Dogs are carefree and most love to be outdoors, especially in the summer months when they are free to frolic and play with other dogs and humans who are also outdoors. In the midst of the summer however, you may notice your dog’s skin becoming irritated. There are a number of things that might cause this and several things you can do about it. Even if doesn’t appear to be bothering them too badly, you’ll want to address dog skin irritations before they become a more serious issue.
What Causes Your Dogs Skin Irritation
Just like humans, dogs have allergies, too. More often than not, allergies surface in the summer and appear as dry skin, hair loss or rash. Take a look at the skin irritation, and then spend a couple of days tracking your dog as he goes throughout his day. Is he spending a lot of time laying around in the grass? Is he spending time around other dogs? You’ll want to make a vet visit with your dog and your findings to solidify a possible cause before you figure out how you can care for him throughout the remainder of the summer.
Dry Skin Prevention
There may be a number of things that are causing your dog to have a skin irritation, so it may be a matter of preventing some of the more common things in advance for next summer before you have to treat your dogs dry skin. If your dog is outdoors at all, you’ll want to get him on some flea and tick medication, since they really ramp up and become active in the summer months. Dogs will scratch, chew and bite at any moving insect on their skin, which will irritate the skin further and possibly cause infection if left untreated. Nipping the insect cause in the bud before it ever occurs is a great way to care for your dog.
Another preventative measure you can take is to give your dog nutritional supplements leading up to the summer and throughout that will leave his skin and fur healthy, moist and smooth, as opposed to dry, matted and itchy. Medicated supplements can be purchased from vet offices, and holistic approaches can be attempted as well.
Dog Dry Skin Treatment
A dog who is not internally healthy will not be healthy on the exterior, either. Pending a vet visit, do whatever you need to do to keep your dog internally healthy. Antibiotics to help fight any lingering infections, supplements to keep skin healthy, and a healthy and nutritious diet with plenty of water are all very crucial to caring for your pet throughout the summer months. Provide a clean and decent bed in the shade if he’s outdoors most of the time, and access to water at all times, as dehydration could be a cause for dry skin in the summer months. If possible, in addition to flea and tick medication, have your yard sprayed for bugs once a year to keep pests from breeding and creating long lasting homes — just make sure the spray is not harmful to you or your dog.
Summertime, while fun, can be rough on a dog. So, do what you need to do to keep him happy and healthy in the heat of the day!
Have you noticed dog skin irritations on your pup? For more on dog health, click the links below!
The Ultimate Puppy Food Guideline
Protecting Your Pets From Heat Stroke
