Most dog owners with long-coated dogs would have seen Hot spots on their pets. The characteristic feature of this skin ailment is that the lesion develops almost overnight.
Cause:
The immediate cause of the lesion developing is repeated trauma to the skin followed by bacterial infections. The skin becomes very inflamed and will ooze profusely. A genetic predisposition is also seen with Alsatians and Boxers being the most commonly affected. The lesion is mainly due to itching of the skin, self-mutilation, and secondary bacterial infections.
Clinical signs:
The lesion can occur in any part of the body with the head and rump being more commonly affected. A reddened, weeping lesion that can be greater than 2 centimeters develops. The hair in this region vanishes and the area is very painful to touch.
Treatment:
If the eczema occurs for the first time the hair around the lesion must first be clipped. The extent of the damage to the skin must be ascertained. Oral antibiotics with corticosteroids are advised. Topical local anesthetic and antibacterial creams must be applied. Treatment must be continued till a dry scab is seen over the lesion. In case the lesion tends to occur repeatedly, a culture and sensitivity test of the exudates is recommended. Any underlying cause for itchiness must be found and eliminated.
Case History:
This is a routine case insummers and in my practice, 1 in 10 dogs suffer from this condition in the hot seasons. All treatment follows a standard protocol comprising Antibiotics, Antihistamines, and Topical creams. Remission of signs is seen by the fourth day of starting therapy.
Poisoning
Most practitioners come across cases of poisoning during their daily practice. Poisoning can be inadvertent or malicious. The success of therapy, therefore, lies in whether the toxic agent is identified, a known treatment is available for the toxin, and whether the treatment can be initiated in time. Poisoning does not need to occur via ingestion only. It can occur via the lungs, eyes, skin, or even via injections. The Veterinarian is most successful in treating the poisoning if the owner can give accurate details about the incident.
Given below is a checklist of expected questions the doctor will pose to the client in order to maximize the chances of a cure.
- When did the poisoning occur
- Where was the animal at that time
- Did the owner see the animal ingesting the poison
- Does the owner know the name of the poison (Get it along to the Vet if possible)
- How has the animal behaving since then
- Has the animal vomited since
- Have any animals in the neighborhood suffered similarly in the recent past?
- Has the patient suffered any disease recently
- Is the house under construction or renovation
- Are there any paints lying in the house
- Does the animal tend to stray or scavenge
- Any possibility of malicious poisoning
- Was the house or garden sprayed with insecticides recently
- Are any rodenticides used in the house
- Was the animal given a tick bath or medication
The state of the animal often makes the owner feel rather despondent and often wishes to avoid thinking of the actual cause. The more common poisons taken by dogs are DDT, acids from batteries, paints, rats that have died of poisoning, human medicines lying around the house, stale food, anti-tick medications, and chocolates.
The last mentioned is a common source of poisoning. The theobromine ingredient of chocolates makes them poisonous, and over a certain amount of this product, toxicity sets in. The owner often does not correlate this to the poisoning and does not inform the Vet about it.
The chances of survival increase if the owner can induce vomiting as soon as he sees the dog ingest the poison. Making the dog drink a saturated salt solution can do this. However, this should not be done if the poison is an acid or alkali. The Vet after a quick initial examination will start symptomatic therapy if the toxin is unknown. In case the poison is known and the antidote is available it will be administered. In case the poison was applied to the skin the dog needs to be washed quickly with warm water.
The owner needs to be composed when he sees a case of poisoning. He should try to provide a detailed yet accurate account of the incident to enable the doctor to work out a quick solution. Lastly, when an animal is poisoned, it often has nervous,r problems, and hence even the most docile dog may try to bite the owner or Vet. Both should take adequate precautions to prevent any untoward incidents.
