How To Treat Canine Acne

It’s bad enough when human beings, especially the female Homo sapiens, gets a bout of acne – it is red and blotchy and symbolizes the hormonal upsurge that we all look forward to and yet fear. Imagine having to see your beloved canine go through a bout of canine acne. Haven’t you heard of canine acne? Dogs with this condition have swellings, scabs, and blackheads on their lips, chin, and muzzle. Most of the times, they do not cause any discomfiture to the dog unless a secondary bacterial skin infection develops, in which case they can cause pain and itching, leading the dog to scratch at its face or rub it along the carpet. There are simple ways to deal with acne affecting your poor mutt. Here’s what to do when your dog suffers from acne

 

How To Treat Dog Acne 

Here is what you need to do when your dog suffers from acne:

 

Wash Its Face 

Your mutt will need to have its face washed with clean water at room temperature. Give your dog's face a quick washing daily with anti-bacterial baby wipes. Choose unscented baby wipes, if possible and wipe very carefully, avoiding the area around its eyes.

 

What A Warm Feeling 

You could also warm your furry mutt up with a warm compress applied to the affected area where the acne has burst out. A clean washcloth or soft cloth soaked in warm water and wrung usually works wonders for canine acne issues. However, remember not to use hot water. This warm and damp cloth is to be held in the affected place till the warmth subsides and should be repeated at least twice a day.

 

Hail Aloe 

Another thing that one can do is to apply aloe vera gel lightly to the dog's acne frequently during the day. You can purchase cent percent pure aloe vera in most supermarkets or large medical retail stores; however, skip the ones with added fragrances because they may only irritate the acne further. Or else, you can break a tiny bit off an aloe vera plant stem and dab it on the acne to keep out dirt and help it heal.

 

Herbal Does It Well 

Why should your poor mutt not derive the benefits of an herbal treatment when the whole world is turning to it? Make an herbal concoction of five drops of calendula tincture, which is available from health food stores or shops dispensing homeopathic medicines, with a quarter cup water and storing it in a small dark glass bottle. Use a cotton swab to dab a little on your dog's acne daily but remember not to dip the swab back into the tincture after it touches the dog's face.

 

Sterile Relief 

Of course, you could also consider the option of getting your dog sterilized. Unless you are planning on breeding purebred puppies, your dog's acne may recover once it no longer has to deal with raging hormones.

 

Echinacea 

Another recourse you could take is to give a dose of echinacea to fight infection. According to many reputed veterinarians, giving 1/2 the human dose of echinacea to large breeds, 1/4 the human dose to medium breeds and 1/8 the human dose to small breeds works well for the dogs. Consult your vet for the exact dosage for your dog.