The skin runs through the entire external area of our dog, although it also extends into the interior through the mucous membranes of the digestive system (mouth and anus), the respiratory system (nose and mouth) and the urogenital system (the penis in the male. and the vulva in females).
The skin is divided into two parts:
• A surface layer. The epithelial tissue called epidermis, which can have a variable thickness in which the openings of the skin glands (sweat and sebaceous) and hair follicles appear.
• A deep layer. The connective tissue called the chorion.
The sebaceous glands are responsible for producing fat, they are related to the hair and more specifically to its follicles, although they are also found in the lip, vulva and anus. Their function is to protect against humidity and they serve our animal as a sexual attraction.
The hairs cover almost all the skin of our pet, even in the “hairless” dog breeds we find fluff on the body and some more visible hairs in certain parts such as the ears or around the mouth. These hairs also shed during the year, their objective is to protect the eyes (in the case of eyelashes), prevent dirt from entering the ear, protect the mouth …
We tell you all this so that you can get a better idea when we explain the diseases that the skin and its components can suffer. Each component of the skin can suffer a series of injuries. Take a good look at your friend for a while every day, pass your gaze over all the skin from the snout to his tail paying attention to whether there have been changes in the characteristics of his hair (its length, its thickness, its texture …) or in those of the skin (color, elasticity, roughness, thickness …).
Alopecia or the appearance of pustules are symptoms of health problems for your dog.
If you sense that something has changed, it may be due to one of the skin lesions that we list below.
Alopecia or bald spots. Your dog has one or more bald spots on his body or his hair is losing excessively. Complete alopecia is called atrichia and has a congenital origin, not to be confused with the lack of normal hair that dogs such as the Chinese crested have. If the hair loss is only suffered in certain areas it is known as hypotrichosis.
Taint. This is a one centimeter flat lesion, if it measures more than that it will be a spot. It is usually visible with a change in skin tone because the melanin deposit increases, because the blood vessels in the area are dilated or due to internal bleeding.
Comedo. If the hair follicles are dilated, your dog will suffer a comedo. It may be due to the accumulation of sebum, germs … Your manifest will arrive in the form of black dots.
Papule. This injury occurs when our dog has a food allergy or suffers from folliculitis. You will notice a small sore that is hard if you touch it, created by the thickening of the epidermis. If the papule is large or there are several condensed it will become a plaque.
Hives This lesion is usually round or hollow in shape, will be bulging, and will be reddish in color. Your furry will notice itching in the area. They are the result of hives or an insect bite among other things.
Pustule. A lesion with pus inside, which will cause it to be elevated. It has a yellow or reddish color. If you have a hair in the center it will be called a follicular pustule and it may be due to folliculitis.
Scales Your dog sheds small, smooth white, gray, or yellow chunks from his fur. There are two types: small and thin, called pityriasiform or large and thick, called psoriasiform.
Crust. We all know well what a scab looks like. Its appearance is due to the drying of exudates, blood, pus and / or medications (ointments). It sticks to the skin.
