Damage (trauma) to tissues. Soft tissue sarcomas in dogs and cats Tissue necrosis in dogs treatment

Necrosis can be direct (direct destruction by a traumatic factor) or indirect (due to disruption of tissue nutrition).

Why does a dog have necrosis?

The reason that soft tissue necrosis in a dog can be trauma, wound, electric shock, exposure to high or low temperatures, chemical reagents (acids, alkalis). With indirect necrosis, there is a disruption in the supply of oxygen and nutrients to cells and tissues as a result of prolonged pressure, compression, pinching, spasm of blood vessels and nerves, and thrombosis.

Necrosis is almost always accompanied by pathogens that cause necrotic infections. Necrosis of soft tissues includes: heart attack, gangrene, bedsores, dry and wet (appearance of pus) necrosis. The speed and degree of spread of dead cells depend on the duration of mechanical action, the infection that has occurred, as well as the anatomical features of the damaged organ.

Symptoms: swelling, inflammation, pain reaction, discharge of pus, discoloration of the damaged area of ​​skin or limb, appearance of blisters, unpleasant odor from the wound. Subsequently, poisoning of the entire body occurs, which is accompanied by an increase in body temperature and weakness of the animal. If proper assistance is not provided, the dog will die.

Treatment

Treatment is carried out comprehensively: necrotic tissues and organs are surgically removed, and immunostimulants and drugs that have regenerative properties are prescribed in parallel. Painkillers and antibiotic therapy are also used. Surgically, necrotomy (dissection of necrosis), necrectomy (removal or amputation) can be performed.

Necrotomy is performed for necrosis that covers a large area, in particular on the limbs and chest. During this manipulation, necrotic tissue is cut into living tissue, due to which oxygen access is restored to it and nutrition is improved. Necrectomy is carried out within viable tissue after the boundaries of dead tissue are clearly defined. After removing the necrotic tissue, sutures are applied. Amputation of a limb or part of it is carried out only if necessary to ensure that the infection does not spread further and the animal does not die.

Since minor injuries - punctures, bruises, bites - can cause such a serious disease as necrosis, you need to carefully monitor your four-fingered friend, especially while walking. In the postoperative period, it is necessary to follow the rules of hygiene to prevent secondary infection. If dangerous symptoms appear, consult a specialist as soon as possible.

Without medical attention, the dog dies. The rate of development of necrosis depends on how long the mechanical impact on the tissue and further exposure to infection lasted, as well as on the anatomical features of the organ that is affected by necrosis.

Treatment

When treating necrosis, surgery cannot be avoided. Dead tissue and organs must be removed. There are two types of operations:

1. necrotomy (cutting through necrosis to remove dead soft tissue)
2. necrectomy (amputation or removal of a dead organ).

Necrotomy is performed for extensive necrosis, most often on the chest and limbs. During this manipulation, necrotic tissue is cut down to living tissue. This improves her nutrition and restores her access to oxygen.

Necrectomy is performed to prevent the infection from spreading further, that is, to save the life of the animal. In addition, treatment is carried out as a whole complex. In addition to surgical procedures, therapy is also used.

As a rule, drugs that have regenerative properties and immunostimulants are prescribed. After surgery, antibiotics and painkillers are used. In case of bone necrosis after surgery, antibiotics are prescribed, which are administered by intraosseous injection.

Disease prevention

Often the cause of such a serious illness is quite minor injuries: bruises, injections, bites.

Therefore, in order to prevent tragic consequences, it is necessary to closely monitor the dog, especially during games and on walks. Inspect all bruises, treat the slightest wounds with antiseptics, always show more serious wounds to a veterinarian, monitor bandages, and do not let the dog lick.

If an animal has undergone any surgery, it is necessary to strictly follow all hygiene rules so that neither primary nor secondary infection occurs. If the described symptoms of necrosis appear, you should consult a specialist as soon as possible.

