Sporting Dogs: Their Points and Management in Health and Disease

by Frank Townend Barton

Eczema—Boils—Herpes—Nettle-rash

ECZEMA

This is a very common complaint, indeed much more so than need be if proper attention were paid to the feeding and exercising of dogs.

That eczema is of a hereditary nature there seems abundant evidence to prove, the progeny of eczematous parents predisposing the offspring to suffer—when the exciting cause comes into play—in a like manner. Derangement of the digestive organs and impaired nerve force must be reckoned as chief amongst such causes.

Sarcoptic mange and certain other parasites are of course capable of producing eczema, but this is chiefly mechanical irritation, ceasing with the destruction of the irritant.

Not so, however, with eczema of a constitutional nature, the irritation requiring internal medication for its subjugation.

Eczema is denoted by the appearance of one or more patches of inflamed skin, and unless checked, the whole of the skin may become inflamed, the hairs broken and shed, reducing the dog to a condition of misery and suffering.

Any portion of the body or extremities are the seats of eruption, but where the parts can be licked or scratched by the dog, the worse the zone of inflammation.

In the moist form of eczema small vesicles appear; the rupture of these and the dessication of their contents, along with scales, hair, etc., forms a scab or crust on the surface.

Many sporting (and other) dogs have a dry form of eczema known as Psoriasis, showing itself upon the points of the elbows and buttocks.