Are there red bumps with white central parts on your dog’s body? Is your dog hitting puberty?
Perhaps you’ve noticed these bumps on your dog’s chin and thought it’d be impossible to develop dog pimples. Not quite: Dogs can get pimples.
It’s understandable to be worried that the dog pimples are linked to something more serious at first.
You’ll realize that canine pimples are usually caused by common and non-harmful causes. Nonetheless, their presence can be perplexing for an uninformed pet owner.
Have you ever begun wondering: why does your dog have pimples? Keep reading to find out what canine acne looks like, what induces it, and what you can do to treat it.
What Is Acne?
Acne in dogs is an inflammatory process affecting the face and the oral cavity mucosa.
It can vary from mild cases with only a few bumps on the dog’s skin to severe acne with large pimple formations filled with puss and bleeding wounds.
When left untreated, the severe cases can lead to complications and scarring on the skin.
What Causes Acne In Dogs?
Acne’s exact cause in dogs has yet to be determined. It is widely acknowledged that several factors are at work, including a genetic predisposition.
Although most acne-prone pets do not have fundamental endocrine disorders – sudden hormonal changes may occur.
It is helpful to be conscious that acne can be a presenting symptom in animals with androgen-mediated disease, like human acne.
Currently, research points to four major processes that contribute to acne development.
Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation in the follicle, androgen-mediated boost in sebum production are essential in the pathogenesis of acne.
P. acnes are a member of the follicular unit’s normal bacterial flora. This bacterium’s precise input to the skin is unknown.
Many cases of dog acne are believed to be caused by trauma to the chin or muzzle skin.
This trauma can cause hairs to tear off near the skin’s surface, causing inflammation and eventual rupture of the hair follicle.
When a hair follicle ruptures, the contents of the follicle are released into the extracellular skin. The contents of the hair follicles are noted as foreign by the surrounding tissues, causing further inflammation.
Although canine acne inflammation is often sterile (non-infected) in the initial stages, bacteria can easily populate this damaged skin and cause infections.
Acne may be connected with underlying skin problems in some cases, like a high level of inflamed sebaceous glands.
Your veterinarian will examine your dog for signs of food or environmental allergies.
If these allergies were also suspected, treating them may help to reduce acne.
In addition, your vet will perform a physical exam and lab tests to rule out parasites (for example, Demodex mites) as a cause of the dog’s pimples.
Here are some other Causes for pimples in pets:
- Trauma – A skin injury causes breakage of the hairs and plugging of follicles
- Contact dermatitis – Rubbing the body against plastic materials or materials cleaned with specific detergents
- Eosinophilic folliculitis and furunculosis
- Autoimmune disease
- Demodicosis
- Metabolic disease
- Dermatophytosis
- Malassezia dermatitis
- Histiocytosis
- Fleas
- Neoplasia
- Allergies.
Do Dog Breeds Make A Difference?
One thing is certain: some breeds are more genetically predisposed to acne than others – especially younger dogs.
Canine acne is more prevalent in dog breeds such as Doberman Pinschers, German Shorthaired Pointers, Dachshunds, Boxers, English Bulldogs, Mastiffs, and Rottweilers.
Dogs with short snouts are typically at risk due to a genetic predisposition. Additionally, problems around their recognizable skin creases are more likely to arise in dogs with wrinkles.
As a dog owner, you should be aware that age might also play a role. Acne in dogs is frequently a transient condition, and it usually appears when a dog is going through its “puberty” stage, and the location is the dog’s face.
This typically occurs when a dog is 5 to 8 months old. By the time your dog is a year old, you should discover that the acne has completely disappeared.
Types Of Dog’s Acne
Acne causes six different types of spots:
- Blackheads are small black or light brown bumps that form on the skin; they do not contain dirt and are black because the innermost layer of the hair follicle produces color.
- Whiteheads resemble blackheads in appearance, but they are firmer on a dog’s skin and do not empty when squeezed.
- Papules are small red bumps that are tender or painful.
- Pustules resemble papules but have a white head in the center caused by pus buildup.
- Nodules are large hard mounds that form beneath the skin’s surface and can be painful.
- Cysts are the most severe type of dog acne; they are large pus-filled blobs that resemble boils and pose the greatest risk.
Dog Acne Is More Than A Break-Out
Scars from acne outbreaks may remain after they have healed. Some scars result in skin depression.
Which pet will develop scars after the acne cannot be predicted, but the following factors put your dog’s risk:
- Enduring a dog’s acne for a long time because you don’t treat it on your dog or because therapy is ineffective.
- Having at least one immediate family pet member with acne scars.
As an acne eruption heals, in some dogs, you might notice dark spots on their skin where the acne formerly existed. It’s common to confuse this entirely flat patch, which can be any color—pink, red, purple, black, or brown—with a permanent acne scar.
