Do Dogs Get Acne?

Yes, dogs can get acne.  The most common area for this to occur is on the chin and face.  It is caused from digging in the dirt and rolling in the grass.  Deposits can be left on the chin and face from eating, or the muzzle staying wet after drinking.  All of these things can cause their pores to block up and the skin will become raised around the area.  It has been found that some dogs are more prone to acne than others.

Your veterinarian should examine your dog and will likely prescribe a steroid cream to treat the affected area.  If you dog happens to have severe acne, she will not enjoy having the cream put on the pimples because it may cause a slight burning sensation.  In the beginning, it should be applied three times per day, this will cause the bad acne to clear up within a few days.  After this occurs, the other stuff will lessen quite a bit and will eventually disappear.  Once the breakouts are under control, your dog will not mind having the cream applied (as the burning sensation will no longer happen).

To prevent breakouts from happening, you should keep your dog’s face and chin as clean as possible.  Wiping your dog’s chin and face after drinking and keeping the area dry will also help not only to prevent the breakouts, but it will lessen the severity of them.  Another thing to be aware of is that the hair on the infected area may grow in a different color (it could be white hair on a black dog, or vice versa).  This is perfectly normal and is nothing to be concerned about.

Thanks for reading!  As always your participation in comments and discussions is encouraged and greatly appreciated!!