My Dog Has a Rash on Their Belly in Limerick, PA – What Should I Do Next?
It’s no secret that dogs like to roll in things that they should not come into contact with. Many dogs are happy to get dirty when they are outside as well. Sometimes these things can be the reason for your dog to have irritated skin, but what if the rash doesn’t go away? Having a dog with itchy, inflamed skin isn’t fun for anybody, and you probably want to know what to do to get your dog back to feeling normal again.
Skin issues in dogs are common, and many of the various kinds of skin conditions start out with a rash on the belly. Your vet will be able to tell which kind of rash your dog has and help you to treat it. However, knowing a little bit more about these rashes and what to do about them can help you to know when to head to the vet and when you can take care of the issue at home.
What Causes Dog Rashes?
The first thing that you need to know is what kinds of things tend to cause rashes in dogs. There are many reasons that your dog might have a rash on their belly, and it can sometimes be hard to tell which of the many possible options is the culprit for your dog’s skin issue. Dog rashes can be caused by:
- Fleas and flea allergies
- Allergies to the environment inside the home, the food the dog is eating, or even the outdoors
- Contact irritation from things like shampoos or laundry detergent products
- Skin parasites like lice, mange, or ticks
- Medical problems like hormone imbalances, autoimmune diseases, or other kinds of underlying issues
- Obsessive grooming or chewing on the skin
- Skin growths or matted fur
- Exposure to things like poison ivy or insect bites
- Sunburn
- Bacterial infections
- Yeast infections
- Fungal infections
Many of these rashes will appear with most of the same symptoms, at least in the early stages. This is why you might need to take your pet to the vet to get some help figuring out what to do next.
What to Do if Your Dog Has a Rash on Their Belly
If you notice a rash on your dog’s belly, it is important to follow these steps.
Monitor the Rash and Your Pet’s Behavior
The first thing you need to do if your dog has a rash on its belly is to pay attention to their behavior and to the appearance of the rash. Is the rash itchy? Does your dog act like its skin hurts? Does your dog have oily skin or scabs on the skin? Do you see fleas or lice on your dog’s skin?
You should also look at the character of the rash closely. Some rashes will just be red and bumpy, while others might be oozing skin serum or crusting over. The nature of the rash can have a big impact on how your vet will choose to treat it.
Is it a Behavior Issue or a Skin Issue?
In addition, if your dog does not seem to have any skin discomfort but they are still grooming excessively and making their skin red, you might need to determine if your dog has a behavioral issue instead of a skin health issue. Your vet might need to refer you to a dog trainer to help your dog cope with anxiety or other issues.
Talk with Your Veterinarian
After you have observed the rash and your dog’s behavior, you can determine if you want to call the veterinarian or not. Often, the first signs of a rash are very mild. In some cases, the rash never gets any worse. You can usually wait a couple of days if your dog is not very uncomfortable to see if things improve. Try to keep your dog from coming into contact with any new potential allergens while their skin is upset and keep the skin dry.
If your dog’s symptoms are not better or are getting worse, you will need to make an appointment for them to see the vet. The vet can take skin scrapings and do other testing to figure out what kind of rash your dog has and what kind of treatment is necessary to make it better.
What Tests Can a Vet Do?
Your vet will likely take a skin scraping and look at it under the microscope to see if there are bacteria, yeast, or parasites present in the sample. If there is nothing noteworthy on the slide, they will move on to treating the symptoms that your dog is experiencing and ruling out some other common reasons for rashes, like food allergies or environmental allergies. It can take some time to figure out what is causing an allergic reaction in your dog, and you will need to be patient to ensure that you figure out the root cause of the allergic reaction.
If your vet thinks there might be a systemic issue causing your dog’s skin problems, they will likely do some things like blood tests to see if they can figure out what is going on. Allergy testing is also possible for some kinds of allergic reactions, and your vet might want to test out a few common irritants in this way.
Dog Skin Rashes Usually Require a Trip to the Vet
If your dog has a skin rash, you are probably going to have to take them to the vet. This is the best way to get a reliable diagnosis for your dog, and the vet can offer your pet medicine that will help them to feel much better. Being able to stop the itching and the spread of the rash is important. Not only will it make your dog more comfortable, but it will ensure that your pet is not going to get a secondary infection or have other complications from their inflamed skin.
Dog skin rashes can go away on their own after a couple of days, but not every case is so easy to resolve. Be sure that you take the first signs of a rash seriously and get your pet the help they need to feel better.
Notice a rash on your dog’s belly? Give Limerick Veterinary Hospital a call at (610) 489-2848 or book an appointment online today!