Most often, in the practice of the average veterinarian, various types of inflammatory processes are encountered. These pathologies are very dangerous in themselves, as they cause a strong pain reaction and intoxication of the animal’s body. But they are also fraught with more dangerous and serious pathologies. Take, for example, necrosis: it occurs quite often in dogs, and may well lead to amputation of limbs or even death. Of course, this does not always happen, but still, dog owners should always be on alert in order to recognize the dangerous symptoms of this disease in time.

Necros translates as “dead”, “non-living”. Actually, this is the essence of this pathology: cells (or a whole group of them) begin to die en masse. The overall performance of the body is often preserved, but the animal’s well-being is still far from ideal.

Causes

Firstly, its development is often facilitated by negative environmental factors. Thus, necrosis of the auricle is almost always associated with frostbite. This is especially common in smooth-haired dogs of “compact” sizes, for which, in principle, any hypothermia can end very badly. The same necrosis of the tongue in dogs can be associated with the actions of careless owners who feed their pet excessively hot food. Any grass is also dangerous. Thus, tail necrosis very often occurs in dogs of fighting breeds, for which this.

Read also: Streptoderma or skin inflammation in dogs (symptoms and treatment)

Chemicals are also bad for the health of the animal. For example, skin necrosis in a dog is often caused by exposure to some aggressive chemical reagent. The same bleach, for example. In general, in order to better understand the general etiology of the process, it will be useful to look at the basic classification of negative factors.

Since any pathology of this type can be treated only by knowing its cause, they are extremely important:

• Physical impact. This includes high and low temperatures, radiation, UV radiation, and various wounds, which cause tissue necrosis in the dog.

• Chemical. Various aggressive reagents (acids, alkalis), as well as medications. Thus, necrosis of a dog’s ear may well be due to the actions of the owners, who, having decided to “clean the ears” of their dog, poured a couple of glasses of boric alcohol into it. An exaggeration, of course, but that’s the general picture.

• Infectious. One of the most common types. For example, necrosis of a dog’s hearing organ is caused by the actions of a horde of numerous ear mites: they cause constant irritation and inflammation of the ear tissues, and later all this is complicated by the invasion of pathogenic microflora. It’s much worse if microorganisms infect internal organs and tissues. Thus, asphyxial necrosis of the femoral head (more precisely, aseptic) often occurs in old dogs with a reduced immune status. In this case, the femur literally rots, causing terrible pain. In the photo, such dogs look like “living corpses”, as they literally “shrink” from pain.

• Allergic factor. It is allergens that in some cases cause necrosis of the pancreas. This happens when a dog is fed low-quality food of dubious origin for a long time.

• Vascular damage. If, due to some pathogenic factor (thrombus), a large, important vessel (coronary artery) fails, the dog dies immediately. If the vessel is not too important, the matter ends in local defeat. An ideal example is tail necrosis, which is often also caused by frostbite.

Necrosis is the cessation of vital activity of cells, organs or tissues, which does not have a reverse effect. That is, in other words, the tissues of a still functioning human body or animal disintegrate. Unfortunately, in our modern world this phenomenon occurs quite often.

Causes

Why do entire sections of a living organism begin to die off and what are the prerequisites for the development of such processes? In general terms, gangrene begins in those places where blood circulation is impaired. There are the following causes of necrosis:

The death of individual areas may occur as a result of the development of certain diseases. For example, diabetes mellitus is often the cause of this pathology. In addition, gangrene may occur due to damage to large nerves or the spinal cord.

Types of disease

Depending on the mechanism of occurrence, the pathology is classified into the following types:

Experts also distinguish two more types of necrosis.

Liquation (wet) necrosis

Along with the necrosis of the areas, their swelling is observed.

Coagulative (dry) necrosis

Tissue necrosis is accompanied by complete dehydration. The disease most often develops in areas rich in proteins but depleted in fluids. For example, pathology can affect cells of the liver, spleen or adrenal glands, where poor blood circulation and oxygen deficiency are most often observed.

