How to Fix Dog Skin Fold Dermatitis

Curious about dog skin fold dermatitis? Our squishy faced friends might be the cutest thing on the planet. But the folds of their skin can cause several problems, especially in breeds with a large number of skin folds: bulldogs, boxers, pugs, bassets hounds, shar-pei’s and many more.

For these adorable and cuddly canines, skin fold dermatitis (also known as intertrigo) can be a real problem, causing discomfort and pain.

What is Skin Fold Dermatitis?

Skinfold dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin (derma- meaning skin, and -itis referring to inflammation). It is most commonly found in the facial folds, lips, vulva and tail folds, but can occur anywhere. If acute, it should only last a short period; however, if left untreated, it can become chronic.

What Causes Skin Fold Dermatitis?

Skinfold dermatitis is caused by the friction of the skin folds rubbing against each other resulting in trauma and inflammation. As the skin becomes sore, it can also lead to an overgrowth of nasty bugs, such as bacteria or yeast, especially in adjacent surfaces with decreased air circulation. These bugs release toxins and other chemicals which irritate the skin and are another source of inflammation and infection. Further, when the skin becomes enflamed, it will weep, exacerbating the problem.

As moisture retention is a crucial factor that promotes the growth of bugs, skin fold dermatitis is more common in the summer months. You may notice a musty odor coming from between the folds. It also occurs around the lips due to saliva, which provides a breeding ground for bacteria and yeast.

Symptoms of Skin Fold Dermatitis

There are five main signs of inflammation: redness, swelling, heat, pain, and loss of function. If you are concerned your dog may have skin fold dermatitis, you must examine the affected area for any of these signs. As mentioned, you may also notice a musty smell coming from between the skin folds.

However, due to a large number of possible sites, there are some specific symptoms to look out for, dependent on the area affected:

• Tail Fold Dermatitis: scratching, biting, or rubbing; excessive licking
• Vulvar Fold Dermatitis: Scooting, licking groin, urinary tract infections
• Lip Fold Dermatitis: Swollen, foul-smelling, sore lips; discoloured or matted surrounding fur; scratching or rubbing
• Face Fold Dermatitis: Weeping, sores, blisters or lesions

If an infection has developed, there may also be yellow or white discharge, from the pus that will accumulate . In addition, chronic skin fold dermatitis may have thickening of the skin as well as a darkening of the skin.

How Do You Fix Skin Fold Dermatitis?

Often, cleaning with soap and water alone is not enough to resolve skin fold dermatitis—especially in wrinkle face dogs. Antibacterial & anti-fungal, Squishface Wrinkle Paste and Squishface Wrinkle Wipes were specifically designed to be extremely gentle on your dogs' skin while providing an unparalleled result. Formulated so that each delivers a quality result with standalone use, the effects when used together are amazing. Antibacterial & anti-fungal the Wrinkle Paste was created without water or alcohol and a limited, only absolutely necessary ingredient list. Due to the allergy prone nature of many dogs, we also specifically excluded many of the potential allergens often included in other creams - lavender, aloe, lanolin, etc. - as well as any added fragrances.

Can You Use Wipes for Skin Fold Dermatitis?

Yes! Similar to Squishface Wrinkle Paste, Squishface Wrinkle Wipes were designed for wrinkly dogs, not even just dogs in general, but specifically for WRINKLY DOGS – English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Pugs, Sharpei’s, Mastiffs, Basset Hounds, etc, We’ve gone through 5 different versions of formulation to get it right. More specifically, Wrinkle Wipes address the top 5 bacterial & fungal microbes found in dog wrinkles & tear stains - Malassezia Pachydermatis, Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia Coli, & Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. In fact, they are so great at being antibacterial & antifungal that in independent lab testing, they actually killed the top 5 most commonly found bacterial/fungal microbes found in dog wrinkles within three days. THREE DAYS. Not a lot of products prescribed by Vets can even work that fast.