Symptoms and Diagnosis Of Dog Acne
Canine chin acne can start with very subtle symptoms and appear at any age. The chin and lip regions are frequently the sites of break-outs.
On a dog, it may first be noticed as a single pimple on the head, typically near the mouth.
Dogs with this condition can be observed scratching the region more frequently because it itches them; or could react to scratching because they feel pain. If untreated, the symptoms can get worse.
Early indications could include:
- Redness (erythema)
- Scabby papules
- Comedones
- Pustules
- Nodules
- Furuncles
- Plaques and cellulitis
- Bleeding
- Swelling
- Itchiness (pruritus)
Later or progressive symptoms of dog acne may include:
- Suppurative (pus discharge) furunculosis or folliculitis
- Enormous papules
- Ulcerated lesions
- Painful lesions
- Irritated or red skin
- Scarring
When visiting the veterinarian, owners should provide information on how long the pimples are present, whether they change size and color, and if there are any other generalized symptoms.
Since many different factors can cause acne, there is a variety of tests that could determine the cause.
Some of these tests include:
Hair Plucking
A few hair pieces are plugged from their hair follicles and explored under a microscope. This technique can determine the presence of Demodex and some fungal infections.
Skin Scraping
Scraping helps collect the skin lesions’ outer parts and explore the skin cells under a microscope.
Specific infections, skin parasites, and outbreaks can be diagnosed with this test.
Bacterial Culture
With a swab, pieces for the dog acne are collected and cultivated on specific bases. If there’s a bacteria responsible for the acne, it will grow its culture.
This can also help the antibiotic sensitivity determination.
Needle Aspirate From Dog Pimples
A needle is poked under the epidermis, and the content from beneath is collected in a syringe.
This collection can be analyzed under a microscope or used for culture cultivation.
Allergy Test
Sometimes dogs develop acne due to allergic reactions to food consumption or detergent contact.
If your pet doesn’t respond to the treatment, blood and skin samples should be taken to determine if there’s a present allergy.
Biopsy Of Canine Acne
A biopsy is an invasive procedure that requires local anesthesia. During the procedure, a piece of the affected skin is removed with a special tool.
The affected skin is then analyzed under a microscope; this is the most precise technique but is not used very often for dog acne.
Treatment Options
Treatment options for dog acne mainly depend on the cause diagnosed with the tests.
Some of the treatment options are:
Topical Steroids
Prednisone, prednisolone, and corticosterone are a few examples of topical steroids. They are used 2-3 times per day as ointments on the lesions and help reduce the swelling.
They will also stop the redness and itching on the skin, as their primary function is to control inflammation and the immunological response of the canine body.
However, it would be best if you were careful with the overuse since it can cause more infection due to suppressing the dog’s immune system.
Retinoids
They are derivates of vitamin A and influence skin cell growth.
They will peel off the outer layers of the epidermis and create new keratinocytes, as well as skin blood vessels that can stop dog acne from spreading.
Overusing this medication can lead to dry skin and new skin lesions or even skin infections; the same goes for human acne treatments.
Benzoyl Peroxide
A solution of this molecule is used for washing dogs’ skin, and it’s the most commonly used remedy.
It unclogs the pores and removes the dead skin cells that have caused the inflammation. It also prevents the appearance of new dog acne on the skin or the dog’s mouth.
Antibiotics
If the skin samples determine that the cause of acne is a bacterial infection, antibiotic treatment is a good solution. The most frequently used antibiotic to treat dog acne is Mupirocin. It can be used locally, as a dog acne shampoo, or in oral medications.
The oral antibiotics are prescribed for 4 -8 weeks, depending on the infection’s severity and bacterial count.
Natural Remedies
You can try treating skin problems naturally if you want to avoid the classic medicated soaps, antibiotics, and steroids. Aloe vera can stop pimple formation and even lower the levels of allergic reaction.
Coconut oils are especially good for treating enclosed dog pimples and can be administered in as same as the oral medications mentioned above.
Management
Acne has a high prevalence of relapses and further clinical appearance, which mainly depends on the cause.
An appointment with a vet professional must be made 2 weeks after the initial treatment to note if the medications are working.
Topical creme, a good dog acne shampoo, and antibacterial wipes from the local pet store can be used by dog owners as prevention for further acne relapses.
FAQ:
Summary
Acne is an inflammatory condition where dog’s follicles become clogged with oils and dead skin cells. Many factors contribute to this condition, including poor hygiene, dog allergies, poor dental hygiene, and hormonal changes. Mild cases can be solved on their own, but severe cases require treatment with steroids, retinoids, and even antibiotics as oral medication.
If left untreated, they can cause deep body infection and permanent scarring.
Related topic: Why is my dog breathing heavy?
*photo by kues – depositphotos