Is the skin tricky? When it comes to dermatological problems, patients, owners and even veterinarians are often faced with a mountain of questions: What is the cause? Do I need to go to a specialist practice?
"Yes, skin is really a sensitive issue," says Dr. med. vet. Claudia Schütz, a veterinarian in Rheinfelden. "The big, big challenge is to find the cause - because there are so many possibilities." The dermatologist often sees patients who are referred to her from other practices. "Of course there are simpler and less simple cases. Treatment is not always as long-term as you might initially think," she adds. "The aim, especially with atopic dermatitis, is to control the disease, not to cure it. Very often you have to follow various therapies and skin care, and sometimes diet too, over a really long period of time."
We take a closer look at this atopic dermatitis - and what options the diagnosis brings with it. The affected dogs and cats usually have a genetic predisposition for this disease. The pathogenesis is comparable to neurodermatitis in humans. Atopic - refers to the genetic predisposition to developing an allergy to harmless substances in the environment.
Dogs and cats can react to many different allergens
- House dust
- Mites: House dust mites
- Pollen and grasses
- Mould
- insects
Food-induced atopic dermatitis
Food-induced atopic dermatitis, often referred to as food allergy, is another possible trigger for atopic dermatitis in dogs and cats. It is often diagnosed using an elimination diet.
Symptoms of atopic dermatitis
- Pruritus: especially on the muzzle, paws, belly
- Erythema
- Alopecia
- Secondary infections
- Dandruff
- Crusts
- Skin lesions
The most significant symptom of atopic dermatitis is itching. This can occur recurrently or chronically due to various triggers and thus can be seasonal or year-round. It is characterized primarily by scratching and licking, even gnawing of the nose, ears, paws, armpits and stomach. In addition, other areas of the body can be affected by pruritus. The skin areas affected by itching are often reddened and characterized by pustules. If excessive pruritus progresses, skin lesions with secondary infections can occur. Bacteria and yeast fungi often play a role here. Other possible symptoms such as alopecia, with scaly fur, crusts, hyperpigmentation of the affected skin areas and hot spots, can occur with persistent atopic dermatitis. Otitis or conjunctivitis can also be caused by scratching. Food-induced atopic dermatitis sometimes occurs with diarrhea as an additional symptom.
therapy
- Avoiding allergens
- Desensitization - Immunotherapy
- Local therapy
- Systemic therapy
- Regular parasite prophylaxis -- flea prophylaxis
- feeding
The first step in treatment is to avoid or eliminate the trigger to reduce the allergen load for the patient. Treatment also involves long-term individual management for each animal and the specific trigger of the disease. Desensitization may be an option if the disease persists throughout the year without seasonal differences. In addition to drug treatment of the symptoms, with antihistamines or cortisone, local therapy to support the skin barrier is important. This may include cleaning and washing the animal with suitable preparations to remove the allergens and soothe irritated skin. In addition to cleaning, shampoos can have a stabilizing and nourishing effect on the skin barrier. Sprays or lotions are also useful for moisturizing the skin and thus strengthening its resistance. It is also important not to neglect monthly flea prophylaxis, as flea saliva can often be a possible allergy trigger. Feeding is an additional point in the management of atopic dermatitis. It is advisable to stick to one type of food and treat and, if possible, switch to a hypoallergenic diet. Supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids to stabilize the skin is also beneficial. Preparations made from algae or fish oil are ideal for this.
