Understanding Your Dog's Itchy Skin: Symptoms and Treatment
Is your dog suffering from extreme itchiness followed by redness,scaly skin, hair loss, brownish waxy discharge in ears and a distinct musty or sour smell especially during a shower? Hyperpigmentation (darken skin) will also occur in heavily infected areas.
This condition is caused by a yeast called malassezia. It is a common yeast found on human and animal skin. When the immune system is compromised, malassezia will grow out of control causing dandruff and extreme itchiness.
Unfortunately treating it is not straight forward as just taking antibiotics, more on this later. To effectively treat the condition, first we need to reduce the yeast on the skin. Our Revitalize Therapy spa is very effective in removing yeast as well as excess oil from the skin. Because malassezia requires oil to grow, this will slow down its growth. Using medicated shampoo will also help the process. But make sure to soak for around 10 minutes before rinsing the shampoo.
Next we need to target the source of the problem. The cause of the over growth of malassezia. Which is the compromised immune system. Roughly 70% of dog immune systems reside in their guts. A poor microbiome fails to properly modulate immune responses, often leading to the hypersensitivity (allergies) that is the primary trigger for Malassezia dermatitis.
Many veterinary nutritionists and researchers identify high starch and sugar as well as highly processed food such as kibbles and treats as a primary contributor to poor gut health and subsequent Malassezia overgrowth. Too much antibiotics will also compromise gut health. Strictly controlling a healthy diet will help balance the gut macrobiomes. First, switching to a more natural and balanced food such as Hachi. Hachi is made with top quality ingredients and steam cooked to retain most of the nutrients. It uses butternut pumpkin which is a good source of naturally prebiotic helping create a healthy gut microbiome thus improving immune system. Hachi Venison formula has low fat and calories to slow down the growth of yeast as well as herb to combat yeast. Hachi Fish formula has high omega 3 which is known for its anti inflammatory properties help manage the systemic inflammation caused by gut issues. Switching between 2 to help introduce more protein sources to the diet reduces risk of developing sensitivities or allergies as well as supporting gut health.
Finally, reduce the amount of treats. Treats are made to be tasty above all else. Too much treats will greatly compromise gut health. Treats shouldn’t exceed 10% of total daily calories.
Freederm Gel can be used on severe spots to help control itchiness and promote healing.