Lichen in dogs: symptoms, varieties and home treatment

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Dogs are often exposed to various skin diseases: allergies, dermatitis, mites. The most common is lichen. This is one of the skin ailments of dogs, which is called dermatophytosis. This disease develops due to fungi and other pathogenic microorganisms.

Methods of disease transmission

A dog can become infected with lichen during a walk when in contact with a sick dog, as well as if a brush or comb of a sick animal was used. Some animals may not get lichen, but be its carriers. A dog can get infected almost anywhere. It is important to consider that lichen pathogens are very tenacious, some fungi can live in natural conditions for up to 18 months.

Some types of lichen in dogs can be very dangerous to humans. Several varieties of lichen are known, so in order to cure lichen in a pet as quickly as possible, you need to determine the type of disease. Since lichen is transmitted from a dog to other animals and even to humans, treatment should begin as soon as possible. To begin with, we will consider the general signs of this disease, learn how to determine its type, and then find out what measures should be taken to combat this.unpleasant illness at home.

What does lichen look like in dogs

It is not difficult to identify lichen, but most owners notice this disease only when the skin is already marked with spots with fallen hair. The first signs of depriving are not so easy to determine, it is a barely noticeable rash on the skin. In most cases, lichen in dogs appears on the nose, on the muzzle, in the ears and on the tail. Here are the usual symptoms of lichen: rash, spots on the skin, hair loss at the site of the rash, and crusting. Next, consider each type of lichen, because each of them manifests itself in different ways.

Diagnosis

The causes of lichen in dogs are different, so the types of lichen are also different. Some symptoms may vary, such as the color of the spots, their size and nature. The treatment is also not the same. To cure a pet as soon as possible, you must first determine the type of lichen, and only then choose the treatment.

Lichen in dogs: signs and treatment

Pityriasis rosea

This is the most harmless type of lichen that causes a fungus. Such a lichen does not even have to be treated, it goes away on its own in 5-6 weeks. It differs in the formation of round pink spots, which itch a lot, and then peel off. To quickly eliminate symptoms, it is simply necessary to avoid water procedures and walk your pet in the shade. In extreme cases, you can wipe the affected areas with apple cider vinegar.

Sheared lichen in dogs, treatment

This is a dangerous skin disease caused by a fungus. This kinddepriving quickly attacks the body of the animal. At the beginning, oval spots appear about two centimeters in diameter, later the hair in these places disappears, and the skin becomes covered with scales. The dog needs urgent treatment. The scalp and ears are most affected.

Pityriasis versicolor

This disease, like ringworm, is caused by a fungus. Pityriasis versicolor is the most common type of the disease. A small pinkish spot appears on the skin of the animal, without inflammation. The site of the lesion varies in color from yellow to brown. Most often, spots appear on the neck, back and paws.

Weeping lichen

This is an inflammation of the skin, the second name of which is eczema. This is a kind of allergy, so it is not transmitted to other animals or humans. In areas with a rash, swelling appears, then burning and itching appear. There may be redness, vesicles, crusts, cracks and spots in color from pink to bluish.

Shingles

There is a lichen caused by the herpes virus. First, the animal develops itching in the intercostal space and abdomen, sometimes on the back and paws. After that, bubbles with liquid form, which burst over time and, drying out, overgrown with a crust.

Lichen in dogs: symptoms and how to treat

Pityriasis rosea can be cured on its own at home with folk remedies. To treat ringworm, you will have to use ointments and antifungal drugs. If the ointment can be purchased withoutconsulting a doctor, then it is better to purchase an antifungal agent after examining a veterinarian. It is important to know that lichen should be treated immediately after it is detected, otherwise terrible and irreparable consequences are possible. If you suspect a disease, it is best to take the animal to a veterinarian who will accurately determine the type of lichen and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Folk remedies

Lichen itself is not dangerous, but since the dog is constantly trying to comb it, there is a possibility of damage to the skin and infection. And this, in turn, can lead to more serious consequences. For the treatment of lichen, there are folk remedies. For example, some experts advise treating lichen-affected areas of the skin with apple cider vinegar 4-6 times a day. Vinegar can be replaced with freshly squeezed cranberry juice, this method is also quite effective.

Treatment at home

Now let's look at how to treat lichen in dogs at home. Perhaps our tips can help. First, you need to cut off all the hair in and around the affected area. Next, you need to make a warm soapy solution and treat the crusts on the skin with it until they soften, then you need to carefully remove them and treat the spots with iodine or brilliant green. This procedure requires repetition every two days. If there is neither iodine nor brilliant green at home, instead of them it is allowed to use sulfuric ointment or even antifungal agents intended for human treatment. Then you should carefully read the instructions to knowthe frequency of the procedure. Removed crusts and trimmed wool must be burned, and the site of lichen treatment must be thoroughly disinfected.

