Summer is official here! As we all head to the beach and hit the trails, we may notice our furry friends are more likely to develop skin issues.
We wanted to highlight a couple of common issues and offer some advice about how to treat them.
The first issue that we wanted to highlight is ear infections. The symptoms of ear infections include shaking their head, head tilt, discharge from the ear, redness and odour in the ear. Dogs that spend a lot of time in the water seem to be more predisposed to ear infections, particularly if they like to put their head under the water.
The second issue is hotspots. Hot spots can occur all over the body and are characterized by redness, pain, hair loss, and itching. They also often have a weeping character to them that makes the remaining fur have a wet look to it.
Both these issues are good reasons to book an appointment as they tend to be quite bothersome to the animal. We can treat them with antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and pain control. However, one question you might ask is: Why is one dog able to swim and run without issue while another dog is having recurrent skin issues?
The answer is that many of these dogs have underlying allergies that deserve exploration. If you experience recurring ear infections, itching, or hotspots, come and see if we can help get your pet through the summer in comfort.
