How to Treat Immune-Mediated Skin Disease in a Dog

What is immune-mediated skin disease?

Sometimes mistaken as sunburn on a dog's muzzle, immune-mediated skin diseases shows up in areas where the fur is very short. Sores that develop due to a virus, allergic reaction to a new food or medication can cause an immune-mediated skin disease but often no cause is determined. Dog owners can expect specific tests and medications in diagnosing and treating their pet.

Instructions

1. Take your pooch to the vet for a skin biopsy. The only reliable way to diagnose an immune-mediated skin disease is by sedating the dog and using a biopsy punch to remove a few tiny snips of affected skin.

2. Allow your veterinarian to draw blood from your dog in order to test for lupus, another immune-mediated disease that attacks the joints and organs.

3. Apply corticosteroid preparations, prescribed by your veterinarian, to your dog's sores to calm his over-active immune system and begin the healing process.

4. Administer oral antibiotics if your dog has a secondary infection from the sores. If your vet prescribes antibiotics, keep them in the refrigerator and use the entire amount as suggested. Your dog's infection may go away sooner but if you don't finish giving him the antibiotics, it could return.

5. Apply additive-free and fragrance-free sunblock to your dog's muzzle when he goes outside. Immune-mediated diseases lower his resistance to the sun. During peak sunlight hours at midday, keep your pooch inside.

Tips & Warnings

• Treat your dog promptly for any sores that appear in low-fur areas of his body.

Resources

• The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Dogs and Cats: Over 1,000 Solutions to Your Pet's Problems - From Top Vets, Trainers, Breeders, and Other Animal Experts
• Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook
• The Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health: The complete pet health resource for your dog, cat, horse or other pets - in everyday language. (Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health (Home Edition)