What Dog Owners Need To Know About The Skin
Dog and puppy skin disease is one of the primary reasons that require a visit to the veterinarian. The skin will often cause upsetting concern on the part of owners who can see the condition first hand. Any examination should include the skin and the hair, as both have to be looked at together. If you think about canine skin skin is the biggest organ in the canine body, and the necessity for the skin to protect against foreign objects infection and injury, it's no wonder that dogs are continually subject to some sort of skin related medical issues.
With a first hand knowledge of of skin and coat structure, an owner can begin to understand the cause of most skin sicknesses. Canine skin has 3 layers, which include the epidermis, or outer layer, and dermis, which forms the second layer. The two top layers are called the cutis. The panniculus is the name for the third layer and is also known as the sub-cutis. Canine hair is referred to as follicles which also includes attached sweat glands.
A dog gets most of its protection from the environment from the outer layer of the skin. Basal cells, glue the visible layer or skin, to the second layer or dermis. When you hear about diseases referred to as fundamental cell carcinoma of the epidermis, it is these cells that cause the issue when they stop dividing normally and unexpectedly start to divide with no control. Cancer related skin conditions are referred to as neoplasms or malignant tumors.
You now have the ability to also appreciate that when the skin is ulcerated or injured, that there's no protective barrier to keep outside elements from getting into the body. This exposes the dog to disease, bacteria and other concerns which is why skin conditions must result in treatment and care for fast healing. The good news is that the skin or outer skin layer heals swiftly. The bad news is that if this layer is continually wounded, it becomes thicker as a defensive measure by the body, which can also lead directly to changes in appearance that are disquieting for the owner. If the skin is continually injured it could also have trouble fixing itself which ends in skin issues similar to seborrhea or skin flakes.
The surface layer of the skin is referred to as the horny layer. This layer is called an immunologic barrier in that it fights off issues and skin problems such as infection. A part of this layer, are cells called Langerhans cells that attack infection. If these cells work too well , it attacks pollen, antigens or grooming products causing skin disorders. This is the immunological system being too active and not doing a great job at deciding upon what is damaging to the dog and what's not.
The skin also helps to defend your dog against daylight or sun burn. The dogs hair is the 1st protection against the sun. However , if the hair is missing or thin, then the body can be exposed to too much sun causing a burn and concerns with those cancer related cells mentioned earlier.
You can see that dog skin and human skin are amazingly similar. This holds true for canine skin conditions, with similar protocols or treatments and medications. As science advances in human skin disease, the same treatments rapidly become available to help our dogs. This includes tests conducted in the vet's office and skin tests conducted in the laboratory, Specific treatment approaches recommended are also similar including shampoo treatment, supplements, plusnon-prescription and prescription medicines used to improve skin health.
Cathy Doggins is a passionate lover of dogs. Cathy widely recognized as a top dog health analyst which has been showcased on many leading pet care sties including articles like this one on canine skin conditions and disease.