As your dog grows older, the muscles of the colon and rectum may lose some of their ability to propel and expel feces adequately during a bowel movement. Reduction in stomach and intestinal digestive secretions can produce a bulkier, firmer stool as can diets very high in dry food content if there is insufficient water intake. Your dog will squat and strain to force the fecal mass slowly out. She may cry from the discomfort.

Prostatic disease can mechanically cause constipation as the prostate gland enlarges and presses up against the floor of the rectum. Similarly, tumors in the rectum or on the anus can interfere with the passage of feces. Any dog may have an isolated difficult bowel movement on occasion. This should be no cause for alarm if he is otherwise in good health and there is no bleeding or excessive pain.

Repeated bouts of constipation can slowly stretch the rectal muscles, causing permanent dilatation and resulting in chronic constipation. Once this occurs, your dog will need frequent enemas as well as fecal softeners to help him eliminate. The increased time the stool remains in the colon and rectum will allow bacteria that normally live there to act on the stool, causing putrefaction and excessive gas production.

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When your dog has a skin problem, it is very important to treat it immediately. Ignoring dog skin problems can cause harmful and painful damage to your dog from scratching and biting. Also, overlooking symptoms of dog skin problems can aggravate the condition and can result in infection to you and other members of your household.

The two most common symptoms of dog skin problems are scratching and reddening of the skin. Below is a more detailed description of each symptom of dog skin problems, its possible causes, treatments, and when it is necessary to call your vet.

Scratching – This is a very common symptom of various types of dog skin problems. Once you noticed your dog experiencing frequent scratching on a particular area of his body, figure out what is causing that area to itch. Things to look for are parasites which could be fleas, mites, or lice. Also look to see if you can find bacterial sores. Bacterial sores are small infected spots that are scaly red inflamed areas.

Four possible causes of this dog skin problem are: ear disease, parasite infestation, contact dermatitis which is indicated by redness on the stomach, and impacted anal sacs which is indicated by dog licking sores at the base of his tail.

The way to treat this type of dog skin problem is to direct the type of treatment to the specific cause. If the dog skin problem is due to parasite infestation, use an antiparasitic bath. With bacterial sores, wash the infected area with an antibacterial wash. For a more widespread bacterial sores, ear problems or impacted anal sacs, you need to see your vet for a more serious treatment.

If the dog skin problem is due to contact dermatitis, cut off access to possible causes such as nylon carpet, floor disinfectants, or car seat covers. Consult your vet is home treatment fails to work. If the skin is broken, chewed, or feels sticky, consult your vet as soon as convenient.

Reddened skin – This symptom of dog skin problem may be noticeable even before the dog skin problem becomes fully established. Four possible causes of this issue are: allergic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, fleas, and anything that causes itching such as lice, ringworm, or bacterial sores.

When treating this symptom of dog skin problem, apply calamine lotion if the redness is only in a particular area. If the problem is more widespread, use a lanolin baby shampoo to wash out any potential irritants and to cool the skin. Apply flea spray once the dog is dry. If the problem persists after 24 hours, consult the vet.

Perhaps your dog will be one of the lucky ones who never get any dog skin problem. But sometimes, even the most pampered and well groomed indoor dog can catch a dog skin problem. Any dog, no matter what kind of breed or environment he’s in, can be a candidate for a variety of dog skin problems.

Examples of parasites that attack even the cleanest of the dog are mites. Mites are very tiny parasites that cause dog skin problems by triggering irritation and also cause infection. There are three types of mites that cause problems in dogs. Demodex and Sarcoptes both cause mange and Otodectes causes inflammation of the ear.

Among the three types of mites that causes dog skin problem, Otodectes is the only type that can be seen without the use of a microscope. Seldom, you may see them as tiny white moving dots in the ear.

Demodex is another type of mite that causes dog skin problem. Although they are naturally carried by most dogs, this type of mite does not usually cause nuisance. But it can become a dog skin problem from time to time when your dog is undergoing stress. It can also attack puppies and causes dog skin problem because puppies’ natural defenses are not fully developed yet and are more susceptible to this parasite’s attack.

Demodex causes what is termed as pustular dermatitis in your cute puppies, located around the head and shoulders. Sometimes it becomes infected, a dog skin problem that is known as juvenile pyoderma. Signs of this dog skin problem are: hair loss, flaky and oily skin, and a characteristic “mousy” odor.

In treating this type of dog skin problem, your dog must be taken to the vet within 24 hours of this developing or serious scarring can occur. Your vet can prescribe antibiotics and drugs that give your dog effective relief. Your vet might also suggest a special shampoo to control the oiliness of the coat as well as the smell.

Sarcoptes is another type of mites that cause dog skin problem that can affect your dog regardless of his age. This type of mite is more commonly known as scabies, a dog skin problem that can also affect humans. The Sarcoptes burrow through the skin and produces tunnels where they lay their eggs. When this type of dog skin problem attacks humans, the infection usually dies away, although you should still consider treating it.

The following are signs of this type of dog skin problem in your dog; itchy rash of red spots usually located on ears, elbows, and hocks. On human skin, the “tunnels” can actually be seen.

Rapid treatment is also very important in treating this type of dog skin problem in order to avoid human infections and also to prevent your dog from harming himself by scratching and biting. The vet can prescribe special chemicals that are applied in insecticidal shampoos. The vet can also prescribe drugs to help stop your dog from biting and scratching himself.