Introduction
Dachshunds may suffer from skin diseases and conditions common to all dog breeds, such as allergic reactions to pollutants and food, or infectious skin illnesses (demodecosis, for example).
But there are skin conditions of genetic nature, i.e. hereditary skin issues that mainly affect Dachshunds.
Today we are going to speak about hereditary Dachshund skin problems, as well as about some general dog skin issues of infectious and non-infectious nature.
Common Skin Disease
The first and the most common skin disease among Dachshunds is Acanthosis nigricans – skin pigmentation disorder. Some skin areas begin to darken and get thicker, and this disease may cause some additional unpleasant skin issue also known as seborrhea. Moreover, Acanthosis nigricans is considered to be incurable and the first signs of the illness appear when a Dachshund is still a puppy.
Dachshunds, as well as some other dog breeds, are predisposed to Malassezia dermatitis (a yeast infection). This skin condition can appear by itself or as a result of Acanthosis nigricans diseases. The disease manifests itself in the form of skin itchy rash, that soon progresses to skin thickening and dermatologic foul-smelling infections.
There is another great skin problem within Dachshunds – skin tumors. General skin tumors in the breed include apocrine gland tumors, affecting the anal sac. As a rule, malignant skin tumors are fatal, and a surgery can only give your dog some time. Benign tumors (lipomas) often occur in the Dachshunds, and these dogs are susceptible to a rare type of this tumor known as diffuse lipomatosis.
Hormone Related Skin Problems
Senior Dachshunds may suffer from Thyroid Deficiency. The first symptoms often involve skin issues, including dryness, recurrent infections, skin thickening and hair loss. The only one remedy is hormonal replacement therapy.
Skin Diseases Caused by Protozoaires, Ectoparasites and Insects
- Walking Dandruff (Cheyletiella Mange): you can easily observe dry flakes over the neck and back of your Dachshund. The dog shows mild itching.
- Damp Hay Itch (Pelodera): a dog has severe constant skin itch caused by a worm larva.
- Demodectic Mange: severe skin issue always complicated by pyoderma. Affects dogs of all ages, primarily young purebreds.
- Flea Allergy Dermatitis: appears as a result of flea infestation. You can observe pimple-like rash over the head of the tail and inner thighs. The dog continues to itch even after the fleas have been killed.
