The most common type of dermatitis in cats is flea infestation. The pathology does not develop due to insect bites, but due to the fact that the animal develops increased sensitivity to the components of the saliva of parasites.
According to statistics, hairless and short-haired breeds, as well as cats with light coat color, are more likely to suffer from this disease. Basically, dermatitis develops in summer and spring-autumn. At this time, fleas are most active. Moreover, even pets who do not leave the apartment can become infected. People often bring blood-sucking pests home on the soles of their shoes.
Fleas on dogs
Many people often wonder how to detect a parasite in time? Regular examination is the basis for a healthy animal life. During preventive procedures, look at the small black dots on the dog’s body.
The size of a flea is on average from 1 to 5 mm. The body is brown, compressed in the anteroposterior direction. This is an opportunistic feature, because the fur is quite thick, which complicates the movement of the insect along the animal’s body. Due to their small size, fleas are able to hide from view and ensure reliable and long-term parasitism on his body.
These blood-sucking creatures can carry the causative agent of plague, anthrax, tularemia, encephalitis, cause the appearance of fungal infections, listeriosis and tapeworms, which are one of the most dangerous helminth infections, since representatives of the genus Cestoidea are capable of parasitizing in the animal’s body for a very long time, and, most importantly, the main thing is to feed on its blood and other nutrients.
Don't forget that fleas can cause flea allergy dermatitis in dogs.
Flea allergy dermatitis in dogs
Many have heard about this disease, but few know the danger it poses for the dog.
Dermatitis (from the Greek - “dermat” - skin, “itis” - inflammation), in particular allergic, implies a response to some kind of irritation, be it internal or external. In our case, allergic dermatitis is caused by insects - fleas. The disease is caused by non-acceptance of the protein contained in the flea's saliva. We return to the fact that premature detection of these insects in dogs can save the animal from such a diagnosis.
Prevention
Undoubtedly, prevention is always easier and cheaper than treatment. Therefore, promptly treat your animals against external and internal parasites with drops or tablets. Your dog is a hot spot for fleas, and you are at risk if:
- The dog regularly walks outside;
- The dog communicates with other animals;
- You live in a multi-entrance house - fleas can attack from the common corridor;
- Do you live on the first or last floor - the basement and attic are habitats for fleas.
But in other cases, unfortunately, their presence cannot be ruled out.
There is no innate immunity against parasites. Only you can protect your pet from parasites! Prevention is important.
Causes of allergic flea dermatitis in dogs
Flea allergy dermatitis is caused by the bite of a single flea. The percutaneous method of transmission of infection is the most common in nature, so it is difficult to protect your pet from a flea bite. Why may this disease not appear immediately? It all depends on the sensitivity of the skin.
The outer layer of skin, the epidermis, plays a minor role. But the dermis itself has a feature due to which the dog may not immediately feel the symptoms of allergic flea dermatitis. If the animal’s skin is insensitive, then the allergic reaction will be less painful, so the owner may not immediately detect this disease on the pet’s body.
If the skin is hypersensitive, then the allergy on the body will be more pronounced due to the greater permeability of cells to flea saliva.
Clinical picture of the disease
According to research by scientists, flea saliva contains about 15 types of different allergens that can provoke the development of an allergic reaction when they enter the animal’s blood. As a rule, saliva enters the pet's bloodstream during a flea bite. In most cases, several bites are required to become infected with dermatitis, but it is possible that the pathology can develop from a single puncture.
Flea dermatitis belongs to the category of common diseases among animals, the aggravation of which occurs in the summer months and early autumn.
Additional Information! According to veterinary statistics, in winter there are several times fewer cases of dermatitis. As a rule, this applies to pets who live permanently at home, since parasites can live in an apartment throughout the year, regardless of temperature fluctuations.
How to determine if an animal has fleas? The presence of fleas can be detected through a thorough examination of the animal's skin and fur. So, signs indicating a flea infestation include:
- constant biting of skin by animals;
- the presence of flea feces on the pet’s fur and ears;
- the appearance of hot spots on the skin.
Flea bites cause continuous burning and itching, so the animal behaves restlessly and constantly itches.
Note! To be more confident about flea infestation, you can conduct the following experiment. Take a white cloth, such as a towel, and place it on the animal's back. If reddish-brown particles remain on the fabric, the answer is obvious.
Symptoms of allergic flea dermatitis
The first thing the owner needs to look at is the behavior of the pet. Why is it worth observing other than skin signs? As previously mentioned in the article, skin characteristics are purely individual. That is why allergic inflammation of the dermis can vary equally among different breeds.
If in an animal with delicate skin redness occurs immediately after a flea bite, then in an animal with rougher skin, an allergy to the enzymes contained in saliva may occur much later. Thus, the first priority is to observe the animal's behavior.
The dog may show aggression towards the owner, due to painful sensations when the other tries to stroke the pet’s fur. The dog is often irritated and not playful. Habitual behavior changes and becomes different.
Look for frequent biting and scratching in certain areas of the body. These are, as a rule, wet places (under the tail, at its root), the sacral area, the back, the groin, and the abdomen. However, not the head, but specifically not the ears and mucous membranes of the eyes and mouth. Unusual behavior may be accompanied by frequent barking for no reason as a sign of help. If you do notice that your dog often licks places on the skin, look at the location of the irritated areas and match them with signs of allergic flea dermatitis.
Timely elimination of these symptoms will protect the dog from secondary infections at the site of scratching. Often this is what causes the pet’s death rather than the primary disease.
Due to the damage to the red areas, scratches or wounds may be noticeable on the skin. This also causes secondary infections.
