All Things Paw

A very serious question was asked of me this week that had to do with what I thought, holistically, about […]

I admit I have a foot fetish. Really, a paw fetish. Ok, I love dog feet. I love to watch the pads squish out when they walk and am very aware of the individual mannerisms of each pet I see; how they hold their paws and how they use them in a conversation.

When then skin is disrupted by disease, hormonal upsets, and sometimes injury, M. pachydermatis can become overgrown on the skin and cause itching, discomfort, hair loss and, in many cases, secondary infections.

Dermatophytosis, or Ringworm as this condition is referred to, is caused by forty or so different keratin–loving fungi dermatophytes with Trichophyton and Microsporum being the most commonly diagnosed.

Sebaceous Adenitis, or SA, is a skin condition that can be found among all dog breeds and is not considered common.

Many of us have seen “bad skin” come through our shop at one time or another and have been frustrated by the lack of improvement. I interviewed seven veterinarians and asked them about the most common skin issues they see.

Hot spots, also known as pyotraumatic dermatitis, are surface skin infections caused when populations of normal skin bacteria grow and overwhelm normal resistance.