DITCH THE ITCH

Canine Atopic Dermatitis FAQ Guide

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Scratches, Itches, and the hell of hair loss, there often comes a moment when your pet is really irritated and tired of scratching because something on their skin (or maybe inside) keeps bothering them. Is your pet annoyed and itchy? Does it have constant irritation on the skin? Why is this happening? What’s wrong? In this mini-FAQ guide, we will share with you the causes, effects, and treatment of this vicious cycle of skin irritation.

WHAT IS THIS CONDITION CALLED?

Atopic Dermatitis is a kind of skin disease wherein your pet has flares and periods of constant irritation. They scratch their bodies with their paw vigorously as if something’s bothering them endlessly. More often than not, it is an allergic reaction to allergens (outside particles). Allergy can be due to food or environmental pollutants or dust mites. Dermatitis means Derm – Skin, and itis – inflammation, dermatitis hence is an inflammation of the skin. The inflammation is due to allergens or bacteria or fungus or due to trauma caused to the skin by constant scratch bites, etc. It could also be because of parasites such as ticks, fleas, and mites.

BUT WHAT EXACTLY CAUSES THIS CONDITION?

The reasons are many, we have shortlisted the main ones for you.

1. Bacterial Disease

There are a number of bacterium that reside on the surface of our skin, and they are majorly harmless. They are known as commensals (they do not cause any damage to the skin). However, in conditions such as allergies/ Hypothyroidism or flea allergy, the immune system gets triggered and reacts with normal skin flora, and hence hypersensitivity occurs. Also, in immuno-deficient or compromised pets, bacterial infection occurs concurrently with fungal or yeast infection.

2. Fungal or Yeast Infection