Another external manifestation of the disease is fur. It becomes brittle, dry, sparse. At such advanced stages of allergic dermatitis, some owners only notice fleas on the body, because it is difficult not to see insects in bald patches. But it happens that fleas may not be found at all. What is this connected with? The life cycle of these insects. Fleas and lice eaters are facultative ectoparasites, that is, they can quite successfully live outside the dog’s skin, and use it only as a source of food. Blood is this source. This leads to the conclusion that blood does not accept the protein contained in the flea’s saliva.
This mechanism is also observed in the humoral immune response of an Rh-negative mother to antigens of an Rh-positive fetus. Dry skin is a very controversial symptom of flea dermatitis, since the same symptom is observed with ordinary vitamin deficiency, hypovitaminosis, and the presence of ticks.
In combination, this symptom gives a 100% hit on allergic flea dermatitis. The dog is rapidly losing weight, despite the fact that food is regularly supplied to the body. This is due to the presence of parasitism on the pet’s body, which is characterized by one-sided benefit.
Due to the dog's nutrients, the flea is able to live and reproduce. An equally important feature of allergic dermatitis is the formation of a scab on the surface of the wound. A scab is a crust that covers purulent inflammation of the dermis. On the one hand, the presence of this formation on the wound surface protects it from further damage and thereby prevents suppuration.
On the other hand, the scab clogs the damaged bleeding place on the body and deprives the wound of breathing. The disease is also characterized by a nodular rash in the form of papules, which accompanies the entire area affected by the allergy. Due to dysfunction of the sebaceous glands, epithelial seborrheic scales form on the surface of the skin. Seborrhea is a neuroendocrine disease.
Predisposing factors
Dermatitis can be caused by various factors. Physical (insect bites), chemical (skin contact with acids or alkalis), psychosomatic (stress), biological (infections).
Other predisposing factors include:
- Allergies, including intolerance to some food components.
- Mites (dermatitis often occurs due to infection with Sarcoptes scabei or Cheyletiella mites).
- Ear infections.
- Poor care.
- Splinters, including grass stubble getting into the thick skin.
- Interestingly, weeping dermatitis often develops in animals suffering from joint dysplasia. Most likely, this is due to serious metabolic disorders, which is normal for such pets.
- Inflammation of the anal glands.
If there are disturbances in the functioning of vital organs such as the kidneys or liver, as well as interruptions in the functioning of the lymphatic or immune systems, the skin will begin to react first. Very often (and quickly) with such disorders, an infection joins the pathological process. A general deterioration in the condition of the skin, due, among other things, to an insufficient amount of vitamins and microelements in food, will only contribute to this.
Risk group
All dogs are susceptible to dermatitis. There are only predisposing factors that can contribute to the development of inflammation:
- heredity (it has been proven that Labradors have a predisposition to atopic dermatitis that is inherited);
- young age up to 3 years (and the earlier the disease begins, the more difficult it will be to treat and go away over the years);
- breeds prone to skin problems: West Highland Terrier, German Shepherd, Jack Russell, Boxer, Shar Pei, Spaniel, Yorkshire Terrier;
- the presence in the diet of components such as beef, dairy products, wheat, chicken.
Diagnosis and treatment methods for flea allergic dermatitis
From the information previously presented, we became aware of the priority inspection. What does self-diagnosis of an animal’s appearance include?
Fleas are characterized by complete transformation. It is hardly possible to detect eggs or larvae of this section of insects on fur. More often, the female flea lays eggs in habitats, so you should immediately inspect the living space, in particular, the pet’s sleeping place.
How do flea larvae feed? They eat dog feces, which contain blood secretions and nutrients. It is not surprising that they like this, because these insects can feed on carrion. This confirms the fact of infection during walking in soil areas.
A dog blood test is more accurate. Visual assessment is important, but microscopic analysis is, of course, the most accurate. Since fleas are ectoparasites, they do not cause very noticeable changes in the composition of the blood. A slight decrease in the level of leukocytes and erythrocytes in the blood indicates allergic flea dermatitis. Leukopenia and erythropenia are the main indicators in a blood test for this disease.
How to treat allergic dermatitis in dogs caused by flea bites?
The early stage of the disease is characterized by treatment with various shampoos, insecticidal sprays, and repellents aimed at quickly destroying the parasite.
Do not think that it is possible to get rid of the entire number of parasites at once. Treatment should be gradual, without unnecessary stress on the body. In the case when external protection does not produce results, you need to go to a doctor - a veterinarian, if you did not do this immediately after discovering the dog’s suspicious behavior.
The veterinarian is required to develop an individual treatment plan that will suit your pet.
How is flea allergy dermatitis treated internally? The prescription of antihistamine drugs is no longer in demand in modern medicine. At this stage of development, doctors are of the opinion that treatment with glucocorticosteroids is correct. For example, “Prednisolone”, “Stronghold”.
The effect occurs after ten days of taking the drugs. It is enough that the dog swallows the tablet either with food or as an independent dose. It is accepted that fleas die from eating the blood of a dog. It will contain chemicals that will be lethal to the insect. If the stage of the disease is severe, characterized by purulent inflammation, then the pet should be prescribed cephalosporin antibiotics.
First aid to the patient
The first priority is to prevent further contact with insects. To do this, a number of disinfestation measures are carried out, with the help of which the parasites are completely destroyed.
Damaged skin must be disinfected. To do this, it is washed with soapy water and then treated with an antiseptic solution. This will help avoid the addition of a secondary bacterial infection. If there is severe swelling at the site of the bite, apply ice to it.
Further assistance to a person is provided either with the help of folk remedies, or medications are used.
