Dogs are energetic creatures who love to explore everything. They are always running from one place to another. Once they are stagnant and are scratching themselves the difference in their energy is visible. With the repeated action the worry starts of something going wrong. The scratching is a sign of a dandruff issue.
Dandruff is a sign of unhealthy hair-skin balance and is somewhat unpleasant to the eye. Yes, it is quite surprising to know that, our dearest pets too can face the agony of bad-skin, bad-hair days. Depending upon the type of fur-skin color, it becomes quite easy to spot skin infections or dandruff-related damage in some of the lighter coated furry paws as compared to others.
WHAT IS DANDRUFF?
Dandruff is also termed seborrheic dermatitis which means inflammation of the skin which is a common, noncontagious, easy-to-manage skin condition. Seborrhea refers to a kind of skin disease that is characterized by a defect in keratinization/ cornification of the outer layer of the skin, hair follicles, or claws. To further break this big chunk of information down into a small bite-size piece, keratinization is a process wherein the protective outer layer of skin is being constantly renewed by new skin cells. We shed and grow a new skin layer every single day!
Fun Fact: Every minute of the day we lose about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells off the surface of our skin.
Why do we shed skin in the first place?
Skin is made up of cells, after which they are replaced by newer younger cells to take over the functioning. Seborrhea results in increased scale formation, occasionally causing excessive greasiness of the skin and hair coat, which often leads or paves its path to secondary inflammation and infection.
CAUSES, SIGNS, AND SYMPTOMS
Sometimes this infection can manifest itself in a cryptic form, i.e., it does not manifest or occurs on large scale such that we may overlook this matter. On the other hand, sometimes the infection is the widespread and quite rampant spread of disease may overestimate the problem of dandruff. Let us now understand the causes behind this.
- The Madness of Malassezia: Our skin harbors many different types of bacterial cells which have a whole different role-functioning to do. They are usually harmless creatures that help our body to ward off pathogenic bacteria, maintain host immune homeostasis, and skin health. These skin microbial communities are a part of the multifunctional ecosystem. As these good or colony bacteria reside on the skin surface, they do not particularly cause any ruckus. Malassezia belonging to the fungal genus is part of this ecosystem. In the case of seborrheic dermatitis, this Malassezia overgrows thereby triggering the immune system, leading to an inflammatory response that results in skin changes. Also, it is interesting to note that, due to any breach in skin continuity these good commensals end up invading our tissue as a result, they end up causing you-know-it: Dandruff!
- THE STRESS STRUGGLE: Stress is one of the factors which hampers the Immunity of your pets tremendously affecting them physically and mentally. Sudden stress will lead to the release of adrenaline that will suppress the immune response. Long-term stress causes the release of cortisol, which is also immunosuppressive at high levels. Any kind of physical or emotional stress affects your pets, for example – a sudden change of atmosphere and environment, severe weather changes, traveling, excessive handling, trauma, illness, pregnancy, boarding, etc. Stress essentially lowers down the guard wall of protection, which paves a clear road for secondary infections to kick in. One of the complications of lowered immunity and stress is skin infections: Bacterial and fungal mixed infections which again lead to seborrheic dermatitis- dandruff!
- HAMPERED HARMONY OF HORMONES: Hormones are the core team that works silently in the background, helping us to thrive, smile, and survive playing a role in skin enrichment.Alopecia and dermatosis are examples of skin disorders related to an imbalance of reproductive hormones. Thyroid hormone imbalance can cause symmetrical loss of fur and also cause loss of fur in the tail region of the dog. Such a tail is commonly referred to as rat-tail or rat-tail appearance about thyroid-related disorders.
- HARSH SOAPS/SHAMPOOS: Human soaps and shampoos are not that great as dogs have a different kind of skin and they have fur instead of hair so needless to mention, it is not a good idea to use human soaps and shampoos ideally. Rarely, some pets may not adapt well to certain veterinary products like shampoos, etc. and some pets may react positively while others do not so positively to a given substance. Hence, keep an eye out on any reactions such as redness of skin or shedding of fur excessively beyond normal limits.
- WEATHER CHANGES: Atmosphere is important in maintaining skin health. Cold weather can make the skin coat dry which if coupled with weak immunity can lead to dermatitis. Also, if the skin or fur stays damp or cold for a considerably long time, fungal-bacterial mixed dermatitis may ensue. These are some of the factors which could potentially be triggering points for the whole drama of dermatitis and dandruff.
The signs and symptoms which could be observed in cases of dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis are:
- Itchy skin: Intensive itching is a common feature in cases of seborrheic dermatitis
- Flaky skin: Due to the loss of normal microflora on the surface of the skin, there is a good chance that the skin loses its natural qualities and ends up becoming dull and flaky. You may notice flakes on your pets’ bedding, areas where your pet lies down for a long period, etc.
- Loss of fur or alopecia: Alopecia essentially means loss of hair/fur. Now we have established this fact that immunity is the main hero of the drama wherein good micro-florae are the smart background actors. Due to infections and immunity getting disturbed, there is a good chance that the skin integrity is temporarily lost leading to alopecia. Alopecia or loss of fur could be bilaterally symmetrical or in patches or it could be so diffused which makes it difficult to categorize the type of alopecia and fit it into a box of options.
- White speckles: As we know in the case of human dandruff, there are white speckles that could be noticed easily. Similarly, we may notice these speckles on our pets’ coats. Also, bedding, contrast mats, or carpets could essentially provide us with this information that indeed, our pets are suffering from dandruff.
However, it is essential to note that not always do we see such clear-cut signs and symptoms.
TACKLING THE ISSUE OF DANDRUFF SWIFTLY
- Medicated Baths: Giving a bath to our furry friends can be quite a challenge! Some pets enjoy and love water and just live in the moment while taking baths while some, just let’s say are not-that-fond of bathing and detest the very idea of water being anywhere near them. Either way, bathing is not an option, it is a necessity and an essential core of living! For skin-related issues, apart from oral medication bathing is one of the curative treatments for the same. I & My Anti-Dandruff Shampoo is one such homeopathic shampoo that helps to fight the dandruff issue swiftly. With itchy skin, dry skin, or flaky skin, it’s a wrap for all these issues with a natural shampoo- Me & My Anti-Dandruff Shampoo.
- Skin Supplements: Omega-3 Fatty acids and zinc are some of the essential supplements which help us to cater to the needs of good-healthy skin management. These supplements are coupled with anti-fungal/ anti-bacterial sprays and oils which are to be applied and massaged on the skin, especially the affected areas.
- Oral Medications: Medicines such as anti-fungal drugs or anti-bacterial drugs or anti-itching/inflammation can be warranted in cases of infections that are at their worst behavior. For milder or moderate infections, oral drugs are usually skipped since there is no need to unnecessarily put our dogs through a rigorous regime of antibiotics and related drugs. Simple medicated baths can do wonders in milder forms of infections, whereas, in bad infections, these medicines are coupled up with skin-fur supplements such as omega acids or zinc [syrups or tablets] along with medicated baths to tackle the issue of infections.
Infections can spread rather quickly especially when they are of skin. It’s an easy road, with apt diagnosis and prompt treatment.
With Me & My Anti-Dandruff Shampoo – IT’S A WRAP FOR DANDRUFF!
Goelvet Pharma Official 