Dog Acne

Acne conditions and treatments; I've been writing about them for some time now and I thought I'd covered most every angle and possible form of skin malady and irritation. The truth is I have only begun to scratch the surface.

Something important I've stumbled upon based again on personal experience is perhaps something none of you have ever heard of or encountered before. I know I hadn't, dog acne!

This actually started for me almost five years ago and while most of my posts have referenced my skin and my own face, this involves another member of my family. This particular family member is actually quite hairy and small. No, I didn't give birth to or adopt a feral child; the creature to which I'm referring is our little pet dog and his dog acne. Now I'll bet you’re thinking exactly what I thought the first time I heard this expression, "dog acne" there's no such thing! Well, you'd be wrong, as wrong as I was! Dog acne does exist and my little guy suffers from it in a big way.

Let me back up a bit and tell you a little about my experience and what it taught me. As I said, this odyssey began years ago and to be honest, I had no idea what I was dealing with at first. Neither did several Veterinarians across the state where I live. In fact, I could have saved myself a lot of time, trauma, frustration and a couple of thousand dollars because frankly and ultimately, I was the one who diagnosed the problem and found a solution that worked.

The first sign of dog acne was relatively small and began as tiny patches of dry skin across his coat. This eventually spread and became worse. The second stage resulted in hair loss where the patches of dry skin originally were. The third and worse stage resulted in large areas of hair loss characterized by extremely flakey skin and matted, greasy short hair that grew then subsequently came out in small clumps over two thirds of this tiny dog's 4 pound body. Needless to say it was horrible and he looked pitiful! He was also miserable and scratched and bit at the areas as I am sure they itched like crazy! All the time, I'm working to find not only a cure but what the heck this may be. He was checked for everything from mange to vitamin deficiencies but nothing seemed to help and none of the doctors ever seemed able to offer a diagnosis.

I researched online looking for a solution but couldn't find anything that quite fit this problem. Then one day I’m watching a show on television featuring several doctors and dermatologists. They're talking about a wide variety of health subjects and skin conditions. One of the dermatologists begins to speak and I notice the skin condition he's describing sounds exactly like the condition my dog is suffering from. I listen intently to his description and his recommendations. He talks about the sebaceous glands and how they can be over productive. The over production of sebum can cause several problems; many which we've covered and I've discussed with you here on this forum; acne, blackheads, pimples, etc. It can also create the greasy, matted hair environment my dog was experiencing. His suggestion was applying salicylic acid as this dries up and decreases the production of the excess sebum.

The problem with my dog wasn't stress, his problem was dog acne!

I had already purchased several topical treatments for my dog. Some containing conditioning ingredients and some of them contained medicated ingredients like benzoyl peroxide. None made significant difference. Once I heard this information I began to search hoping to find a dog shampoo containing salicylic acid and eureka, I found one! I looked specifically for a shampoo made for dogs as I wanted to be certain it was safe and wouldn’t harm my little guy should he lick his coat. Shampoo made for humans may work too, but I haven't tried that yet. Anyway, after ordering the shampoo it arrived and I began using it immediately. The difference has been remarkable. Our little guy now only has a couple of small stubborn areas where his skin still shows signs of a problem. The majority of his skin and coat is vastly improved and I learned that we're not the only ones who suffer from acne. Our pets can suffer from acne too!

Tips for Getting Rid of Acne - My Top Ten

It seems everywhere I turn someone is always imparting their idea of what are great tips for getting rid of acne. I guess around the neighborhood I am becoming known as the Acne Pro and get stopped to discuss the topic no matter where I am. Well after watching Letterman last night I have decided it's time for me to add my 2 cents and do my own top ten list. So without further adu allow me to present my Top 10 List: Tips for Getting Rid of Acne

10.) Wear loose fitting cloth that allows your skin to breath.

9.) Avoid wearing makeup whenever possible and when you do try to stay away from oil based cosmetics. They are more prone to clogging pores.

8.) Get enough Zinc in your diet. Zinc is an effective antibiotic for preventing acne and a necessary element for the proper functioning of the sebaceous glands of the skin. Low levels of zinc can actually account for acne breakouts.

7.) Have a carrot. Carrots are great for your well being. You can add it to your diet raw, cooked or juiced and even use it as a facial mask for your complexion. They are high in vitamin A which is necessary for your skin but also an excellent antibiotic to help fight off acne.

6.) Use clean towels every day and change your pillow case every other day. Ok you caught me, this is really 2 tips for getting rid of acne in 1. But the point should be fairly obvious. Anything that comes in contact with you face should be clean. Reapplying yesterday's bacteria by drying you freshly washed face with a soiled towel doesn't make a lot of sense, nor does resting that face on a pillow case that hasn't been laundered in days.

5.) Don't over wash. The point of washing up is to remove the dirt, bacteria and grime of the day off your skin. Using harsh detergents and too much cleansing, does nothing more than dry out your skin, stripping your complexion of necessary oils and moisture which makes your condition worse.

4.) Properly exfoliate. It's imperative to remove the dead skin cells from your skin so as not to allow a condition where the pores become clogged and bacteria is allowed to fester. But like tip number 5 for getting rid of acne, moderation is the key, once maybe twice a week.

3.) Keep your hair clean.

2.) Drink more water. This liquid is the secret fountain of youth.

And the number one tip for getting rid of acne is?

1.) Don't pop your pimples. There really isn't any good that can come from this practice so why indulge. For a little refresher see popping pimples.

Well there you have it kids, my top ten tips for getting rid of acne.