Skin problems are among the most common health issues in dogs, with conditions like allergies, infections, and seborrhea frequently affecting their comfort and quality of life. While rare, psoriasis in dogs can be confused with more common skin disorders, making accurate diagnosis and treatment essential. If your dog is excessively scratching, biting, or losing patches of fur, it may be experiencing a skin condition that requires veterinary attention. Any of these skin conditions can impact your pet’s quality of life if left unrecognized or untreated. In this guide, we’ll explore the signs, causes, and treatments of canine psoriasis, as well as how to recognize similar issues like staph infections, atopic dermatitis, and food allergies.

Understanding Dog Skin Problems

From time to time, dogs can experience health conditions that cause significant discomfort—and one of the most common is skin disease in dogs. Of the top 10 insurance claims, the top four are related to skin problems: allergies, ear infections, non-cancerous skin lumps, and skin infections. These can be perplexing to owners who need to understand the symptoms of allergies and skin infections.

Is It Psoriasis? How to Identify Skin Conditions in Dogs

Skin infections associated with allergies can present as round patches of scaly skin with hair loss in the center. Many owners interpret these to be ringworm or psoriasis, both of which are very uncommon in dogs. These round to oval patches of hair loss and flaking skin are predominantly seen on the belly and back of the dog. These are usually staphylococcus (staph) infections and will respond well to medicated shampoos and/or antibiotics. Fortunately, these are not contagious to other dogs, cats or humans.

What Causes Psoriasis in a Dog?

Although it hasn’t been fully determined, it’s believed that canine psoriasis is primarily the result of a compromised immune system. Once their immune system is compromised, their body begins attacking their T-cells which causes cell abnormalities. Over time, this leads to an overproduction of cells that causes thick patches of skin cells to collect on the surface of the body. As a result, the body creates an immune response which leads to persistent itching.

What are the Symptoms of Psoriasis in Dogs?

Psoriasis in dogs can manifest as skin problems but psoriasis is very rare in dogs. Additionally, psoriatic arthritis has not been described in the dog. If your dog has skin problems – rash, hair loss, or is uncomfortable from showing signs of being itchy (biting/licking/chewing) you may assume he or she has allergies or an infection. In this situation, contact your veterinarian for a diagnosis and medications.

In dogs with allergies, they are  likely to present with symptoms similar to atopic dermatitis in people. Some of the most common symptoms include:

• Excessive scratching, biting, licking or chewing assuming the dog is itchy
• Dandruff and scaly skin in round or oval patches, known as staph collarettes
• Hair loss in patches particularly on the trunk
• Rust colored paw or paws – from chronic exposure to saliva

Common Skin Conditions in Dogs

While psoriasis in dogs is rare, other skin conditions like allergies, infections, and dermatitis are common—making it essential to recognize the signs and understand how to manage them effectively.

Hot spots, technically acute superficial bacterial pyoderma, are related to any break in the skin that allows bacteria to invade the skin surface. Breaks in the skin can be caused by insect or tick bites, trauma, allergies, or self-mutilation. The bacteria invade the skin, the dog becomes intensely itchy as evidenced by aggressive biting or scratching at the wound. The skin becomes moist, and in warm humid weather, this can double in size virtually overnight. The hot spots on the side of the dog’s face below the ear are the most difficult to heal.

Allergies to pollens, molds, flea bites and food can manifest as licking, biting, chewing and scratching of the feet and ears. You may only see one ear infected – red, painful, with an odor and a lot of scratching and rubbing. Or it may be both ears, eyes that are bothersome, and all four feet rust-colored from chronic biting and chewing at the toes. Allergies to molds and pollens are known as atopy or atopic dermatitis. Food hypersensitivities are food allergies. Flea bite allergies can cause a great deal of discomfort, even with only a few flea bites a week.

While knowing the symptoms of canine allergies and staph infections is good, it’s also important to be able to recognize its closely related cousins: dry seborrhea, oily seborrhea and skin parasites such as mites and fleas.

What are the Differences Between Seborrhea in Dogs and Psoriasis?

Seborrhea, or seborrheic dermatitis, is a skin disorder that can cause scaly, flaky, itchy, or red skin in dogs. These symptoms are the result of dogs’ sebaceous glands overproducing the oily substance sebum, which eventually irritates their skin.

Whereas psoriasis is characterized by rough, red scales that grow into thick, silver scales across the body, seborrheic scales vary in color. They can be white, yellow, red, or brown, and they tend to feel very greasy. Often seborrheic scales will be found on the scalp, the oiliest parts of the face and on the upper chest. It’s important to note that seborrheic scales are often thinner and less well-defined than psoriasis scales. Dogs with seborrhea will also tend to feel less pain than if they had psoriasis.

How are Allergies and Mites Diagnosed in Dogs?

In dogs, allergies are most often caused by an inappropriate immune system response to something in the environment. Diagnosing your dog’s allergies are relatively straightforward. The challenge is narrowing down what your dog is allergic to.

Once at the vet, the veterinary team will begin with a physical examination of your dog’s body. During this exam, they’ll look for patches of skin that are red, dry, scaly, cracked, or have hair loss. Any of these are good indications that your dog may be suffering from a skin disorder like allergies.

