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Nutritional Supplements Nutritional
supplements are an important part of the medical therapy in treating many
conditions. One of the most common of these is skin and coat disorders.
Supplements often prevent or greatly decrease the use of potentially
harmful drugs such as steroids. Or they lessen, even eliminate, the need
for messy baths, rinses or dips. Regardless
of the cause of the dryness, fatty acids supplements are preferred. A
dog's skin is affected by many disorders that tend to decrease the
production of natural oils from the skin glands. This includes parasites
(both internal and external), hormonal diseases, old age, allergies, etc.
Fatty acid supplements can be given in a liquid, granular, tablet, or
capsular form. They can give the skin the tools it needs to correct the
problem. This doesn't happen over night. Often it will take three to five weeks before you outwardly notice the difference. Remember the skin is actually very thick and your therapy must start at the inner most layers. Additionally it is a good idea to choose products supplemented with zinc. Zinc deficiencies can cause dry, crusty patches or worsen a pre-existing condition. It has now been shown that many dogs need higher than normal levels of both zinc and fatty acids in their diets for correct skin metabolism. Allergies Allergies
are very common in dogs due to a wide range of environmental factors. Once
an allergy has developed it makes little difference whether an animal is
allergic to something they inhale (such as pollen), something that bites
them (like a flea), or an object they came in physical contact with (such
as carpet fibers). The end result is always the same: the allergy looks like a skin disease.
Skin Disorders When
we see a scratching dog, the first thing we think of is fleas or some
other external parasite. Actually the scratching can be due to any of
countless allergies, a diet deficiency or fungus infection; there are
hundreds of causes of internal disarrangement. Eczema
is a general term for "inflamed skin." Eczema is a condition of
the skin which covers many varieties of non-specific dermatitis, has
hundreds of different causes and includes all types of skin infections. It
is classified into moist and dry. In
dry eczema the skin is dry and scaly in appearance. As in moist eczema, it
is usually itchy. Something oily like lanolin or baby oil rubbed on the
skin might relieve the itchiness, but the origin must be found. One
of the major causes of dry eczema is dietary imbalance - not receiving
enough of the proper foods or too much of one kind and not enough of
another. Some
diets do not have enough fats or oils, for example those limited to some
types of commercial dry dog food, which cause the hair of some dogs to
become dry and dull-looking and then start to shed. The simple addition of
fats or oils to the diet will often correct the dry-eczema condition. Another
cause of dry eczema is hormonal imbalance. Spayed females sometimes get
this type of eczema with itching and shedding. The addition of female
hormones may clear the skin. Eczema is also seen in older dogs. Both male
and female. Usually with the addition of hormones you can help those
animals and relieve their itchy skin. Dry
eczema is also seen when there are certain organic imbalances, such as
under active thyroid glands, kidney disorders, or digestive disturbances.
Certain toxins are released into the blood stream. Another cause is
sometimes (believe it or not) "psychosomatic". Dry eczema some
times occurs when a dog is envious of another dog or pet in the family!
They may take to scratching to gain attention and literally scratch
himself/herself into a bad skin condition Most
causes of hair loss without irritation are hormonal and need veterinary
treatment. If diet "is" the problem, multivitamins and extra oil
"may" stop the problem. Dietary problems can be treated at home, by adding about a spoonful of vegetable oil or bacon grease to their food once a day. If there's no response after a few weeks, the problem may be hormonal and you'll need to see a vet.
Pruritus Pruritus
is the name for itchiness that causes pets to scratch. Several chemical
reactions occur in the skin that stimulates the nerves, causing the brain
to feel the itch. You can treat a scratching pet by attempting to
eliminate these reactions at the source and controlling the body's
response to them as well. Some
of the chemicals involved in itching are prostaglandins, arachodonic acid
(a specialized fatty acid) and leukotreines. By using treatments that
inhibit the action of these factors at the skin level, such as
antihistamines and fatty acid competitors, you can sometimes control the
itching without using corticosteroids such as prednisone (remember to
always consult your veterinarian first). If
you work to control other irritating factors such as fleas, dry skin and
secondary bacterial infections you can also help to reduce the itching. Each
of these steps is very important because pets have an itch threshold. This
is the point where all of the sources of itching finally add up to enough
irritation to cause the irresistible urge to scratch. Just like pain
thresholds, these levels vary from pet to pet. Control of every possible
factor is important to your dog's health and comfort. Pruritus is a complication of many diseases. Only by careful examination, diagnostic tests and sometimes even trial and error can you come to understand what causes the itching in a particular pet and how you can best control it.
