Shingles in pets

Shingles (or dermatophytosis) is a group of fungal diseases, the causative agents of which primarily affect tissues with a horny layer (hair, claws, epidermis). When an animal's immunity is weakened, dermatophyte fungi attack deep-lying cells. The disease is easily transmitted to other animals and humans.

Methods of transmission and risk factors

The causative agents of lichen planus in cats and dogs are most often fungi belonging to three genera:

Microsporum;

Trichophyton;

Epidermophyton.

Their spores are characterised by high viability. In the external environment, it persists for 12-20 years, in the affected hair - up to 5 years.

Many owners think that if the cat does not go outdoors, it can not get sick. This is not the case. There are several routes of transmission of shingles:

from a sick animal to a healthy animal;

through contact between the owner and the sick animal;

by sharing grooming items with an infected animal.

Attention: all fungi are contagious, but not every pet gets sick from contact with them!

The provoking factors are:

young (under a year old) or old age of the animal;

presence of malignant neoplasms;

endocrine pathologies;

course administration of immune-suppressing drugs (e.g. glucocorticosteroids);

viral diseases;

autoimmune disorders;

improper nutrition;

pregnancy, lactation;

lack of protein, vitamin A in the diet;

skin damage.

An adult healthy animal with strong immunity, as a rule, does not get sick with lichen, but can act as a carrier of spores.

Symptoms of the disease

The symptoms of dermatophytosis vary. Many owners miss the onset of the disease because the behaviour of the dog or cat does not change in any way. Itching occurs, but not always. The most characteristic sign is foci of alopecia (baldness) of rounded shape with clear boundaries. In some cases, lint may break off a few millimetres from the surface of the skin.

Other possible symptoms include:

Comedones;

skin inflammation;

seborrhoea;

flaking, crusting;

rashes;

wet patches;

fever;

oppression;

furunculosis;

inflammation of hair follicles (usually on the chin);

local hyperpigmentation;

pseudomycetoma (a nodule under the skin with a protruding sores) - often seen in Persian cats.
The spread of the fungus usually starts from the muzzle, paws (area between the toes), and the base of the tail. In the latent form of lichen planus, individual tufts may be affected. The typical picture of the disease is usually seen in puppies or kittens. The disease must be differentiated from other pathologies with similar symptomatology.



Diagnosis of lichiasis is carried out by several methods:

Wood's lamp luminescent examination. This study is the simplest, but it is not reliable enough, because only 50% of possible strains give glow;

trichoscopy - microscopic examination of hairs. Its negative result is also not a reason to completely rule out the disease;

seeding for dermatophytes is recognised as the most informative way of diagnosis, but the analysis takes from 10 to 21 days. It allows not only to establish the presence of fungus, but also to determine its species.

At the moment, tests for the detection of dermatophytes by PCR have been developed, but they have not yet become widespread.

Treatment methods for shingles

If the diagnosis is confirmed, the pet should be placed in quarantine, isolated from other animals, small children, elderly family members. Disinfect all objects and surfaces with which the cat or dog may have come into contact. Solid objects should be washed with chlorine (ratio of substance to liquid 1:10) or 3% chlorhexidine solution. Fabric items should be boiled with the addition of bleach. Care items (toys, scratching posts, collars, laying beds, etc.) will also have to be treated or replaced.
For the treatment of pets use antifungal drugs of internal and external action. A solution for external use Fungin forte from the company Apicenna has proven itself. It has a pronounced antimicrobial action, effective even in severe fungal lesions. The means quickly relieves pain, swelling, inflammation, heals the traces of scabs, and also reliably prevents the spread of the disease by blocking the transmission of fungal spores.

 Attention: any antifungal medication should be used only when prescribed by a veterinarian!

The use of preparations should be continued even after the disappearance of external manifestations of the disease. Two negative cultures for dermatophytes are proof of recovery. The owners should prepare for the fact that the treatment will be long (at least 2-3 months).

Self-treatment, the use of folk remedies for lichen is dangerous and ineffective. To prevent infection, it is necessary to prevent contact of a domestic dog or cat with stray animals, to observe hygienic rules, to provide the pet with a nutritious diet.