Can a dog have eczema?
Eczema is a term that designates various skin diseases described in human medicine and which does not appear in these terms on veterinary dermatology manuals. In humans, there are two types of eczema:
- chronic eczema, also called atopic eczema,
- contact eczema occurs when the skin reacts locally to an external substance, which is called an allergen.
However, it is possible to draw parallels between human atopic eczema and canine atopic dermatitis, as well as between human contact eczema and contact allergy dermatitis in dogs as the symptoms are similar between the two species.
How does eczema manifest in dogs?
Canine atopic dermatitis
In humans, atopic eczema is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin that results in severe itching, redness of the skin and vesicular lesions followed by crusts as well as dryness of the skin. skin outside the affected areas. The condition is thought to be linked to genetically transmitted immunological and skin barrier abnormalities.
In dogs, the symptoms and causes of canine atopic dermatitis are very similar to those of atopic eczema in humans. In animals, the symptoms consist in particular of a strong pruritus which pushes the animal to bite, lick or scratch itself and the appearance of lesions on the face, the pavilions of the ears, the end of the legs and the belly. . In addition to redness of the skin (erythema), the lesions observed are mainly lesions secondary to scratching.They are manifested by:
- crusts,
- hair loss (alopecia),
- thickening of the skin (lichenification),
- hyperpigmentation of the skin,
- an unpleasant odor on the skin (seborrhoea),
- and sometimes secondary skin infections.
Very frequently (in 2 out of 3 dogs), atopic dermatitis in dogs is also accompanied by bilateral erythemato-ceruminous otitis externa in both ears.
Symptoms of atopic dermatitis most often appear in young dogs, between 1 and 3 years old. There are a very large number of dog breeds predisposed to this skin disorder including the Shar Pei, the Westie or even the French Bulldog (among others).
The symptoms of atopic dermatitis can be confused with other causes of hypersensitivity with cutaneous manifestations such as dermatitis due to flea bite allergy or even food allergy/intolerance or with dermatitis caused by external parasites.
Contact allergy dermatitis
Contact allergy dermatitis can be likened to contact eczema. It is an inflammatory reaction resulting from direct contact with a substance in the environment to which a dog is allergic. In dogs, the substances that are the most allergenic are plastic, rubber, metals (including nickel), cleaning products, cement, certain plants and certain drugs.
The condition gives rise to the appearance of skin lesions at the very place where the skin has been in contact with the allergenic substance.
How to relieve eczema in dogs?
When a dog has canine atopic dermatitis, the treatment is complex and generally combines:
- an identification of the factors that promote flare-ups of the disease (mites, parasites, food) in order to eliminate or reduce them in the dog's environment through appropriate treatments when possible,
- a reduction in pruritus using local and/or general treatments (corticosteroids, antihistamines, ),
- improved skin hygiene and the quality of the skin barrier using shampoos and the administration of essential fatty acids.
Desensitization (or immunotherapy) can also reduce the dog's body's response to allergens and relieve the symptoms of atopic dermatitis.
As for contact allergy dermatitis, the treatment is based on identifying the substance responsible for the allergy in order to completely exclude it from the dog's environment. When eviction is impossible, the veterinarian may resort to the administration of anti-inflammatory drugs and local treatments.