Stopping The Itch Cold
water will usually reduce itching and produce temporary relief. It doesn't
really matter how the water is applied, but it must be cool. This effect
doesn't last long, usually less than one-half hour. Using an oatmeal
shampoo, might help to control itching. Sulfer/salicyclic acid shampoos
reduce scaling. Tar containing shampoos reduce itching and oiliness. An
emollient or moisturizer used after shampooing may help restore some
moisture to the skin and also reduces itching. Antihistamines
are useful in the treatment of itching in some dogs. Used alone, about 15
to 25% of dogs will respond to antihistamines. Used in combination with
fatty acid inhibitors, such as DermCaps, EFA-Z and Omega EFA capsules,
about 25 to 40% of dogs will respond, reducing scratching behavior to
acceptable levels. Antihistamines available over-the-counter are: Benadryl Chlortrimeton There are
prescription antihistamines, such as Dogs
have individual reactions to antihistamines. Since some dogs will respond
better to one than another, it is best to try more than one antihistamine
BEFORE giving up on them to control itching! Some pets will become drowsy
when taking antihistamines. If this is unacceptable, they can not be used,
or might be best to use at bedtime. Occasionally a pet will get "excited" when given antihistamines, these pets should NOT be given these products! Antibiotics are used to control skin infections associated with scratching. The itching leads to scratching, which damages the skin. The damaged skin is easier for bacteria to grow in. The bacteria then contribute to the itching, leading to more skin damage. As this cycle progresses, deeper and deeper layers of the skin are affected, sometimes leading to systemic bacterial infections that can even be fatal. Control
of skin infections with antibiotics takes time. The usual defense
mechanisms of the body: fever, white blood cells and antibodies do not
work as well on the skin surface. Antibiotics must do more of the work
alone. Often, antibiotics must be continued for up to eight weeks to
consistently control skin disease. Several antibiotics seem to work
consistently in skin disease. When these antibiotics fail, it is necessary
to culture the skin lesions to identify which antibiotic might be
appropriate in an individual case. Occasionally it is necessary to
continue antibiotic therapy indefinitely to control severe bacterial skin
disease. Some
dogs appear to be unable to prevent penetration of staph (staphylococcus)
bacteria into the skin. These dogs can be benefited by the use of a
product to promote immune responses. Similar to vaccinations (but short
acting), these products help the body learn to fight off staph bacteria.
They are: Staph Lysate,
and Hyposensitization
or allergy shots are used in dogs. Their use in cats is very limited due
to difficulties testing cats accurately for individual allergens. Similar
to their use in people, these injections help many pets, but not all. When itching
can not be adequately controlled by one of the above methods, they usually
use a corticosteroid, such as prednisone. Cortisones are the most
consistently effective anti-itch medications available. They
"do" have several drawbacks, however. Cortisones increase the
amount of water your pet drinks, making it urinate more, too. Sometimes
this becomes a problem. These drugs increase appetite and weight control
can be difficult while using them. If the proper dosage schedules are not
followed there can be long-term side effects such as decrease in bone
density or an increased chance of pancreatitis. Cortisones depress
lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, making it easier for bacterial
infections to occur. Accidental over dosage with these medications or
inappropriate long-term use can lead to medication induced Cushing's
disease, a cause of hair loss, muscle weakness and other problems. For
these reasons, most vets insist on monitoring a pet on cortisones through
follow-up office visits. You may be required to allow examination of your
pet prior to refilling prescriptions for these drugs. In spite of
these side effects, cortisones can be the best drugs to make an extremely
itchy pet comfortable. If they are the only effective drugs for your pet
they may be worth the small risk to an individual pet of side effects.
These drugs are reasonably safe for long term use if given according to
directions. Allowing your pet a good quality of life, by controlling the
itching, is worth the small risk of using prednisone and related
compounds. These are the methods they use to treat pruritus, the itchiness that causes a dog (or cat) to scratch. It may take several tries to work out the proper drug and dosage schedule for your pet, but is worth the effort. REMEMBER:
ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR VETERINARIAN PRIOR TO STARTING ANY TYPE OF
TREATMENT. ONLY YOUR VET KNOWS BEST. Portions
of this information are copyright 1996, 1997 - TierCom, Inc http://www.vetinfo.com/ditch.html |