Treatment of skin disease in cats. Pyoderma

Kinds

There are two types of this pathology:

Superficial pyoderma. It spreads to the surface of the skin and reaches the stratum corneum and hair follicle.
Deep. As a rule, it occurs as a complication of the first type. In this case, the infection penetrates deep under the skin and can cause inflammation of fatty tissue and furunculosis.

Pyoderma in cats - the photos confirm this - always does not look very attractive.

Causes

All animals have a certain microflora on the surface of their body. If the pet is in good health, it does not manifest itself in any way. But if the skin is damaged, the bacteria living on it can cause an inflammatory process.

Superficial pyoderma in cats is characterized by infection with Staphylococcus aureus. As a rule, it lives in mucous membranes and gets into wounds during licking or grooming.

The main causes of pathology include:

Weak immunity.
Impaired sebum secretion and seborrhea.
Dermatoses, most often of an allergenic nature, accompanied by itching. The infection develops when scratching wounds.
Features of the coat (excessively thick and long) and skin (presence of folds).
Improper cat care: poor hygiene, frequent bathing, poor diet.

With deep pyoderma, the animal is affected by two types of bacteria: Staphylococcus schleiferi and Staphylococcus pseudointermedius.

The causes of this type of disease include:

Diabetes mellitus, problems with the functioning of the thyroid gland and other endocrine disorders.
Demodecosis.
Flea dermatitis.
Injuries received during a fight.
Use of chemotherapy (cytostatics) and glucocorticosteroids for a long period.

Clinical features

Superficial pyoderma is associated with pruritus, erythema, papules, pustules, collarettes, and multifocal alopecia (especially evident in short-haired breeds). ImpetigoImpetigo (Figure 1) causes nonfollicular pustules with secondary epidermal collars and desquamation in young animals, especially in poorly cared for animals and in adolescent animals.

Bullous impetigo, characterized by large, flabby nonfollicular pustules, is seen in older animals that are immunosuppressed (eg, hypothyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism, diabetes mellitus, and chemotherapy). Impetigo is typically not itchy. FolliculitisFolliculitis (Photo 2) is the most common form of pyoderma.

Papules and pustules are small and associated with hair follicles. Short-haired dogs often exhibit plaque-like hair loss, which falls out leaving small oval patches of alopecia and hyperpigmentation with rings of flaking (Photo 3). Bacterial folliculitis is an uncommon cause of miliary dermatitis in cats.

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Superficial spreading pyoderma Superficial spreading pyoderma (Figure 4) is characterized by the absence of pustules and large, spreading epidermal collars with erythematous, moist anterior margins. Some forms result in large areas of erythema and peeling of the superficial layers of skin, similar to scalded skin syndrome in humans and pigs.

Mucocutaneous pyoderma Mucocutaneous pyoderma occurs in German Shepherds and occasionally in other breeds, causing erythema, exudation, ulceration, and crusting of the lips and other mucocutaneous junctions. It may be mistaken for immune-related diseases or epitheliotropic lymphoma, but, unlike these, it fully responds to antibiotic therapy.

Symptoms

Pyoderma in cats is often confused with other skin pathologies.

The superficial form of the disease is characterized by baldness. The animal's fur looks like it has been eaten by moths. In addition, there are numerous foci of alopecia. The disease is accompanied by multiple papules, pustules, severe itching and a special epidermal collar - a spot with rounded scales.

In some cases, superficial pyoderma in cats spreads over a large area of the skin, which can cause the skin to become wet and peel off. The disease affects the chin and lips, and crusts and ulcers appear in areas of inflammation.

The deep form of pyoderma is characterized by the following symptoms:

Discharge of purulent fluid.
Change in skin color.
Generalized lesion with the appearance of multiple ulcers, ulcers, erosions.
Painful sensations and itching.
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If the infection covers a large surface of the animal's body, there is a risk of developing sepsis.

Clinical signs

Pyoderma is usually divided into 2 types: superficial and deep. With superficial pyoderma, damage to the upper layer of the dermis and hair follicles are observed. In the deep form of pyoderma, the infection affects the deepest layers of the skin, causing furunculosis and inflammation of the fatty tissue.

The main signs of the disease are:

constant incessant itching;
alopecia (baldness of certain areas of the skin);
the appearance of small scales on the surface of the skin;
ulcers on the stomach, paws and face of the cat;
in advanced cases, a hard and dense scab appears.

The deep form of pyoderma is characterized by the appearance of copious purulent discharge, large affected areas, fever, anorexia, and lethargy. In advanced cases, sepsis and death may develop.

How dangerous is the disease for cats?

Having noticed symptoms of pyoderma in cats, treatment and diagnosis should be carried out as quickly as possible. The fact is that pathology not only leads to a sharp decrease in the body’s defenses, but also provokes the development of a large number of concomitant diseases. Constant scratching of wounds is fraught with deep damage to the skin and the appearance of colloidal scars on which hair will no longer grow. If treatment is not started in a timely manner, the cat develops sepsis, which usually leads to the death of the pet.

Many pet owners are interested in whether this disease is contagious to humans. Veterinarians say there is no reason to worry. Pathology develops only in animals with weak immunity or as a secondary disease. Only ringworm is dangerous to humans.

