What’s Wrong with My Corgi’s Skin? All You Need to Know About Corgi Skin Allergies

What’s Wrong with My Corgi’s Skin? All You Need to Know About Corgi Skin Allergies

Corgis have an ultra-thick, double coat that helps protect them whether they’re running through the brush or just standing in the rain. The coarse waterproof outer coat shields the soft undercoat, effectively wrapping these dogs in a dual layer of protection.

All that fur can serve as a blessing and a curse, however, because it also traps allergens close to the skin. Corgi skin allergies are pretty common as a result, causing these normally jovial dogs to get downright grumpy from the discomfort.

Thankfully, there are things you can do to help your pup. Here’s what you need to know.

 

Signs Your Corgi Has Skin Allergies

The most common symptoms of skin allergies in corgis include:

  • Hives
  • Loss of fur
  • Red, irritated skin
  • Hot spots
  • Excessive scratching
  • Chewing the paws
  • Rubbing the ears and face
  • Watery eyes
  • Swelling

Flea infestations can also cause a lot of these symptoms, so check for those little critters before doing anything else. If that’s the problem, you can use natural, over-the-counter, or prescription flea treatments to eliminate those pests and help your dog feel better fast.

 

cute corgi running through a field

Diagnosis and Treatment for Corgi Skin Allergies

Skin allergy symptoms can cause hot spots and other wounds to develop, so it’s best not to go through a lot of trial and error at home before reaching out. If you wait too long, infections could set in and increase your dog’s discomfort.

A vet can accurately diagnose corgi skin allergies and help you find the best possible treatment for your dog’s condition. When you take your corgi to the vet for care, here’s what you can expect throughout the diagnosis and treatment process.

 

Diagnosis

When diagnosing a corgi with skin allergy symptoms, the process starts with ruling out non-allergic diseases, like mange and ringworm. To do that, your vet may need to perform a skin scrape, fungal culture, and other basic tests. If all the tests come out negative, it’s likely that your corgi has skin allergies, which is officially known as atopic dermatitis.

Your vet can also help you find the cause of the allergies by performing RAST or intradermal skin testing. RAST testing is the simplest approach because it just requires a single blood sample. Intradermal skin testing can provide more comprehensive results, but it requires a visit to the dermatologist and anesthesia throughout the test.

Common allergens revealed during these tests include certain food ingredients, dust mites, and pollen from weeds, trees, and grasses. This can help you understand what allergens to keep away from your dog, if possible, and aids in preparing effective immunotherapy treatments.

 

Treatment

The treatment used for your corgi’s skin allergies primarily depends on the symptom severity. If the symptoms are mild, you can work on reducing exposure to the allergens. You might want to set up a HEPA air purifier, wash their bedding more often, and bathe your dog on a regular schedule using a medicated shampoo.

More severe symptoms often require the use of oral corticosteroids that help reduce inflammation and itchiness. If your dog has any sores on their skin, they may also need an antibiotic. Antifungal medications are also commonly prescribed when secondary infections arise alongside skin allergy symptoms.

If that doesn’t help, you may want to consider immunotherapy for your corgi. For this treatment, you just have to bring your dog into the clinic on a set schedule for allergy shots. The shots introduce a minute amount of the allergen to your dog’s system so that they can build up a tolerance to it.

 

Happy fun dog and soap bubbles

Additional Ways to Help Your Corgi Feel Better

In addition to the treatments offered by your vet, there are a variety of ways to help your corgi feel better, such as:

  • Switch your dog to a high-quality hypoallergenic food filled with prebiotics and probiotics
  • Brush your dog on a daily basis to free allergens trapped in their fur before they contact the skin
  • Massage vitamin E oil into your dog’s skin to reduce itchiness and promote healing
  • Stick to indoor activities, like dog food puzzles, instead of walks on high pollen count days
  • Barring that, switch your walk times to the evenings instead of the mornings or afternoons

You may not see an immediate difference in how your corgi feels as you try skin allergy treatments and other care practices. Give them a month or two to work before switching things up, though. Skin allergies can take a while to resolve, especially if the symptoms caused any hot spots. If you don’t feel like it’s helping enough after that, go back to your vet for a different treatment.

 

Try Jiminy's Soft & Chewy Training Treats

Jiminy’s Insect based dog food is a natural dog food packed with prebiotics for dogs. Treat your pup to a sustainable and eco-friendly dog food and dog treat option. Learn how insect protein is a healthy diet for pets. 

At Jiminy’s, we believe in giving your dogs the very best and that starts with our insect-based dog food. By using crickets and grubs as our primary protein source, we produce quality kibble, wet food, and treats designed to provide complete nutrition for dogs. In fact, insect protein meets or exceeds all AAFCO requirements, making it a superfood you and your dog will love.

To create the perfect formula every time, we follow that up with whole food ingredients that offer natural prebiotics in every bite. Together, the naturally prebiotic insect protein and prebiotic-rich foods help build a strong gut microbiome. Our innovative protein doesn’t trigger allergies like traditional pet food ingredients either, resulting in better gut health for food-sensitive dogs.

Beyond that, our products are eco-friendly, humane, and safe for dogs of all sizes. So, you can definitely feel good about feeding your dog Jiminy’s – and your dog will enjoy our tasty Cravin’ Cricket and Good Grub flavors.
Shop Jiminy's Dog Food and Treats Today! Try Our Bundles to find the perfect match for your best friend.