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UK data, updated 7 August 2026

Dog skin conditions in the UK: the statistics

Skin disease is one of the most common reasons UK dogs are taken to the vet. We pulled together the most reliable UK figures, from veterinary records covering hundreds of thousands of dogs, insurer claims data and national pet-care surveys. Every number below is sourced to a named authority and dated.

The short version

Skin disease is the second most commonly diagnosed health problem in UK dogs, affecting roughly 1 in 8 (12.58%) every year, behind only dental disease. Allergies drive much of it, and flat-faced breeds are hit hardest: English Bulldogs have up to 49 times the odds of skin-fold dermatitis compared with crossbreds. Treatment is not cheap, with the average skin-disease insurance claim starting around £786.

1 in 8 UK dogs are diagnosed with a skin disorder each year
2nd most common disorder group in dogs, after dental disease
49x higher skin-fold dermatitis odds in English Bulldogs vs crossbreds
£786+ average insurance claim to treat a dog skin disease
1 in 87 UK dogs has atopic dermatitis (allergic skin disease)
14 days typical length of a dog ear infection episode

How common are skin problems in UK dogs?

Skin is the body system most often affected in dogs. Across large studies of UK veterinary records, skin disorders sit right at the top of the list, rivalling dental disease for the most commonly diagnosed problem. If your dog has an itch, a rash or a sore patch, they are in very common company.

12.58% Around 1 in 8 UK dogs seen by vets are diagnosed with a skin disorder each year, making skin the second most common disorder category after dental disease.RVC VetCompass, O'Neill & James et al. (2021) →
36.3% More than a third of dogs seen at English vet practices had at least one diagnosed skin (integument) condition, the single most commonly affected body system, ahead of digestive (29.5%) and musculoskeletal (14.8%) disorders.RVC VetCompass, O'Neill & Church et al. (2014) →
0.37% (vs 6.05%) Skin fold dermatitis is rare across UK dogs generally (0.37%) but affects roughly 1 in 16 English Bulldogs specifically, showing how far skin-disease risk varies by breed.RVC VetCompass, O'Neill & Rowe et al. (2022) →
#1 of 10 Skin problems top PDSA's list of the most common conditions its vets diagnose in dogs, ahead of conditions like arthritis and vomiting.PDSA, Top 10 Common Conditions (2026) →

Which UK breeds get the most skin problems?

Skin risk is not spread evenly. Flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds with folds and wrinkles carry a far higher risk of skin-fold dermatitis, and several popular breeds are strongly predisposed to allergic skin disease and ear infections. These odds ratios compare a breed against crossbred dogs, so a value of 49 means roughly 49 times the odds.

Odds of skin-fold dermatitis vs a crossbred dog (UK VetCompass, 2022)
English Bulldog 49.07x French Bulldog 25.92x Pug 16.27x Crossbred (baseline) 1x
BreedSkin risk findingSource
English BulldogsEnglish Bulldogs seen by UK vets are around 49 times more likely to be diagnosed with skin fold dermatitis than crossbred dogs. RVC VetCompass, O'Neill & Rowe et al. →
French BulldogsFrench Bulldogs in the UK have almost 26 times the odds of skin fold dermatitis compared with crossbred dogs. RVC VetCompass, O'Neill & Rowe et al. →
PugsPugs under UK primary veterinary care have over 16 times the odds of skin fold dermatitis seen in crossbred dogs. RVC VetCompass, O'Neill & Rowe et al. →
French BulldogsFrench Bulldogs seen by UK vets have nearly 8 times the odds of an allergic skin disorder diagnosis compared with other dogs. RVC VetCompass, O'Neill & Packer et al. →
Basset HoundsBasset Hounds in the UK have almost 6 times the odds of otitis externa (ear inflammation) compared with crossbred dogs. RVC VetCompass, O'Neill & Volk et al. →
Chinese Shar-PeisChinese Shar-Peis in the UK have nearly 22 times the odds of developing adult-onset demodectic mange compared with crossbred dogs. RVC VetCompass, O'Neill & Turgoose et al. →

How many UK dogs have skin allergies?

Allergic skin disease, especially atopic dermatitis, is the biggest single driver of chronic itching in dogs. It usually starts young, often flares for life, and frequently sits behind repeat ear infections and skin infections. These are the UK figures worth knowing.

1.15% Atopic dermatitis is diagnosed in an estimated 1.15% of UK dogs under primary veterinary care each year, around 1 in every 87 dogs.RVC VetCompass, O'Neill et al. (2021) →
3.6% Dermatitis, skin inflammation that's frequently secondary to an underlying allergy, is diagnosed in an estimated 3.6% of UK dogs each year.RVC VetCompass, Summers et al. (2019) →
3.32% Around 1 in 30 UK dogs (3.32%) show skin lesions consistent with flea allergy dermatitis, based on a nationwide veterinary survey of over 2,600 dogs.Bond et al., UK Flea Survey (2007) →
29% (range 9 to 50%) Among dogs already diagnosed with atopic dermatitis, a food allergy is identified as a contributing cause in a median of 29% of cases, according to a systematic review pooling 22 international studies.Olivry & Mueller, Food Allergy Systematic Review (2017) →
36% higher odds Neutered dogs have significantly higher odds of being diagnosed with atopic dermatitis than entire dogs of the same breed and age.RVC VetCompass, O'Neill et al. (2021) →
6 months, 3 years Canine atopic dermatitis typically first appears when a dog is between 6 months and 3 years old.MSD/Merck Veterinary Manual, Hoff (2026) →

Dog ear infections: the UK numbers

Ear infections and skin allergies are closely linked, an inflamed ear canal is often the first sign of an underlying skin allergy. Ear-shape and breed make a big difference to the risk, and episodes tend to drag on longer than owners expect.

