It’s the afternoon, you’re playing with your Doxie on the couch when you notice something. Your dachshund has a rash on the belly – what is it and what to do? Depending on the size and severity of the rash it can either be barely noticeable or it can look outright scary. What stresses most people out, however, is not knowing what the problem is. Should you immediately rush to the vet? Or should you just go for some home remedy? Let’s go over all the options below.
Possible Causes For A Dachshund Rash On The Belly
Dachshunds can suffer from some skin issues but very few of them are breed-specific. In fact, the most common Doxie-specific skin issue – Acanthosis Nigricans – doesn’t really lead to rashes so there’s no need to worry about it. The possible skin conditions that can result in a belly rash on your dachshund, however, are pretty standard for all dog breeds.
Skin Infections
The most common cause for dachshund itchy skin is either of the several skin infestations that often plague dogs. These include things such as:
- Yeast infections – this is probably the most common infection you may have to deal with. It’s caused by the Malasezzia pachydermatis organism and it leads to rashes, a greasy coat, crusty skin, and hair loss. It is treatable, however.
- Seborrhea – like dandruff in people, seborrhea in dogs are identified by the itchiness, the flaky skin, and the occasional rash. It can’t be cured per se but it can be dealt with via the right shampoo and skin ointments.
- Other types of dermatitis – there are hundreds of different types of dermatitis that can be triggered by anything from shampoo, an allergy, or myriad other things.
- Bacterial folliculitis – this infection often causes shedding, dull coat, and scaly skin. It can start with a rash too. It is treatable but it’s good if you catch it early.
- Mange – caused by the Scabies mites, mange is often called just Scabies. People often imagine full hair loss and scale-like skin when they hear about mange but it does start with rashes, dry skin, and itchiness. Fortunately, it’s easily treatable if caught early.
- Fungus infection (ringworm) – it may sound like a worm disease but this is actually caused by a skin fungus. The three main culprits are Fungus Microsporum canis, Fungus Microsporum gypseum, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. In either case, you can expect to see a rash, dry coat, scabby skin, and hair loss.
Environmental Irritants
One thing we often overlook with dachshunds is just how short they are. So, especially after long walks and hikes, this means that their bellies’ skin can easily get irritated by all the contact with grass, bushes, dirt, and so on. Or, if you carry your dachshund around in a harness and that harness is made with a nasty fabric or isn’t fitted properly – that too can irritate your Doxie’s skin enough to cause a rash.
Food Allergies
A lot of people underestimate the risk of food allergies in dogs. We’re used to thinking of them as omnivores that can eat anything. Yet, all dogs, including dachshunds, can suffer from various food allergies including:
- Wheat
- Grain
- Beef
- Dairy
- Chicken
- Fish
- Pork
- Rabbit
- Eggs
Some of these are more common than the others with wheat, grain, beef, and chicken being especially common. Regardless, if your dog has a food allergy that can lead to rashes all over the belly and the rest of the body. You’ll need to start tweaking your dog’s diet to find out what works and what doesn’t.
Seasonal Allergies
Like people, dogs can also have seasonal allergy problems. So, if the rash has started showing in the spring or early summer, this is a likely culprit of the belly rashes. There are solutions, including ointments and medication your vet will recommend.
Skin Allergies
Dachshund skin allergies can be caused by various external factors. Most commonly they occur due to some ingredients in doggie shampoos, conditioners, and medications. If you’ve recently changed something like that in your dachshund’s lifestyle, that may be the reason for the belly rash.
Learn more about: Best Dog Food For Dachshunds With Skin Allergies
Parasites
Naturally, parasites such as ticks, fleas, and others affect dachshunds as much as other breeds. Some such parasites jump between animals, others can be acquired from the ground. Either way, that’s why experts advocate for anti-parasitic treatments once a month.
Genetics and Nutrition
Dachshund dry skin can be caused by certain genetic predispositions that a reputable breeder ought to have worked to avoid. Yet, they are possible. Another factor that can often lead to rashes, especially in conjunction with genetically drier skin, is poor nutrition. Together, these two can easily worsen your dog’s skin healthy enough for it to easily develop rashes on its own.
How To Treat A Dachshund Rash On The Belly?
There are some home remedies you can see online such as aloe vera yogurt, and so on. However, we’d say that rashes need to be treated like the medical condition they are. So – just go to the vet. Unless you’re 100% certain that the issue is just chafing from the dog harness, a vet visit is always a good idea.
If that’s too much of a bother, you can always just snap a good picture of your dachshund’s rash and send it to your vet for a quick phone consultation. There are even apps for that sort of thing nowadays.
Prevention To Avoid Dachshund Rash On The Belly In The First Place
Prevention is the best medicine. In the case of rashes, that means avoiding all of the different causes we’ve listed above. A good diet will prevent food allergies as well as malnutrition. An adequate harness and measured exercise will reduce chafing. Anti-parasitic treatments will eliminate the risk of ticks, fleas, and other parasites. Getting quality grooming products will avoid skin allergies, and so on and so forth.
All that, together with frequent skin inspections during grooming to catch any rashes early should be enough to keep your dachshund’s skin health in perfect shape.
