If your dog has severe itching in an area of the body or an ear infection, a possible diagnosis is malassezia dermatitis.
Malassezia is a diner yeast, that is, it lives naturally on the dog’s skin, but in some cases it proliferates in an exaggerated way causing dermatitis.
- This problem is often mistaken for scabies and allergies because it has similar clinical signs.
- However.
- It is a completely different disease.
- Therefore.
- Animal Expert has prepared this article.
- So that you know everything about Malassezia in the dog: symptoms.
- Causes and treatment.
What is Malassezia? Malassezia is a fungus that lives naturally in the ears and other parts of the dog’s body. These mushrooms are not a problem for dogs unless they proliferate too much.
This fungus feeds on substances produced by the skin and is particularly fond of wet areas. Dogs of any age, breed or sex can suffer from malassezia dermatitis, that is, when these fungi proliferate too much and end up damaging the skin.
Any dog, regardless of age, breed or sex, can suffer from malassezia dermatitis. However, some factors predispose to the onset of malassezia dermatitis in dogs:
This problem is usually secondary to various diseases such as allergies, endocrinopathies (hypothyroidism, Cushing’s disease) and other diseases that compromise the dog’s immune system.
The species that causes this problem most often is Malassezia pachydermatis. As mentioned above, it can be found naturally on the healthy skin of the dog without causing any problems. Problems arise when the skin barrier is compromised and there is an exaggerated increase in the population.
Although this can affect all dogs, some breeds are more susceptible to this disease, such as the West Highland White Terrier, the Basset Hound, the Cocker Spaniel and the Shar Pei.
Malassezia dermatitis not only occurs in dogs, it can also occur in cats, although it is less common, and the breeds generally affected are Persians or cats with some problem that affects their immune system.
The ears are one of the areas most affected by these fungi. Due to certain endocrine diseases or any alteration that affects the dog’s immune system, fungal yeasts or skin diners suffer an imbalance and Malassezia takes advantage to reproduce excessively in the dog’s ear causing external otitis.
External otitis is an inflammation of the dog’s skin tissues that causes a lot of itching and discomfort. If you think your dog has ear infections, you should consult your trusted veterinarian to begin treatment as soon as possible.
Are you wondering if the discomfort of dogs catches humans? The answer is no! Although these fungi may also exist in humans and other animals, they are not communicable. In other words, if you have healthy skin, this microorganism lives there naturally without causing any problems. If the skin barrier changes, these microorganisms can multiply and cause dermatitis. The mechanism is similar to that of the dog.
Clinical signs of these problems are diverse and depend on the location of dermatitis. This disease is often confused with scabies or other dermatological problems and therefore the correct diagnosis made by a veterinarian is essential.
Symptoms of malassezie in dogs include
Puppies don’t always have all the symptoms and only one of them can present it. It is also important to note that clinical signs are not always associated with the degree of infection. For example, dogs with a strong infection with this fungus, do not always present a high level of itching as expected. Therefore, for the first clinical signs you observe, consult your veterinarian.
The most affected areas of the dog’s body are usually the ears, neck, armpits, legs and under the tail.
The veterinarian, in addition to a complete physical examination of the dog, attends with laboratory tests to confirm the diagnosis. Skin or atrial cytology is the most common test to confirm whether it is a case of malassezia dermatitis.
If the veterinarian detects a large number of these microorganisms associated with intense itching and skin irritation and after excluding other different diagnoses, such as scabies, as mentioned above, the definitive diagnosis of malassezia dermatitis is reached.
To rule out other differential diagnoses, your veterinarian may need more lab tests and even an elimination regimen if you suspect a food allergy or intolerance that also shows clinical signs very similar to malassezia dermatitis.
O tratamento da malassezia em cães geralmente envolve o uso de farmacologia tópica, ou seja shampoos, cremes e loções. Pode ser também necessário o uso de fármacos sistémicos como o cetoconazol, fluconazol, e outros fármacos que o médico veterinário considere mais adequados a esse casos específico.
In general, topical treatment for more localized malsezic dermatitis and systemic treatment is recommended for more severe cases or generalized infestations.
Because secondary bacterial infections are very common, your veterinarian will probably also choose to prescribe an antibiotic.
More importantly, the most important thing is to treat the cause that caused an imbalance of the dog’s immune system, which allowed the proliferation of the fungus.
A treatment prescribed by a veterinarian is without a doubt the most effective and scientifically studied way to solve the problem quickly. However, there are some commonly used home treatments of canine malassezie that have shown some efficacy, namely:
Before using a home remedy, consult your veterinarian. Sometimes we try to do our best for our animals and just mask some of the symptoms that will then make it difficult for the vet to diagnose. It is essential that your puppy is properly diagnosed before any type of treatment is given.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read articles similar to Malassezia in dogs: symptoms, causes and treatment, we recommend that you visit our skin problems section.