EPET PAWS - EPET PAWS

In March and April, there will be beautiful spring scenery and continuous spring rain. In addition to moistening everything, humid weather is more likely to breed bacteria. Normally healthy dogs not only have sticky hair, but also can be infected by uncontrolled bacterial reproduction if they are not careful, especially when they are troubled by the difficult problem of eczema. As a qualified shoveling officer, "moisture-proof" work should be done in place so that dogs can spend a comfortable spring.

So, how do we identify eczema? What are the clinical signs and symptoms of eczema? How can we effectively prevent it in our daily life?

What is eczema?

Eczema is an allergic inflammation of the epidermis and papillary dermis of the skin. It is a delayed allergic reaction, which usually occurs periodically and may be accompanied by asthma or allergic rhinitis. Inflammation of the dog's skin, regardless of the cause, is called dermatitis, while eczema is a dermatitis characterized by superficial inflammation caused by dampness, mud, friction, etc.

In hot and humid spring and summer, eczema is one of the skin diseases that many pets are prone to suffer from. From the beginning of red spots to itching, depilation, blisters and so on, eczema is a common symptom. Dogs of the Shar Pei, Boston Terrier, Labrador Retriever, Scottish Terrier, and Shih Tzu breeds are more susceptible to eczema. The morbidity is between 6 months and 3 years of age. Clinical features are usually seasonal and may occur throughout the year, but seasonal outbreaks are possible.

Why can you get eczema?

Eczema is a disease in which the skin barrier is broken, which may be aggravated by allergies, but the reason why the barrier itself is broken is not clear. The occurrence of eczema depends on two aspects: one is allergic diathesis, and the other is allergenic factors.

Allergic diathesis is the lack of a protein called filaggrin in the skin due to genetic defects, resulting in synthesis disorders, which makes it easy for allergens to enter the body and cause a series of immune disorders.

Allergic factors are due to the occurrence of allergic reactions leading to immune system disorders, body inflammation and skin barrier dysfunction, which lead to eczema.

Generally speaking, eczema is caused by the following reasons:

1. Often stimulated by various external factors. For example, the local application of strong acid and alkaline drugs or excessive use of alkaline soap and detergent to clean skin can easily lead to the occurrence of eczema; the friction and oppression of the collar on the skin can cause local eczema; insect bites and parasites are also a stimulus to the dog from the outside world.

2. Pet's living environment, diet and morbidity are also closely related. Excessive intake of unsaturated fatty acids in fish, excessive intake of carbohydrates, lack of trace elements and vitamins can lead to low skin resistance of pets, and high temperature and humidity in summer can also easily lead to it.

3. The temperature is high and the humidity is high in season or region.

Symptoms of eczema

Eczema usually occurs in the neck, back, abdomen, tail root, eggs and toes of pets, of which the neck and abdomen are the most common.

Eczema in dogs is divided into acute eczema and chronic eczema:

Acute eczema: When eczema first appears, it is a punctate or different shape of erythema, small papules the size of a grain of rice, and then quickly spreads around. Pets will become restless, constantly scratching and licking the place where eczema appears, thus aggravating local damage and infection. After the surface of eczema is scratched, there will be yellow-red exudate, which will form crusts after drying. Acute eczema is more common.

Chronic eczema: mostly from the transformation of acute eczema, will recur, characterized by skin thickening, desquamation, pigmentation, hair hardening, itching increased, more common in the back or limbs.

(Pictures provided by pet friends)

Compared with other skin diseases, the symptoms of eczema are not special, and the clinical signs are diverse, which is mainly related to genetic factors, the degree of lesions, the stage of the disease, whether secondary microbial infections or other outbreak factors. When eczema is severe, it can lead to extensive skin necrosis and exfoliation. After the disease, the dog's mental level will be greatly reduced, becoming depressed and depressed, and its appetite will be reduced due to the pain of the disease. In severe cases, it will die due to elevated body temperature or secondary sepsis.

Prevention and treatment

1. Eliminate the cause of disease and eliminate the stimulating factors. Do a good job of repelling insects inside and outside the pet, keep the pet clean and remove the odor;

Improve family feeding conditions. Clean and ventilate frequently to keep the environment clean;

2. Adjust the proportion of nutrients in pet diet and supplement a variety of vitamins. After dogs morbidity, they should supplement vitamin A, D and E every day, and the effect of related health care drugs is faster;

3. Reduce or stop self-injury and relieve itching. Put a collar on the dog to prevent it from biting the diseased part.

4. Active medication. After washing the affected area with 3% boric acid solution, apply an ointment containing glucocorticoids. Dogs in different stages of eczema, the effectiveness of the drugs used should also be different. For example, astringent antiseptics should be used during the herpes, pustular, and erosive stages; cod liver oil ointment should be applied as the exudate decreases; and procaine block therapy can be used for severe itching.

5. Go to a pet hospital and be given exclusive treatment by a professional doctor according to the dog's own condition, which is more suitable for dogs with special constitution or other underlying disease.