Ointment from lichen

If you don't know the remedies that can be used to treat lichen, we present you with a list of possible remedies:

1. Sulfur ointment;
2. "Ointment Yang";
3. "Miconazole";
4. "Clotrimazole";
5. "Thiabendazole".

You need to treat lichen with ointment 2-3 times a day, applying it with a thin layer to the site of the lesion and to the skin surrounding it. Such ointments are usually used for small lesions of the skin. When the presence of bald patches is noticeable on the skin, Clotrimazole, Exoderil or Miconazole are prescribed. In this case, it is very important to cut the hair. It is necessary to ensure that the animal does not lick the ointment, so it is important to purchase a special protective collar.

Sometimes a solution of "Clotrimazole", salicylic acid or iodine solution is prescribed for processing. But they must be taken carefully and as prescribed by a doctor, as they can cause tissue necrosis, which will complicate the treatment process.

Shampoo

But it happens that there are quite a lot of bald patches or they are not at all, but the wool climbs in tufts. Then a special shampoo for lichen is used, for example, Keto Plus. There is an instruction manual on the packaging with detailed information on the frequency of use. It needs to be read carefully. Typically, these shampoos are used 3-5 times with a break of twoday. It is necessary to completely rinse the foam with plenty of water, because if the product enters the dog's stomach, serious poisoning can occur.

If the animal's hair is shaved, then you need to purchase overalls for walking, because being outside without hair leads to hypothermia and a significant decrease in immunity.

Other drugs

• It is possible to prescribe tablets for large skin lesions, and also if the fungus has not responded to ointments and other drugs. Usually, specialists prescribe Fluconazole, Griseofulvin, Ketoconazole or Intraconazole. Together with the pills, hepatoprotectors are prescribed, special preparations that protect the animal's liver from the side effects of drugs.
• Immunomodulators will not be superfluous in the treatment of lichen in dogs. If a dog has caught lichen, it means that her body is currently weakened and most susceptible to all kinds of diseases, so her immunity needs help.
• Antibiotics. A secondary infection that is picked up due to a weakened immune system needs treatment, so antibiotics are prescribed in such cases. Without the use of antibiotics, lichen contributes to the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms, such as staphylococci and streptococci, as a result of which the wounds fester, an inflammatory process develops. Then the treatment becomes useless and the animal's condition worsens even more. Only a veterinarian can prescribe antibiotics, in serious cases you should not self-medicate.
• Vaccination. It's ambiguousmethod of treatment, more prophylactic. This is due to the fact that at this time there are no unambiguous drugs for the treatment of lichen. All vaccines are experimental methods. Many dog owners refuse to vaccinate because the dog does not tolerate them well, and the pathogen becomes more resistant to the drugs. Therefore, it is not recommended to vaccinate a dog in the early stages of the disease.

Precautions at home

It is important to consider that there is a certain risk group that is more susceptible to this disease than others. This group includes puppies, old animals and animals that have suffered any disease, which means they have weakened immunity. It is imperative to isolate a sick animal from children, the elderly, and people who have reduced immunity, as well as other pets. All family members must follow the rules of personal hygiene. In the room where the sick animal is located, regular wet cleaning with disinfectants and ventilation of the room should be carried out. It is important to disinfect all items that a sick dog comes into contact with. Make sure that the dog does not scratch or lick the treated areas, for this you can wrap the areas with gauze, bandage or purchase a special protective collar. It is necessary to introduce nutritional supplements and vitamins into the diet of the animal - this will help strengthen the immune system.

Prevention

Anythe disease is easier to prevent in advance than to spend time, effort and money on medications. To do this, you just need to remember the rules of prevention and safety.

The basic rules for preventive measures are:

• Daily you need to carry out wet cleaning with the use of disinfectants, regularly ventilate.
• Regular water procedures for the pet, including washing the paws after each walk.
• Do not allow the dog to come into contact with infected and stray animals.
• Provide a he althy diet for your dog with added vitamins and essential trace elements.
• Keep your dog hygienically in the living quarters, provide him with his own sleeping place, brush regularly with specialized dog brushes.
• Carry out preventive measures to treat the animal from skin parasites (special drops, flea and tick collars).

Timely anti-infective vaccination with a mark in the animal's passport is considered an effective preventive measure. Such vaccinations can save the animal from the appearance of lichen. After such vaccination, the dog's he alth and general condition may worsen, but such a reaction is considered normal. When the ailments pass, the dog's immunity will increase significantly.

Other recommendations

If the dog just got better, you need to undergo a full course of treatment. After the treatment of the animal is completed, two analyzes are made with a break of a week. But onlyif these tests turn out to be good, then the animal can be considered he althy.