some dogs. Other dogs may have no visible symptoms. There are several kinds of skin cancer dogs can get, including:8
While not all skin abnormalities are cancer, it’s best to get them checked by a veterinarian. Skin cancer may be characterized by lumps or bumps, discoloration, or changes in existing skin tags.
A cancer diagnosis may be scary, but there are treatment options. Available treatments will vary depending on your dog’s diagnosis, but the most common options are surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and medication.8 If your dog has been diagnosed with skin cancer, your vet will inform you of the best option for your dog’s specific case.
Like humans, dogs can get acne around their chin and muzzle. The acne can be secondary to another skin condition or result from trauma to your dog’s skin around their muzzle which could cause hair follicles to rupture, leading to acne. Canine acne can cause inflammation and swelling on your dog’s face. If not controlled, canine acne can also cause bleeding wounds and result in permanent scarring.9
Topical benzoyl peroxide is a common treatment for canine acne. Your vet may also prescribe topical or oral antibiotics. If your dog’s acne is causing severe inflammation, a topical steroid can help.9
Folliculitis in dogs is a common skin condition that occurs when hair follicles are inflamed, typically by bacteria. Folliculitis can also be a symptom of other skin conditions, like mites or ringworm. Signs of folliculitis include general itchiness, scabs, and red bumps on the skin where hair is located.10
If the root cause of folliculitis is bacteria, oral antibiotics are prescribed to clear up any infection. Treatment can vary depending on whether the condition is a symptom of another underlying issue. For example, a vet may opt for mite or ringworm treatment that can clear up folliculitis. Also, the vet may prescribe a topical cream or oral painkiller if your pup has severe inflammation or pain.10
Dog vitiligo is a mostly hereditary, harmless skin condition that causes dogs to lose pigment in their skin and fur. Dogs with vitiligo typically have pink or white patches on their faces that show up in young adulthood and may spread to other spots on their body.11
Most vets won’t recommend treatment for vitiligo in dogs since it’s a cosmetic condition. Some vets may recommend sunlight exposure to help stimulate melanocyte production in your dog’s skin. Reducing stress could also help improve vitiligo.11
Parasites — like ticks, fleas, and lice — can cause a host of issues for dogs, including itching, sores, redness, hair loss, and health issues beyond skin problems. What’s more, some of these critters can find their way onto humans, too. Dogs can catch parasites from other animals or when spending a lot of time outside.12
The best defense against parasites is prevention. Ensure your dog takes monthly flea and tick medication to mitigate their risk of carrying any unwanted pests. If your dog gets a skin parasite, there are various approaches for removal depending on the parasite.12
If your dog has a tick, use tweezers to grab it, clean the area, and consult your vet for options to treat any skin issue your dog may be facing as a result. If your dog has fleas, lice, or mites, your vet will likely recommend a medicated bath to get rid of any pests on your dog’s skin, alongside other topical treatments to kill any remaining parasites.12
Also known as acral lick dermatitis, acral lick granuloma is a skin condition caused by a dog’s obsessive licking of a specific area — typically near the wrist. Constant licking of an area causes inflammation, infection, and lesions on a dog’s skin. This condition can come as the result of a bug bite or sting, allergies, or pain in the area, but it can also be the result of behavioral concerns like anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or boredom.13
While all dogs can develop a lick granuloma, there are a few breeds that develop them more often than others, including boxers, Great Danes, and Doberman pinschers.13
Treatment for acral lick granuloma relies heavily on treating the root cause to prevent recurring skin irritation. Training or medication to mitigate behavioral issues is typically recommended, but topical corticosteroids and antibiotics can help heal the lesions and get rid of any infection.13
The conditions discussed here are just some of the many causes of skin inflammation in dogs, with some issues involving an underlying infection or illness. Monitor any changes in your pup’s skin and consult with a vet to confirm a diagnosis and determine treatment options.
MetLife Pet can help you cover the cost of dog skin condition treatments. Here’s how one of our dog insurance policies helped a dog owner in Nevada.
This owner noticed their 5-year-old pup, Maximus, was itching between skin folds quite a bit. At a vet visit, Maximus was diagnosed with severe pyoderma, and the vet advised surgery to remove the skin folds was the best treatment option. The vet exam, surgery, and aftercare cost nearly $1,950, and MetLife Pet covered almost $1,450 of the bill.14
Pet insurance can help you cover skin allergy treatments, dermatologist appointments, and more. Fetch your quote today to get started on your dog insurance journey.
Dr. Hunter Finn has been paid by MetLife to discuss the importance of choosing pet insurance. He is an integrative veterinary expert first, and social media star second. He owns Pet Method in McKinney, Texas, where he cares for pets while prioritizing their emotional well-being. When he’s not at his clinic, he’s starring in viral videos on TikTok (2 million followers) and Instagram (500K followers) — where he’s been known to snuggle puppies and conquer the latest dance trends.
