Infectious diseases are the leading cause for morbidity among dogs despite the use of antibiotics and vaccines. Some of the common microbial infections include redness, itchiness and irritation of skin. Microbial infections start from simple skin itching and has the potential to detriment a dog health.

Skin is a very effective protective organ for both humans and animals. The epidermal skin resists the proliferation as well as invasions by microorganisms. Having a clean skin is a must for domestic animals, as it acts as a protective layer against the attack by bacteria.

Allergic skins are always predisposed to microbes and thus cause colonization of pathogenic gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Once the skin has microbial infection, then controlling its growth becomes quite difficult and thus requires continual therapy with anti-microbial agents over a long term.

When the microbial infection on a dog increases, it starts from pustule formation along with fungal infection. The formation of pustules may not be clearly visible outside but causes considerable pain and suffering to the animal. This condition, known as Pyoderma, is one of the commonest skin infections that affect the health of a dog very badly.

Overall health of a dog depends on the nature of skin infection. In the case of surface Pyoderma, the microbial infections affects only the outermost layer of the skin. This condition can be normally resolved with minimal anti-microbial therapy and thus a dog’s health is not affected very seriously. If the surface Pyoderma occurs on a dog’s skin fold, then it can cause considerable damage, as the skin inside its folds are quite moist and soft, which provides a safe haven for bacteria overgrowth.

Deep skin Pyoderma occurs when the microbial infection disrupts the epidermis layer and allows proliferation of bacteria. Common symptoms include: rupture of hair follicles resulting in body hair loss; overall pale skin; presence of crusts, indicating pustule formation; and presence of dark spots due to blood haemorrhage. Deep skin Pyoderma is certainly a serious threat to a dog’s health.

Here are some precautionary measures to prevent microbial infections

Frequent use of anti-microbial shampoo as well as Benzoyl peroxide shampoo helps to prevent bacteria overgrowth as well as microbial infection

Even if the dog does not have any skin infection, it is essential to shampoo it every two days. This routine helps to keep its skin clean.

Preventing the dogs from straying around unhygienic places, as well as cleaning the dog’s kennel quite frequently would prevent microbial infection.

Applying coconut oil on the infected area is an effective treatment for skin itchiness and also helps to keep its skin shining and healthy.

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