A dog’s skin is one of his most sensitive and easily damaged organs. If a dog develops a skin problem—an allergy, a wound, or a reaction to a flea bite, for example—it can initiate a cycle of skin problems that can be very difficult to resolve. For this reason, home groomers must take extra care not to aggravate a dog’s skin with a hot pair of clippers, a poorly aimed scissors, or too-rigorous brushing with the sharp wire bristles of a slicker brush.
Any dog can have sensitive skin, but some breeds are more prone to it.
For each individual dog, there is a line between frequent grooming to stimulate the skin and coat, keep it healthy, distribute coat oils, and remove tangles, and over-grooming to the point of aggravating the skin.
Special Concerns for Sensitive Skin Grooming
When grooming any dog, take care not to injure the skin. Slicker brushes, clippers, and scissors are all potentially injurious to a dog’s skin. For dogs with sensitive skin, use tools lightly, and take special care when grooming a dog with skin problems.
Skin problems are for a vet to address. A groomer shouldn’t try to "fix" these problems, but grooming can certainly prevent some of them. Skin disorders that can be caused by or aggravated by grooming include the following.
Allergies
Many dogs develop allergies, from food, external environmental sources, or inhaled substances. In dogs, allergies are most likely to manifest on the skin. The most common type of allergy in dogs is flea allergy dermatitis, an allergic reaction to flea saliva. Allergies can develop as rashes, hives, or severe itching. Don’t brush over rashes or hives. Work through tangled hair gently with a comb.
Allergies can trigger a vicious cycle: they cause itching, which causes scratching and licking, which causes more irritation. Even after fleas are eliminated, the negative effects on a dog’s skin can last for months. Always address allergic reactions with a veterinarian, who can advise you about how to groom hair over these areas.
Brush Burn and Clipper Burn
These skin conditions are a direct result of grooming. Brush burn is caused by brushing too hard, damaging the skin. Clipper burn is a result of allowing a clipper to become too hot (this happens with extended use), burning the dog. Not only can such grooming mishaps be prevented, but when they occur, they can make future grooming sessions extremely difficult. Dogs remember!
Always brush gently, especially with a wire slicker brush, which can be sharp. Short, gentle strokes are better than long hard ones to work out tangles. When brushing vigorously down to the skin, use a natural bristle brush and save the slicker brush for working out mats. Also use caution with pin brushes.
Turn off the clipper frequently during grooming, or have spare blades handy when the blades you are using get too hot. Or, use a cooling spray for your clipper. Touch the clipper blade frequently to make sure it isn’t too hot.
Hot Spots
Hot spots are moist, hot wound-like areas that develop quickly and are very painful. They may be caused by a variety of triggers: fleas, allergies, irritants, infections…even a lack of adequate grooming! Hot spots develop and grow because the dog obsessively licks and scratches at the itchy, painful spot, making it worse and worse until it becomes infected. Vets must treat hot spots, and will clip hair away to disinfect and treat the area. The dog will probably be treated for itching and may have to wear an Elizabethan collar to prevent irritating the hot spot while it heals.
Parasitic and Fungal Conditions
Fleas and ticks aren’t the only creatures that can infect your dog’s skin. A fungus can cause ringworm, and a variety of different mites can infect your dog with different kinds of mange. Parasitic and fungal conditions must be treated with medication prescribed by your vet.
Product Reactions
Some dogs are particularly sensitive to certain products like shampoos, conditioners, coat sprays, or flea and/or tick control products. If your dog has an unexplained skin reaction, consider whether you’ve recently changed grooming products. For dogs with sensitive skin, mild, hypo-allergenic, and/or natural products containing skin-soothing ingredients are good to try. Or, get a product recommendation from your vet.
Skin Diseases
Dogs can develop many different skin diseases, some inherited, some caused by environmental factors. Your vet should always address skin diseases in your dog and can advise you how to groom around them. Whether relatively minor but inconvenient, such as greasy, scaly skin resulting from overactive sebaceous glands (called oily seborrhea), something cosmetic, like a disease that causes hair loss (like color mutant alopecia), or something potentially life-threatening, like skin cancer, skin disease in dogs must be treated, so please see your vet.
Skin Infections
Skin infections can be caused by bacteria introduced into a wound or by unsanitary conditions or poor grooming. From impetigo (common in puppies) to skin fold pyoderma (common in loose-skinned breeds like Chinese Sharpei) to abscesses of unknown origin, skin infections should be treated with antibiotics your vet can prescribe. Never groom over an infected area
Sunburn
Dogs can get sunburned, just like people—and they can develop skin cancer, too! You can buy sunscreen for dogs in spray from, especially important for hairless, sparsely coated, and light-colored dogs, and for all light-colored noses.
Natural Products for Gentle Skin Care
Many dog owners whose pets have sensitive skin who have searched for non-irritating, effective products have turned to natural products based on botanicals rather than chemicals. While some dogs have skin reactions to some natural products, in general, these products are formulated with sensitive skin in mind.
You may have to try several products before hitting on one that works well for your pet. Or, get a veterinary recommendation.
Finally, dogs with sensitive skin will benefit immensely from daily grooming sessions. Constant vigilance to catch skin problems early can make all the difference in how serious a problem becomes.
Adapted from The Simple Guide to Grooming Your Dog, published by TFH Publications. Used with permission.
