How do I know if my dog has a fungal or bacterial infection?

When your beloved dog is not feeling well, as the owner, you must be filled with worry and anxiety, desperately wanting to figure out what's wrong with your dog. Among many possible health problems, fungal and bacterial infections are quite common. However, their symptoms are sometimes similar yet each has its own characteristics, which requires the owner to observe carefully in order to make an accurate judgment.

Let's start with the skin. If a dog has a fungal infection, the most obvious characteristic is often the appearance of round or oval-shaped hair loss patches with clear boundaries, as if they have been carefully trimmed. In these hair loss areas, the skin may turn red and be accompanied by dandruff. Some dogs may also feel itchy and keep scratching with their paws or rubbing against furniture. Just imagine that your dog, which originally had smooth fur and was lively and cute, suddenly has patches of bald spots on its body and becomes restless due to the itching. How heartbroken you would be. For example, in the case of a common Microsporum canis infection, it forms hair loss areas about the size of a coin on the dog, which are very noticeable.

For skin problems caused by bacterial infections, the manifestations are more diverse. Pustules are a relatively typical symptom. These pustules vary in size and are filled with pus. After they rupture, they will form scabs. The dog's skin may show diffuse redness and swelling, and it feels warmer than normal skin when touched. Sometimes ulcers will also form, emitting an unpleasant odor. If the ears are infected by bacteria, purulent secretions may flow out of the ear canal. The dog will shake its head and scratch its ears frequently, which is really pitiful to see.

The dog's ears are also a part that is prone to infection. When there is a fungal infection in the ears, there are usually black or brown secretions in the ear canal. These secretions are relatively dry in texture and adhere to the wall of the ear canal like dirt. The dog will shake its head frequently, trying to relieve the discomfort in its ears. In the case of a bacterial ear infection, the secretions are mostly yellow or white and purulent, with an unpleasant smell. The ears may be red, swollen, and painful, and the dog will resist you touching its ears.

The mouth can also reflect the infection situation. When there is a fungal infection in the mouth, white patches may appear on the dog's oral mucosa, similar to thrush in humans. These patches are not easy to wipe off, and forceful wiping may even cause the mucosa to bleed. If there is a bacterial infection in the mouth, it may lead to bad breath, red and swollen gums, bleeding. In severe cases, the teeth may become loose, and it will be a problem for the dog to eat. Seeing that the dog loses interest in delicious food because of the oral pain, how can you not be worried?

In terms of the respiratory tract, a fungal infection may cause a cough. This cough is relatively mild and chronic, and is sometimes accompanied by a small amount of white mucus. The respiratory symptoms caused by a bacterial infection are usually more serious. The dog will cough violently, coughing up yellow or green phlegm, breathe rapidly, and may even have a fever. Seeing the dog struggling to breathe and every cough as if it's a struggle, the owner's heart will be tightly gripped.

To determine whether the dog has a fungal or bacterial infection, in addition to observing the symptoms, some simple methods can also be used. For example, gently wipe the infected area with a clean cotton swab. If there is a large amount of pus on the cotton swab, the possibility of a bacterial infection is greater; if there are only a small amount of dandruff or dry secretions, the probability of a fungal infection is higher. But these are only preliminary judgments. The most accurate way is to take the dog to see a veterinarian and clarify the cause of the disease through professional laboratory tests, such as fungal culture and bacterial smear.

Whether the dog has a fungal or bacterial infection, it needs to be treated in a timely manner. As the owner, during the dog's illness, you should give it more love and care. Follow the veterinarian's instructions, give the dog medicine on time, and provide it with nutritious food to enhance its resistance. Watching the dog gradually recover to health under your careful care and become lively and happy again, the joy and relief you feel are indescribable. Because the dog has long been an indispensable member of the family, and its health is your greatest concern.