Like humans, dogs can be allergic to lots of different things in everyday life. These allergies can show up in the same way as humans too, with dogs getting ear infections, eye infections and skin conditions like eczema.
Atopic Dermatitis in dogs
Of all the dog skin conditions atopic dermatitis is one of the most common, affecting around 1 in 10 dogs with varying degrees of severity. It's similar to the skin condition in humans known as eczema, and affected dogs have itchy, red, flaky skin. See the animation for a more detailed explanation of what happens to a dog's skin when it has atopic dermatitis.
Dogs that suffer from atopic dermatitis for a long time may have a low quality of life if the disease is not treated and managed correctly. This means it can be difficult to deal with for pet owners who hate to see their dogs suffering. However, it's also difficult for vets too, because it's a tricky condition that can take weeks and sometimes months to diagnose.
On the positive side there are a number of treatments that can help to relieve a dog's itching from atopic dermatitis. You can read more about these in 'Treating atopic dermatitis'.
If you'd like to know more about dog atopic dermatitis, please click on any of the questions below.
• What causes dog atopic dermatitis?
Dog atopic dermatitis is the result of an animal becoming too sensitive to one or more allergens in the environment, for example
-house dust mites
-pollens
-mould spores
-occasionally foods
It is thought there may be a genetic cause as atopic dermatitis is more common in certain breeds (e.g. Terriers, Retrievers)
Many dogs have a lot of allergies and may even suffer from a combination of atopic dermatitis and other allergies, for example flea allergy.
When there are a lot of allergens in the environment signs of atopic dermatitis can suddenly get a lot worse or ‘flare up’, just like humans getting an attack of hayfever in the summer.
Causes>>
• What are the symptoms of dog atopic dermatitis?
At first you may only notice that your dog is scratching occasionally, or has red areas of skin. Over time the scratching becomes worse and skin damage starts to appear.
This is often on their
-face
-around their mouth
-eyes and
-inside their ear flaps
They also start on their
-feet
-in the crooks of their joints
-'armpits' and
-around their groin area
A common sign is brown saliva staining of the hair, especially on the feet and around the joints such as front of elbows, caused by the dog's licking. In some dogs the only sign is repeated ear infections.
Eventually, the scratching becomes constant and your dog may even start to hurt itself - as s/he claws and scratches at their skin, they cause wounds and start to develop bacterial and/or yeast infections. As time passes your dog may start to lose its hair, and the skin may get leathery looking and discoloured.
Symptoms>>
• Which dogs are most likely to get atopic dermatitis?
Signs of atopic dermatitis usually first appear between 6 months and 3 years of age, but older dogs can be affected too.
Any breed of dog may be affected by atopic dermatitis, but some are thought to be more commonly affected then others.
These include
-Terriers, especially West Highland White Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers
-Boxers
-Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers
-German Shepherds
Breeds>>
• What do dogs with atopic dermatitis look like?
Choose a category from those available in the Gallery to view images related to that dog skin condition.
Gallery>>
• How is dog atopic dermatitis diagnosed?
To start a discussion with your vet, try this quick test. You can print the results and take them to your dog's next veterinary appointment.
How to diagnose>>
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