Scratch That!
What Your Dog’s Itchy Skin Is Really Trying to Tell You.
Itchy skin isn’t always about fleas - sometimes the real culprit is the gut. Let’s dig in.
Written by Dr Mandy Finnimore, BVSc (Hons), Veterinarian
Dogs often experience itchiness as a result of allergies. Symptoms including hair loss, skin inflammation and odour, as well as damaged skin from excessive scratching are all tell-tale signs of allergies.
Common causes of allergies in dogs include:
In allergic dogs, the microbes of the skin change, allowing undesirable microbes (like bacteria and yeast) to overgrow, resulting in skin microbiome imbalance. This worsens the itchiness inflammation and infection leading to a cycle of scratching, skin damage and more inflammation. Identifying and managing the allergy helps to reduce this cycle and will improve your dogs skin to allow them to be more comfortable. By looking after the whole gut, your dog will have the right foundation to help them manage any unavoidable or accidental exposure to known allergens in a healthier way.
Persistent itching in dogs warrants a visit to the veterinarian to pinpoint the underlying cause and develop a targeted treatment plan to alleviate discomfort. Fortunately, there are ways your vet can find out what’s causing your pet’s allergy. There are also topical medications and other treatment options available for pets suffering from allergies. Beyond this, there is a holistic approach through supporting your dog’s gut health.
Itchy Skin? Start With The Gut:
Supplementing a dog's treatment plan with science backed nutrition supplements that improve skin and immune system response through specific support of the gut microbiome should be discussed with your veterinarian. Supporting Gut health (gut-skin axis and the gut microbiome) with an all-natural supplement can be beneficial, in addition to traditional Veterinary therapy for the long-term management of canine allergies.
These two pieces of the puzzle can work extremely well in conjunction with each other, as the gut supplement supports the dog’s overall health and wellbeing from the inside, while the vet therapy or treatment addresses the concern from a medical vantage point.
Discuss with your veterinarian about how to improve your dog's itchy skin issues and immune response by including a science based gut health supplement like DigestiveK9 by Poseidon, in conjunction with traditional therapies, to support the gut microbiome. A healthy gut provides a much needed extra defence for dogs with allergies and is suitable for daily, long-term use.
The Gut Microbiome is a diverse community of micro-organisms, mostly made up of naturally-occurring and ingested bacteria that live and work in the digestive tract. The Microbiome plays an important role in your dog’s digestion but also in their overall immune function and skin health. This is why we notice the physical signs of an unwell dog in things like a dull coat, dry skin, tear stains, red paws, runny stools and more. On the flip side, we notice when a dog is in great health when we see a soft, shiny coat, bright eyes, good oral health, relaxed demeanor and reduced digestive upset.
A healthy gut microbiome helps regulate the immune system, involved in reducing overreactions to allergens and reducing inflammation which contributes to skin issues like itching, redness and scratching.
Beneficial gut bacteria produce anti-inflammatory compounds which can calm inflammation including skin inflammation.
Dogs with an imbalanced microbiome (dysbiosis) may be more prone to developing food allergies or sensitivities manifesting as chronic skin problems and this is often mistaken for a surface level issue rather than an internal one.
A well balanced gut microbiome is an important aspect to supporting healthy skin in dogs. Addressing the primary cause of the allergy and incorporating a quality gut support supplement like DigestiveK9 by Poseidon can often lead to improvements in chronic and recurring skin conditions.