Parasitic diseases characteristic of the spring period. Part 1

In the spring, the likelihood of contracting parasitic diseases increases even for animals that never leave the house. Animal Clinic specialists told us about these dangers, their signs and how to protect yourself from them.

Flea dermatitis

With the onset of spring, fleas become more active. They can be found not only on the street, but also in the entrance, from where they get into a person's home on their shoes or clothes. These insects are carriers of various diseases. In particular, they can cause flea dermatitis in animals. It is an allergic reaction to chemical compounds contained in flea saliva. The most common symptoms are the following:

• Itching.
• Dryness, redness, baldness of the skin at the bite sites.
• Rashes and skin lesions.
• Irritability of the animal.
• Poor appetite.
• Torn skin in the affected areas.
• Fragility and hair loss.

Drops on the withers and a collar soaked in a special solution will help protect against fleas. If the problem has already befallen the pet, you should try a mild shampoo or tablets for very affected skin so as not to affect it.

Ailments caused by scabies mites

Scabies mites can live in the environment for up to three weeks at low temperatures and high humidity. Therefore, it is quite natural that in the spring, animals often suffer from diseases caused by the penetration of the skin and the vital activity of these microscopic life forms:

• Sarcoplasmosis. It affects mainly dogs, cats - very rarely. Typical manifestations are lesions of the most hairless areas of the skin (groin, edges of the ears, elbow and hock joints, abdomen). At first, rashes appear, followed by scratched and bald areas. If left untreated, the affected area expands, and you may notice a general deterioration in the animal's health, weight loss, and swollen lymph nodes.
• Notoedrosis. The pathogen breeds only on cats, but dogs, rodents, and humans can become infected. The characteristic symptoms are itching, blisters, and crusts on the skin, which first appear on the head, then on the neck, forelimbs, and (rarely) hindlimbs. If left untreated, the cat may develop purulent conjunctivitis, swollen eyelids, and narrowed nostrils with difficulty breathing.
• Demodicosis. These mites multiply in the hair follicles and sebaceous glands of the skin, destroying the epithelial cells of the follicles. Cats and dogs are affected by different types of these mites. The disease is accompanied by skin redness, localized hair loss and seborrhea.

Preventive measures include acaricidal sprays, collars and shampoos, and general immune system strengthening, such as vitamin supplements. The appearance of unusual skin manifestations is a reason to visit a veterinarian-dermatologist at Animal Clinic.