There are several shar pei skin problems that can affect it throughout its life. Among them we find fungi, irritations or allergies because it is a particularly sensitive dog.
In this article on our site we will review the different problems that affect your skin and we will also propose some prevention methods in each of the cases that will try to avoid their appearance.
Keep reading this article on Shar Pei skin problems to find out how to discover and prevent them.
Before starting…
Remember that the Shar Pei is a dog with a very sensitive skin, so it can suffer from various skin-related problems. Before giving your dog medication or following any type of treatment, it is essential that you consult your veterinarian to make sure that it is indeed the problem. This article is just a guide to help you identify some of these skin conditions and prevent them.
Skin irritation
Skin irritation is a very common problem in Shar Pei that can be caused by dirty fur, substances that react, shampoos that can irritate the skin and even the presence of foreign bodies. His skin is highly sensitive, you must take care of it.
To avoid irritation of the Shar Pei's skin and therefore the appearance of diseases, it is essential to pay attention to these tips:
- Keep your Shar Pei dry by paying attention after bathing
- On rainy or especially humid days you will dry him thoroughly with a towel
- Check it regularly in specific areas such as the armpits or inside the furrows
- Use dermo-protective products, never generic, they are stronger
- Do not use colognes if they are not natural and harmless
- Go to the vet whenever you detect any abnormality
- Prevents licking or scratching, generates moisture in the area
- Offer products with omega 3 omega 6 (such as salmon), its anti-inflammatory effect
Keep reading to find out about all the Shar Pei skin diseases listed below.
Mushrooms
Fungi can appear for different reasons, the folds and continuous rubbing of the Shar Pei's skin is one of the elements that promote it, in addition to contact with waterand the advanced age of the dog in question.
The fungi usually appear in the same folds and specific areas such as the groin or armpits, it will depend on each case. The area becomes red, begins to lose hair and secrete a white substance accompanied by an acidic smell. We must avoid licking at all costs and start the treatment as soon as possible because the heat and humidity favor its expansion.
The treatment is very simple and easy to carry out. Most likely, will prescribe us a specific shampoo to treat fungus. It will be enough to wash the dog and let the product act. You will follow this process for the time indicated.
Although fungal infection is a relatively easy problem to treat, the truth is that it is advisable to go to the professional since a Shar Pei with fungus usually also shows an ear infection.
Keeping your dog clean and dry is undoubtedly the best way to prevent fungus, especially when returning from a walk, pay attention to drying its paws.
Allergies
Certainly the Shar Pei is a sensitive dog to contract allergies either due to food in most cases, to the elements of the environment such as plants and even because of a flea infestation. Only the veterinarian can determine what causes our Shar Pei to suffer from allergies and therefore administer an appropriate and specific treatment for the case.
We can easily solve a food allergy by offering hypoallergenic feed, although the other causes must be treated with medication (antihistamines and cortisone) or specific shampoos. The truth is that allergies are very common in Shar Pei dogs.
Foliculitis
Folliculitis affects dogs with short hairy coats such as the Shar Pei, we can easily detect it because the hair begins to fall out in the affected areaand small pustules appear. The dog with folliculitis will constantly scratch the pustules, and may even try to bite the area that bothers him, making small wounds that can become infected.
All dogs have the causative bacteria called staphylococcus intermedius on their skin, although not all of them develop this skin problem. Usually a appears to be due to low defenses or other problems within the dog's body that cause it to manifest. It can also be due to the same causes as other dog skin diseases: humidity, lack of hygiene, etc.
The treatment is usually antibacterial either by oral administration, through creams or through specific shampoos. It will be the veterinarian who recommends the treatment to be followed and the time that the treatment should last, since the majority of products dedicated to folliculitis can seriously dry out their fur.
Tumors
Any dog regardless of its age or breed can present tumors, it is not exclusive to the Shar Pei. Even so, certain factors such as old age, toxic products and even lack of care for our Shar Pei can cause tumors to appear.
There are many different types of tumors, benign or not, and we can only determine what it is and how to start a treatment doing a biopsyof a sample of the tumor tissue. If you think that your dog has developed a tumor, go to the specialist as soon as possible so that they can do a test and thus be able to determine what it is.
Does your Shar Pei have a skin problem?
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