Itchy And Scratchy!

Skin problems are very common among Singapore pets. According to the Vets for Life team, every third dog brought into their clinic has a skin issue – from rashes and scabs to itchy paws and infected ears. Here they answer some common questions on the topic.

Our little dog has terribly red and itchy paws; what could be causing it?

Red and inflamed paws can be caused by mites, bacterial infections and fungal infections. Allergies to grass and dust mites and certain foods are also common reasons; contact allergies to soaps and floor washes are less likely causes.

If there are so many possibilities, how do we determine the underlying cause?

The first step is usually a skin scrape and skin cytology that can be done at the vet clinic. This will rule out two common mites: scabies and demodex. The skin cytology will look for bacteria and yeast infection, and a fungal culture will check for ringworm.

My dog was treated with antibiotics for a skin rash. He got better, but relapsed after the medication was stopped. Why?