What Dog Owners Need To Know About The Skin
Canine skin appearance is one of the most common reasons that require a trip to the veterinarian. The skin may cause real concern on the part of owners who can see the disease first hand. Any examination should include the skin and the hair, as both must be addressed together. If you start with the knowledge that canine skin skin is the most protective organ in the canine body, and the necessity for the skin to guard against illness, infection and injury, it is no wonder that dogs are often suffering from some type of skin related complaint.
With a basic appreciation of skin and hair structure, an owner can begin to begin to act on the trigger for most skin conditions. Dog skin has three layers, which include the outer skin layer, or surface layer, and dermis, which forms the following layer. The 2 top layers are known as the cutis. The panniculus is the name for the third layer and is named 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 surface layer of the skin. Basal cells, glue the visible layer or epidermis, to the second layer or dermis. When you hear about issues referred to as basal cell carcinoma of the epidermis, it is these cells that cause the issue when they stop dividing as expected and begin to divide with no control. Cancer related skin conditions are referred to as neoplasms or malignant tumors.
You can now also appreciate that when the skin is injured or wounded, that there’s no protective barrier to keep outside elements from getting into the body. This exposes the dog to parasites bacteria and other sources of problems that is why skin conditions need care and treatment for fast healing. The good news is that the skin or outer skin layer heals immediately. The bad news is that if this layer is continually re-injured it becomes thicker as a protective measure by the body, which can also lead straight to changes in appearance that are disquieting for the owner. If the skin is continually hurt it may also have trouble repairing itself which leads to skin problems such as seborrhea or skin flakes.
The very outermost layer of the skin is referred to as the horny layer. This layer is called an immunologic barrier in that it fights off problems such as infection. A part of this layer, are cells called Langerhans cells that fight infection. If these cells work so well it attacks pollen, allergens or mites causing skin disease. This is the immune response being too active and not doing a great job at understanding what is a problem to the dog and elements that are not.
The skin also helps to shield your dog against sunlight or sun burn. The dogs hair is the first primary protector against the sun. Nevertheless if the hair is missing or thin, then the body can be exposed to too much sun causing a burn and concerns with those basal cells described earlier.
You can see that dog skin and human skin are considered to be very similar. This is correct for canine skin disease, with similar prescribed treatments and drugs or topicals. As science advances in human skin treatment, the same treatments swiftly become available to help our dogs. This includes tests conducted in the veterinarian’s office and skin tests conducted in the lab,. Specific treatment approaches recommended are also similar including shampoo treatment, vitamins, plusnon-prescription and prescription medicines used to contribute to skin vitality.
Cathy Doggins is a passionate lover of dogs. She’s a highly regarded dog health investigator who has been showcased on many leading pet care sties including articles in the same genre as this one on canine skin conditions and disease.
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