Why is my dog’s skin red and itchy? Here’s What to Do Next

Potential Causes of Dog Skin Irritation

Your dog’s skin irritation is generally not a condition in and of itself, but a symptom of an underlying health condition. Identifying the cause of your dog’s skin irritation makes it much easier to design an effective treatment plan that provides your dog with relief.

With that being said, there are a number of reasons why your dog’s skin may become irritated. Among the most common reasons for skin irritation in dogs are infections, parasites, allergies, and disease. We go over each one of these potential causes in more detail below.

If your dog contracts an infection, this can potentially lead to skin irritation. Several types of bacterial and fungal infections can lead to symptoms such as extreme itching, scaling, hair loss, unpleasant odors, and fluid discharge. Conditions like yeast or bacterial infections and ringworm can potentially lead to inflammation of your dog’s skin.2 In this case, treating the infection should relieve your dog’s irritation.

Parasites are one of the most common causes of dog itching and skin irritation, and will likely be the first thing your vet checks for when attempting to identify the issue. Mites, fleas, and other parasites can lead to inflammation and itching, yet they may not be visible to the naked eye.2

Allergies are known to produce skin irritation in dogs and other animals. Food sensitivities, environmental allergens, insect bites, and seasonal allergies can all lead to skin inflammation and itching.2 If your dog’s skin is irritated due to allergies, removing the allergen from the dog’s environment may be possible in order to provide relief from dog skin allergies. Alternatively, there are several medications available through a veterinarian to help your dog’s allergies.

Certain diseases—such as flea allergy dermatitis, contact dermatitis, and hypothyroidism—can cause skin irritation in dogs.3 In order to reach a conclusive diagnosis for any of these diseases, it’s essential to consult with a vet.

How to Treat Skin Irritation in Your Dog

The best treatment for dog skin irritation will ultimately depend on the root cause of the irritation. Identifying your dog’s underlying health condition will make it much easier to choose a treatment option, since directly addressing this condition is typically the quickest and most effective way to cure your dog’s skin irritation. With that in mind, here are some of the available treatments for dog skin irritation.

Medicated baths can help soothe the skin of dogs experiencing dermatitis. In some cases, using antimicrobial shampoos can provide relief to dogs experiencing atopic dermatitis. Additionally, medicated flea baths can help rid your dog of parasites that may be irritating their skin.

Flea control measures such as insect growth regulators have proven to be effective in preventing fleas from reproducing and infesting your dog’s coat. There are also other flea control products that can be administered orally or topically.4 Speak with your vet about the right flea control products for your dog.

In case a bacterial infection is causing your dog’s skin irritation, antibiotics may be able to provide some relief. Antibiotics can be used to treat the infection causing your dog’s skin irritation, thereby addressing the root of the problem.

If your dog is experiencing a fungal infection, antifungal medication can relieve itchiness and irritation by taking care of the underlying health condition causing the problem in the first place.

As we mentioned above, skin irritation in dogs can be caused by allergies. In some cases, antihistamines can neutralize different types of allergies and prevent allergy-related skin irritation in your dog. However, the success of antihistamines when it comes to itching in dogs varies on a case by case basis.2

If your dog’s skin is irritated due to a food allergy, the simple solution is to remove the problematic food from your dog’s diet. Yet, identifying your dog’s food allergies can be difficult. In order to diagnose a food allergy, your vet may recommend an elimination diet to pinpoint what food your dog is allergic to.

Glucocorticoids are anti-inflammatory steroids that can help reduce the itching and irritation of a dog’s skin. However, they’re only prescribed in certain cases due to their side effects. For instance, they can cause excessive hunger, thirst, and urination, as well as increase the risk of diabetes and secondary urinary tract infections.2

In some cases, dogs may experience skin irritation due to environmental allergens. Perhaps they have seasonal allergies or they’re allergic to something in their immediate environment. If this is the case, the easiest remedy will typically be to remove the offending allergen from your dog’s immediate environment or take steps to ensure they avoid those irritants. Again, it can be difficult to definitively determine what environmental factor your dog is allergic to.

Possible Causes for Dog’s Itchy Skin

So, what’s behind your dog’s itchy skin? It may be caused by a medical condition called allergic dermatitis (skin allergies). This means your dog’s body overreacts to an allergen in the environment or food, which makes them feel itchy. There are a number of potential culprits:

Fleas. Flea bites can create extremely itchy areas on your dog. They can be found anywhere on the body, but are most common at the hind legs, tail base, and rear end. Just because you don’t see any fleas on your dog does not mean they aren’t there – keep in mind that a bite from a single flea can cause an allergic itch in your dog.

Environmental. Your dog may be allergic to environmental triggers, like pollen, mold spores, or dust mites. Environmental allergens can cause allergic itch during certain seasons, or even year-round. Dogs with environmental allergies will often show signs of allergic itch around their face, belly, and paws. If your dog gets itchy outdoors, invest in an outdoor dog bed to keep them off the ground.

Food. Your dog’s itching might be caused by a food allergy. Some dogs are allergic to common dog food ingredients such as beef, chicken, and dairy products. Food allergies in dogs can lead to signs of allergic itch around the paws, face, armpits, and belly.

Allergic dermatitis can make your dog uncomfortable. It also can lead to secondary health problems if there is a delay in treatment. When a dog licks or scratches an area excessively, it can damage the skin and lead to skin infections and wounds. These can cause changes like hair loss, body odor, and inflammation. Severe skin infections and wounds may even be painful for your dog.

Dog allergies – how to stop itching

Are you thinking about your dog’s frequent scratching, itching, licking, and rolling around on the rug? You may be feeling itchy yourself, just from watching all of this activity.

There are many reasons your dog may be itchy. Many veterinarians believe it’s best to find the cause of the itch sooner rather than later. While the occasional scratch can be normal for dogs, frequent scratching could indicate a medical condition that may get worse over time.

According to a 2021 Nationwide Survey on pet insurance data, for the tenth year in a row, allergic dermatitis was the top reason dogs were brought to the vet. This condition can make your dog show signs of allergic itch, like frequent scratching, recurrent ear infections, and skin changes.