What are the causes of feline seborrheic dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis can be divided into primary and secondary forms. This disease is a skin inflammation caused by abnormal skin keratinization caused by disorders of skin oil metabolism. In addition to being spontaneous, this disease may also be a symptom caused by other diseases, and it is relatively common among dogs and cats.

Causes

Primary seborrheic dermatitis, no underlying cause. It is breed-specific, and Cocker Spaniels, West Highland White Terriers, German Shepherds (details are introduced), Labradors, and Golden Retrievers are more susceptible to the disease. It usually runs in families. The age of onset is usually between 18 and 24 months, and the disease lasts a lifetime.

The most common underlying causes of secondary seborrheic dermatitis are endocrine disorders and allergies. When a diagnosis cannot be made, palliative care should be used to provide immediate symptom relief.

1. Malnutrition, low-fat food, etc.

2. High temperature and low humidity environment.

3. The body surface is unclean and the hair is not groomed enough.

4. Accompanied by external parasitic parasitism (especially demodicosis, scabies infection and dermatomycosis, etc.).

5. Secondary to or complicated by abnormal hormone secretion (especially gonads), hypothyroidism, chronic liver disease, atopy, malabsorption syndrome and allergies, etc.

Symptoms and diagnostic methods of feline seborrheic dermatitis

There are many causes of seborrheic dermatitis, including improper cleaning, parasitic infection, and disease induction. The symptoms will vary depending on the severity of the disease, and what we have to do is early detection and early treatment.

Symptoms

Clinical manifestations include dry, dull, scaly coat, crusted seborrheic debris, and/or greasy, foul-smelling skin. Between the toes, the perineum, the face, the armpits, the ventral side of the neck, the lower abdomen, and the skin folds, these areas are often severely affected. Itching in animals can range from mild to severe, and otitis externa is common. Secondary infections of the skin and ears with bacteria, Malassezia, are common.

Diagnosis

The first step in diagnosis is to perform superficial cytology to determine the presence, type and amount of bacterial or yeast infection. If large numbers of cocci and neutrophils are present, pyoderma may be present.

After cytology, other diagnostic tests should also be considered, such as multiple deep skin scrapings, fungal culture, tableting, hair examination, and dense combing to check for fleas. If these tests are negative or normal, blood routine, blood biochemistry, urinalysis, etc. should also be performed. Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (may mean renalHyperadrenocorticism (previously treated with steroids), elevated cholesterol (which may indicate hypothyroidism), elevated blood sugar (diabetes), or elevated creatinine or urea nitrogen (which may indicate kidney disease). ​​​​​​

Treatment of feline seborrheic dermatitis

Symptoms caused by seborrheic dermatitis include greasy skin, increased body odor, dry coat, itching, etc. The degree of scratching will vary according to the condition. If the cat is not treated in time after being scratched, it may suffer from Infect. Therefore, when an owner finds that his cat has similar symptoms, it is best to take the cat for examination in time and treat it as soon as possible.

1. Control concurrent and secondary infections. Before determining the primary disease, secondary infections should be treated and symptomatic treatment should be adopted. To treat pyoderma, antibiotics that are sensitive to Staphylococcus aureus are used. Malassezia can be treated with systemic itraconazole. In addition to addressing any secondary infections, anti-itch and bath treatments are often required to help control seborrhea and speed the skin's recovery.

2. Application of adrenocortical hormone preparations: intramuscular or subcutaneous injection of prednisolone 0.1 to 0.5 mg/kg or dexamethasone 0.15 to 0.5 mg/kg. Focinolone ointment, dexamethasone or prenisolone spray can also be used externally.

3. Situations caused by food: Gradually increase the amount of high-grade unsaturated oils and saturated fatty acids (beef, pork and chicken) in food. In addition, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B2 and B6 preparations are used. Dogs with congenital lipid deficiency may be genetically related and should not be used for breeding.

4. Endocrine causes: ① When abnormal gonad function is the cause, castration, removal of ovaries or uterus can sometimes be effective. ② Apply 0.05-0.3 mg of thyroxine powder 1 to 3 times a day until T4 increases to normal. If the skin does not improve after 6 weeks of continuous use, stop taking the medicine.

5. Use bath liquid to clean the skin and coat, promote keratin dissolution, promote keratin production, moisturize, relieve itching, or antibacterial. Bath soap can reduce the total number of bacteria and yeast on the skin surface, reduce scabs and sebum, relieve itching, and also help epidermal renewal and metabolism.