7.30% In any given year, an estimated 7.3% of UK dogs under veterinary care are diagnosed with otitis externa (ear infection).RVC VetCompass, O'Neill et al., Canine Medicine and Genetics (2021) →
10.2% Ear infection (otitis externa) was the single most commonly recorded health problem in dogs seen at UK primary-care vet practices, affecting 10.2% of dogs in one year.RVC VetCompass, O'Neill et al., PLOS ONE (2014) →
5.87x Basset Hounds are almost six times more likely than crossbred dogs to develop an ear infection, the highest breed risk recorded in UK primary-care data.RVC VetCompass, O'Neill et al., Canine Medicine and Genetics (2021) →
1.84x UK dogs with V-shaped drop ears (like spaniels) have 84% higher odds of ear infection than dogs with erect ears.RVC VetCompass, O'Neill et al., Canine Medicine and Genetics (2021) →
1.76x UK dogs with pendulous (long, floppy) ears have 76% higher odds of ear infection than dogs with erect ears.RVC VetCompass, O'Neill et al., Canine Medicine and Genetics (2021) →
14 days When a UK dog gets an ear infection, the episode typically lasts around two weeks (a median of 14 days) before resolving.RVC VetCompass, Summers & O'Neill et al., BMC Veterinary Research (2019) →

What does it cost to treat a dog's skin condition in the UK?

Skin disease is one of the more expensive things to treat, partly because allergies need long-term management rather than a one-off cure. These are average UK insurance-claim figures, useful if you are weighing up pet insurance or a treatment plan.

£786 - £1,093 The average UK pet insurance claim for treating a dog's skin disease ranges from £786 for small dogs up to £1,093 for giant breeds, rising steadily with the dog's size.Animal Friends Insurance, dog vet fee claims data (2025) →
£809 - £1,239 Dog allergy claims are the most expensive of the common skin-related conditions, averaging £809 for miniature dogs and rising to £1,239 for giant breeds.Animal Friends Insurance, dog vet fee claims data (2025) →
£1,038 A claim for atopy (allergic skin disease) in a large dog costs an average of £1,038 to treat, according to UK insurance claims data.Animal Friends Insurance, dog vet fee claims data (2025) →
£650 - £992 Otitis (ear inflammation), which is frequently linked to underlying skin allergies in dogs, costs an average of £650 to £992 to treat depending on the dog's size.Animal Friends Insurance, dog vet fee claims data (2025) →
£685 For context, the average UK pet insurance claim across all conditions and species was £685 in 2024, meaning most dog skin-condition claims come in at or above the market-wide average.Association of British Insurers (ABI) press release (2024) →

How UK owners handle skin problems

The cost-of-living squeeze is changing how UK owners deal with pet health, more are delaying vet visits or turning to online searches and home remedies first. That is exactly why clear, well-sourced guidance matters, and why serious signs should always go to a vet.

11% More than 1 in 10 UK pet owners have delayed taking a poorly pet to the vet, meaning an estimated 3 million pets may not have received timely veterinary care.PDSA, Pet Health Inequality Report (2026) →
57% (down from 64% in 2022) The share of UK pet owners who say they'd seek advice from a vet has fallen three years running, from 64% in 2022 to 60% in 2023 to 57% in 2024.RSPCA, Kindness Index Report (2024) →
~45,000 searches/month UK Google searches for 'can I give my dog paracetamol' hit around 45,000 in April 2023 (up 13% year-on-year), a home-remedy trend the RSPCA fears is substituting for proper vet care.RSPCA, Kindness Index (2023) →
56.5% In a UK study, 56.5% of dog owners judged an ear infection (otitis externa, often skin-allergy linked) as less urgent than vets actually rated it, the largest owner-vet urgency gap of any of the 30 conditions tested.Farrow, O'Neill & Packer, "To see or not to see the vet", PLOS One (2026) →
26% More than a quarter (26%) of UK pet owners have delayed or avoided a vet visit purely because of cost concerns.Blue Cross-commissioned survey (2,100 UK dog and cat owners), reported via Companion Life (2026) →

Methodology & sources

Every figure on this page comes from a named UK or international veterinary authority, a peer-reviewed study, or published insurer/charity data, and links to its original source. We prioritise UK primary data, the Royal Veterinary College's VetCompass programme (which analyses anonymised records from hundreds of thousands of UK dogs), the PDSA and RSPCA, and UK pet insurers. Prevalence figures describe the share of dogs diagnosed in a year of primary veterinary care. We review and update this page as new UK data is published. Last updated 7 August 2026.

Sourced to

RVC VetCompass, O'Neill et al.RVC VetCompass, O'Neill et al., PLOS ONERVC VetCompass, O'Neill & Rowe et al.PDSA, Top 10 Common ConditionsRVC VetCompass, Summers & O'Neill et al., BMC Veterinary ResearchBond et al., UK Flea SurveyOlivry & Mueller, Food Allergy Systematic ReviewMSD/Merck Veterinary Manual, HoffRVC VetCompass, O'Neill & Packer et al.RVC VetCompass, O'Neill et al., Canine Medicine and GeneticsRVC VetCompass, O'Neill & Turgoose et al.Animal Friends Insurance, dog vet fee claims dataAssociation of British Insurers (ABI) press releasePDSA, Pet Health Inequality ReportRSPCA, Kindness Index ReportRSPCA, Kindness IndexFarrow, O'Neill & Packer, "To see or not to see the vet", PLOS OneBlue Cross-commissioned survey (2,100 UK dog and cat owners), reported via Companion Life

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