Reasons for the development of the disease

Penetration of pathogenic microorganisms into the epidermis is possible for the following reasons:

development of dermatitis associated with flea bites;
improper care of cats with long hair;
the use of the same tools when processing wool from many animals;
long-term non-healing wound surface (scratch, ulcer, etc.);
Pets are at high risk of developing pyoderma when they suffer from ringworm (trichophytosis). In addition, hereditary pathological disorders in the functioning of the endocrine gland are observed. In this case, the greatest danger is the development of hypothyroidism;
Insufficient intake of Tocopherol and Carotene into the body has a negative effect on the pet’s body, therefore, with an unbalanced diet, the animal may develop factors that provoke pyoderma.

Allergies of various types and demodicosis (damage to the skin by Demodex mites) have a negative effect on the resistance of the cat's body.

There is an opinion among scientists that these mites are the only serious cause of the development of pyoderma not only among animals, but also among all mammals, including humans. However, there are also opponents to this theory.

Diagnostics

Before you learn how to treat pyoderma in a cat, you need to properly diagnose it. It is important to distinguish the pathology from similar diseases: fungal infection, demodicosis, immune-mediated pemphigus and others.

Diagnostics includes the following activities:

Taking a scraping from the skin to identify the fungus.
Cytological examination of skin impressions and exudates to identify pathogenic organisms.
A skin biopsy is mandatory for deep pyoderma in cats, since the infection may be located in its deep layers.
Conducting an antibiotic sensitivity test before starting treatment will help you select the necessary medications.
Blood testing for thyroid hormones, as well as a general analysis to assess the overall health of the pet.
Transillumination with a Wood's lamp to determine fungal spores.
Serological analysis for immunodeficiency virus.

Treatment of pyoderma in cats

All forms of the disease are well treated with antibiotics. For this, Chlorhexidine, Povidone iodine and other disinfectants are used. The surface of the skin is treated with solutions, after which an antibiotic ointment is applied to the affected area: “Fusidic acid”, “Mupirocin”. Before using medications, the animal must be cut, thereby ensuring maximum access to the inflamed area of the skin. This treatment is carried out for a long time: the drugs are discontinued a week after the symptoms disappear.

For small lesions, superficial therapy without the use of systemic antibiotics is sufficient. For large lesions, flora-sensitive drugs are added to local remedies, most often Ronidazole (30 mg/kg once a day), Amoxicillin and Clindamycin (20 mg/kg once a day).

To treat deep pyoderma, injection of medications is required for a course of at least two months. Typically, a regimen of two strong drugs in large dosages is prescribed.

Medicines for treatment:

"Cefadroxyl" - 22 mg/kg once a day.
“Sulfadiazine” – 20 mg/kg every 12 hours (be sure to wear gloves when using)
"Amoxicillin" - 8 mg/kg 2 times a day.
"Erythromycin" - 20 mg/kg every 8 hours.

Treatment with Chlorhexidine during the course is required on a daily basis. You should also clean the affected area of exudate and crusts.

To improve the general well-being of cats, immunostimulating agents (Gamavit) and vitamin and mineral supplements are prescribed.

To speed up recovery, an autovaccine and antistalococcal gamma globulins are used (for infection with Staphylococcus aureus).

How is the treatment carried out?

Treatment of pyoderma should be comprehensive, since only this approach can completely eliminate the inflammatory process. For minor lesions, the duration of therapy lasts at least two weeks, and for a deep form it can take several months. An integrated approach includes the following actions:

Local treatment in the form of daily treatment of the affected areas with chlorhexidine, potassium permanganate solution, iodine. Thanks to this, all crusts, scabs and other abnormal formations are eliminated, and the surface is disinfected. Next, the area is dried and antibacterial ointments, for example, Mupirocin, are applied to it. Before starting the procedures, the hair at the site of inflammation must be shaved with a clipper or trimmed short with scissors.
Oral antibacterial therapy, drugs for which are selected in accordance with test results. The most commonly prescribed injections are Amoxicillin, Erythromycin, and Cefadroxil. For small foci of inflammation, the course lasts about two weeks.
Immunostimulating therapy based on intramuscular injections of Gamavit or Aminovital. It is also recommended to support the cat’s body with oral vitamin and mineral complexes and a balanced diet.

To prevent relapses, external treatment and antibiotics should be continued for another week after the diagnosis is cancelled. Otherwise, inflammation may occur again after a short period of time, but in this case, previously used antibiotics will be ineffective.

Treatment of pyoderma in cats at home

In mild cases of the disease, when there is no need for regular injections, there is no need to keep the animal in the hospital. Therapy can be done at home. It will consist of treating the affected areas with antibacterial ointments and adding vitamin and mineral supplements to the diet. It is important to remember that all medications must be used for another week after signs of infection have disappeared. You should also monitor the spread of the disease by taking tests again at the end of the course.

In any case, when symptoms first appear, you should contact your veterinarian. Self-diagnosing the disease and prescribing treatment can lead to serious consequences (reviews confirm this).

Prevention

To protect your pet from this unpleasant disease, the following rules should be followed:

Treat scratches and wounds in a timely manner.
Treat the animal against fleas and parasites, use anti-flea collars.
Develop a balanced diet for your cat, eliminating potential allergens (soy, seafood, wheat gluten) from food.
Provide proper care for the animal's skin and fur.
Treat fungal infections and dermatitis in a timely manner.
Diagnose endocrine diseases.