Everyone knows of acne as a human condition suffered by unfortunate teenagers during adolescence, but is actually quite common in certain breeds of dogs. The races are more susceptible young adults boxers, English bulldogs, Doberman pinschers, Great Danes and Rottweilers. The condition begins at puberty around 5 to 8 months old. Most dogs improve with age and the condition usually resolves after one year of age, although some dogs may develop chronic acne.

Dogs with canine develop multiple acne comedones (shins) in his chin, lips and mouth. The plugs of debris from natural substances such as keratin and sebum block the hair follicles, causing inflammation that can be broken focal form scabs.

Dogs with this condition have swellings, shins and scabs on her lips, chin and mouth. They usually do not bother the dog unless a secondary bacterial skin infection develops. This can cause pain and itching, the dog leading to zero in your face or rubbing along the carpet.

The diagnosis is usually simple and straightforward: the appearance feature described above, one of the races known subject is usually sufficient. Your veterinarian may decide to adopt a skin biopsy for confirmation, which can be done under sedation, local or general anesthesia and then sent to a histopathologist for analysis.

Treatment

Canine acne can not be cured but can be controlled. Mild cases are usually not treated. The first step is always to rule out other conditions such as demodecosis (a mite infestation), ringworm and puppy strangles. The latter also causes anorexia and depression so if your dog is bright with a good appetite, it is unlikely to be this. It is also important to discover any predisposing factors such as underlying allergies. Some of the aforementioned breeds such as boxers, are particularly susceptible to food allergy. Regular cleaning with anti-acne products (such as benzoyl peroxide) or mild anti-seborrheic shampoos will be required to lessen the burden of bacterial skin and remove cellular debris that could contribute to block the pores.

If pustules have broken and a secondary bacterial infection develops, your dog will have to take antibiotics for 3 or 4 weeks. Most broad spectrum antibiotics are effective, but to avoid any kind of resistance problems bacteriology a swab is advisable so that an appropriate antibiotic can be elected effectively against certain bacteria in question.

If a dog is scratching his face a lot, an anti-inflammatory, as an outside injection of steroids is probably indicated to alleviate discomfort.

Refractory and recurrent cases can sometimes respond to therapy with retinoids, similar to humans drug Roaccutane, which essentially leaves the sebaceous glands of the skin of sebum production. However, this requires a consent veterinary specialists.

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