Dogs are pretty much like humans when it comes to their health. Improper diet or hygiene can affect the dog health. One of the most common diseases that canines suffer from is microbial infections. It is a misconception that microbial infections affect the skin only. In fact, it can affect the kidneys, eyes and ears, skin, among others. Microbial infections refer to bacteria, fungus and virus.

It is very important that your dog is shampooed regularly, at least once in a week. This will ensure that the coat is clean. You can use a medicated shampoo once in a while to kill any bacteria. Make sure that the dog kennel is cleaned regularly. You can disinfect it once a month to kill any germs residing in it. Regular visits to the vet are a must even if your dog health is fine or does not appear to be sick. Also a balance diet is important to keep the body healthy and less susceptible to any microbial infections.

If your dog has contracted an infection on the skin, you can use some medicated ointment in the infected area. If you detect the problem early, the infection may go away after a few days with regular application of ointment. If the problem persists, you should take your dog to the vet to prevent the infection from spreading.

Microbial infections of the eye and ears are more serious. If you notice any redness or swelling of the eyes or ears, you must take your dog to the vet immediately. In case of eyes, if you notice that your dog has tears in his eyes often, you can show it to the doctor. Also if you notice an unusual amount of ear wax, you can show the doctor. Ear infections are particularly disturbing for dogs. Prolonged infections left untreated can lead to hearing loss. Any changes in behavior, sleeping pattern, agitated behavior or loss of appetite could be symptoms of a more serious disease. Microbial infections can even lead to cancer. If you detect any unusual or foul smell in the dog’s urine, it could also be a sign of some problem.

One of the most common causes of death in dogs is diseases caused by microbial infections. Hygiene and diet of your dog is very important to keep diseases from attacking. Since bacteria and virus thrive in dirty places, try to keep your dog in hygienic conditions are all times.

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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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