If parasites such as mites appear to be the issue, your veterinarian will likely want to take a sample of your dog’s skin. This is so they can examine it under a microscope and look for microscopic mites. If they see evidence of mites in the sample, they will make a formal diagnosis and treatment plan for your dog.

How to Treat Allergies in Your Dog

The most obvious way is to eliminate the allergens. If the source of the allergen is fleas, use excellent flea control products that prevent biting. Revival’s Flea and Tick Finder is a helpful tool to help choose the best flea control for your dog.

If the source of the allergen is pollens and/or molds, these can be very difficult to identify and even harder to eliminate. In most dogs, the sources are assumed and never definitively identified. Although there are blood, saliva, and hair tests on the market, most dermatologists rely on skin testing. This requires shaving the dog and injecting a series of allergens in a grid pattern in the skin of the dog. These injection sites are then evaluated for an allergic response.

Once the specific allergens are identified, the dog can then receive hyposensitization that actually expose the dog to the very pollens and molds they are allergic to, at low doses to trick the immune system into being less allergic.

Most dogs never have this specific testing done. In the spring, we assume the allergic response is to tree and grass pollens. In the fall, the pollens are usually ragweed and goldenrod. Later in the fall, we see molds causing allergies. In the winter, for the dogs who are unfortunate enough to suffer from year-round allergies, they may be allergic to house dust mites and molds in the home. No matter how carefully you clean, these are still found in your home.

How to Treat with Oral and Injectable Treatments for Dogs with Allergies

Oral medications to help control allergies include antihistamines, steroids, monoclonal antibody treatments and other immune modulators.

Antihistamines are not as successful in managing our dog’s allergies as they are in humans. Over-the-counter medications such as diphenhydramine should be prescribed by your veterinarian.

Steroids such as prednisone are older drugs, used since the 1960s. These are far more cost-effective than the newer therapies. They do have side effects such as causing an increase in food drive, drinking, and urination. Oral steroids, used on an alternate day treatment protocol are relatively safe. Injectable steroids or steroids given daily are more likely to cause serious side effects.

Immune modulators such as Apoquel (oclacitinib) and Zenrelia (ilunocitinib) inhibit the function of specific cytokines that cause itch and inflammation. They act while creating minimal effects on the immune system. Caution should be used when timing the use of Zenrelia and vaccines.

Atopica (cyclosporin) capsules inhibit T-cell activation by interfering with calcineurin, part of the IL-2 pathway.

Cytopoint at this time is the only monoclonal antibody treatment for allergy relief. It acts by specifically targeting and neutralizing canine IL-31 with minimal effect on normal immune functions. It is administered by your veterinary professionals at four to eight week intervals.

Of course, all medications have the potential for side effects. None are labeled for use in breeding dogs. Your veterinary professionals can assist you in selecting the best product for your dog and lifestyle.

Topical Treatments for Dogs with Allergies

The best topical treatments for canine allergies will help moisturize dry or cracked skin and relieve any irritation or itching. Solutions such as EquiShield® IR Spray use pramoxine, hydrocortisone and colloidal oatmeal to help clear up patches of sore skin and reduce itching.

Banixx Pet Spray can also help when it comes to treating allergies in dogs at home. Banixx is clinically-proven to provide instant, sting- and odor-free relief from a variety of skin disorders without relying on antibiotics or steroids. Simply spray or apply Banixx to the affected area twice daily and, within just a few days, your dog’s skin should be much less itchy or irritated.

Dietary Changes for Dogs with Allergies

If there is a  food allergy, diagnosed with a food elimination diet, the goal is to remove the allergenic items from the diet and treats. There is no good test – saliva, blood or hair – to identify the allergen. The recommendation is to change to a novel protein and carbohydrate or change to a hydrolyzed protein diet for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, if the dog is much improved, systematically document and add proteins and carbohydrates back to the diet. This is a challenge to accomplish.

Adding dietary supplements to your dog’s meals can significantly support skin health and immune function, especially for dogs with psoriasis. Products like Doc Roy’s® Daily Care Canine, enriched with zinc and vitamins C and D, help strengthen the immune system. For enhanced skin and coat health, Doc Roy’s® Derma Coat Plus offers a rich blend of Omega-3, 6, and 9 fatty acids, promoting a healthier coat and skin. Incorporating these supplements into your dog’s diet can be a powerful step in managing allergy symptoms.

How to Treat Staphlococcus Infections in Your Dog

Oral antibiotics can be prescribed by your veterinarian. Medicated shampoos such as EquiShield® CK HC or Banixx Medicated Shampoo that are anti-bacterial can be very helpful. They often include chlorhexidine or benzoyl peroxide, similar to those used to treat acne in humans. Some shampoos will also include antifungals as many dogs with allergies have yeast and bacterial co-infections.

Summary: Key Tips for Managing Allergies and other Skin Problems in Dogs and Improving Skin Health

In summary, understanding and managing skin disease in dogs is essential for ensuring your pet’s comfort and long-term health. From identifying early symptoms like scratching, and flaky skin to exploring treatment options such as medicated shampoos, dietary changes, and veterinary care, being proactive can make a significant difference. Always consult your veterinarian for a proper diagnosis and tailored treatment plan. By staying informed and attentive, you can help your dog live a happier, healthier life—free from the discomfort of allergies and infections.