OTHER ACUTE ECZEMAS IN DOGS.
Apart from eczema rubrum, the acute forms have been designated according to their seat and the nature of the attendant eruption.
Acute General Eczema. This may be often traced to various causes of irritation local or general: overfeeding, over-stimulating or spiced food, digestive, hepatic, or urinary disorders, irritant dust or inspissated secretions on the skin, hot seasons, over exertion, cold baths when heated, skin parasites and scratching.
Symptoms. The whole skin, or a portion thereof is the seat of pruritus, causing active scratching and on separating the hairs on the affected parts there is found redness, congestion, and swelling with the formation of papules or vesicles, abraded, or moist surfaces, and scales or crusts. These patches are common on the back, the head, ears, rump, (Caudal eczema), the palpabræ, the lips (eczema labialis), the interdigital space (interdigital eczema), the scrotum, or the anus.
Sometimes the formation of crusts and the loss of hairs is to be noted, sometimes the eruption of large vesicles which burst and discharge a honey like fluid (impetiginous eczema), sometimes blood escapes from the irritated surface and concretes in dark crusts. The vesication and moist exudation is especially common about the head, ears, eyelids, and rump, while bleeding is especially seen around the claws and in the interdigital spaces in connection with running on rough ground, snow or stubble. The impetiginous form often bears a strong resemblance to vesicles caused by a burn with hot water. The treatment of these different forms does not differ materially from that of eczema rubrum, being first dietetic and hygienic, then soothing, and finally stimulating.