SKIN DISORDERS

Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of theend. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.—Sir Winston Churchill

The skin is the largest organ of the body. Skin may account for12–24 percent of a pet's body weight. The skin has many functions,which include being an enclosure barrier, regulating temperature,producing pigment, producing vitamin D, functioning as a sensororgan, growing hair, and stretching and shrinking. The skin organcan be easily damaged, but it has an uncanny ability to repair andmend itself from many different kinds of trauma. At times, the skinneeds help healing, and you need to provide this help to allow yourpet's skin to repair.

I recently repaired a severe burn on the back of a small breed ofdog that will look like new without a visible scar due to the uniquereparability of the skin. This organ has hair that gives color to the pet.Unfortunately, a lack of attention to our pet's skin issues can result inmajor dermatologic problems. In this chapter, we will address manyskin issues as well as others that normally can be prevented withsimple attentiveness to such things as crustiness, scaling, nodules, hairloss, nonhealing wounds, excessive scratching at the skin, and otherproblems that can occur to the largest organ of the body.

YOUR PET, YOUR CHILDREN, YOU, AND MRSA

What the heck is MRSA? Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus(MRSA) is often called by its acronym and is pronounced "murr-sir"for short or just called staph. Methicillin is a penicillin salt used to treatbacterial infections. Staphylococci can also be found on the skin, inskin glands, in the nasal passages—and other mucous membranes ofwarm-blooded animals—and in a variety of food products.

MRSA is most commonly found in the nose or nasal passages andaround the anus of dogs and cats. However, it can be found in otherareas too. I read about a cat that had MRSA on its toes, up its neck,and into its ears. Staphylococci can cause infections of tissue cells ofthe gums, heart, lungs, bones, and in wounds and open sores. Justabout any part of the body can become infected by this and manyother organisms.

The problem is not just MRSA; organisms such as Streptococcipseudintermedius (MRSP) can become resistant to bacteria. Petscommonly carry MRSP or streptococcus infections, and humans tendto carry MRSA. Streptococcus infections tend to be found in openwounds and recent surgery sites as well as the nose and around theanus. Resistance is most often caused by prolonged use of antibioticsworking on fast-developing bacteria that sets the stage for bacterialresistance. All animals have bacteria on their bodies; most of the time,this bacteria is in check between the different species that live on thebody. Bacteria are one-celled organisms that can reproduce rapidlyand develop resistance from mutations that occur quickly.

If your pet/pets have any antibiotic-resistant bug, is it a risk toyour children and to you? Most would say that getting a resistant bugfrom a pet is very uncommon, but it can, does, and has happened. Ifyou have a bacterial-resistant bacterium on your pet, you should seekthe advice of your family physician and let your physician help youwith this problem as it relates to your children and you. Certainly ifany family member obtains an infection of any kind and you knowthat your pet/pets have a drug-resistant infection, you need to makeyour family physician aware of the situation. This information willhelp your physician. The young are more apt to obtain an infectionfrom a bacteria-resistant pet since they play with the pet and may bekissing the pet or touching areas where they should not touch, suchas the nose or the anal areas of pets. Many people kiss their pets, andany pet with a bacterial-resistant infection should not be kissed untilit has healed.

TREATMENT

This type of infection should be under the direct guidance andtreatment plan of your pet's veterinarian. It has the potential to bedangerous to family members. However, it is thought that transmissionfrom pets to people is rare. If the rare infection happens to be one ofyour family members, it could be serious—and possibly fatal.

PREVENTION

The best way to prevent this condition is to have a good wellnessplan and have health checks at least two times per year. If diseaseconditions are noted at these checkups—and if diseases are present orcaught in early stages—further development can often be prevented.This saves big bucks in the long run since a healthy pet is cheaper thanone being treated for any health condition.

PET GROOMING

Many cats and dogs with long hair are not groomed properly and havemats on the body that allow for skin infections, flea infestations, anddirt and grime accumulations. The issue of grooming is a day-to-daycommitment for the pet owner. Merely brushing the pet daily willkeep the mats away. However, unlike an apple a day will keep thedoctor away, it is not so when it comes to pet grooming. My personalexperience with brushing a cat is that the cat loves it and purrs allthe time it is being brushed. The cat actually shows up on time to begroomed every evening about shower time.

There is an instrument called a FURminator that is an excellenttool for ridding the pet of dead hairs in the body coat. The FURminatorcan be purchased online or at pet stores. By using the FURminator,many dead hairs are removed. With the use of the FURminator, youensure that there will never be hair mats on your pet. You have to usethe FURminator. You cannot purchase it and let it sit on a shelf andexpect the pet not to have hair mats.

The coat of any furry animal has three types of hair: anagen (newhairs), catagen (middle-age hairs or between the anagen and telogenhairs), and telogen (resting or dead hairs). The telogen hairs are oftenleft on tables and chairs when a pet gets nervous or scared. Telogenhairs are released due to the so-called erector pili muscles contractingwhen the pet is excited or frightened.

PREVENTION

Grooming prevents clumping of hair and prevents lameness due tofoot issues caused by matted hair on the feet and between the toes. Itprevents dirt and grime accumulation under hair mats, which oftenresult in skin infections. Prevent skin infections by grooming yourpet, which shows your pride in the pet—and the pet looks so muchbetter.

HAIR LOSS OR MATTING ON THETAIL OF CATS AND DOGS

Many cats and dogs will start to lose the hair on the top side of thetail or so-called dorsal side of the tail. Normally this...