Types of coagulative necrosis

There are the following types of dry necrosis:

Symptoms

The disease may be accompanied by the following symptoms:

Stages of the disease

The course of the disease occurs in several stages, of which the following are distinguished:

Diagnostics

Unfortunately, at the initial stage, necrosis is almost impossible to detect. X-ray examination can show the presence of pathology only at 2-3 stages of pathology development. Today, only computer and magnetic resonance imaging devices and allow us to identify changes that have begun in tissues, which allows us to begin solving the problem in a timely manner.

Consequences of the disease

If adequate and timely treatment is not carried out, the consequences of necrosis may be as follows:

Treatment of soft tissue skin necrosis

Treatment of pathology is determined by factors such as the causes of the disease, its type, and the degree of tissue damage. It is very important to identify the disease in the initial stages and begin treatment as soon as possible, otherwise serious complications may occur, including death.

Bedsores

Bedsores occur due to poor quality patient care. In such cases, the following measures must be taken:

Dry necrosis

Treatment is carried out in two stages.

The first is drying the tissues and taking measures to prevent further development of the disease. The skin around the affected area is treated with an antiseptic. Then a bandage pre-soaked in boric acid, chlorhexidine or ethyl alcohol is applied to the site of inflammation. The area affected by necrosis must be dried. For this, use ordinary brilliant green or a manganese solution (5%).

The next stage involves excision of atrophied tissue.

Before starting treatment for necrosis, it is necessary to get rid of the cause that caused it, then take measures aimed at restoring blood circulation in the affected areas. In addition, the patient is prescribed antibacterial therapy in order to avoid infection of soft tissues with a bacterial infection, which can be fatal.

Wet necrosis

Treatment of wet necrosis soft tissues or skin is determined by the degree of damage to diseased areas. At the initial stages, specialists try to convert wet necrosis into a dry form. If their actions do not bring the desired results, a decision is made on surgical intervention.

Local treatment of wet necrosis

To do this, the following steps are taken:

General treatment of wet necrosis

Wet skin necrosis after surgery or in other cases, they are treated using the following methods:

• Vascular therapy. Specialists are taking measures to restore blood supply to the affected tissues.
• Antibacterial therapy. The patient is given antibiotics through a vein or artery.
• Detoxification therapy. It is performed to prevent infection of living areas of soft tissue located near the lesions.

Surgery

If there is no effect from the drug therapy, surgery is prescribed. In such a situation, this is the only chance to save the patient’s life. Surgical treatment includes the following stages:

Folk remedies

Necrosis is a rather serious disease, so at the slightest suspicion you should immediately consult a doctor. If this is not possible, you can try to provide the patient with first aid using traditional medicine.

But at the first opportunity the patient must be taken to the hospital!

Bedsores can be dealt with in the following ways:

Soft tissue necrosis, no matter what it is caused by, is a rather serious and dangerous disease, which, in the absence of proper treatment, can result in the death of the patient. Therefore, you should not hope that everything will go away on its own, like a runny nose, or that you will be able to get rid of necrosis on your own. The first signs of pathology should serve as a signal to contact a specialist, otherwise the consequences can be very sad.

Attention, TODAY only!

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic natural focal infectious disease of wild and domestic animals, including dogs and humans, characterized by fever, anemia, jaundice, hemoglobinuria, necrosis of the mucous membranes and skin, atony of the gastrointestinal tract, abortion and the birth of a non-viable litter.

Pathogen- Leptospira, occupying an intermediate position between bacteria and protozoa. Pathogenic Leptospira are represented by 202 serovars. Leptospira is the most common cause of the disease in dogs. icterohemorrhagia and canicola, which also cause leptospirosis in humans. In Russia, dogs take first place among other animals in terms of infection with leptospira (up to 20%).

Leptospira, being aquatic organisms, can survive in the water of rivers, lakes, and stagnant reservoirs for up to 200 days, while at the same time, the resistance of leptospira to environmental factors is low: the sun's rays inactivate them within 2 hours, at a temperature of 76-96 oC they die instantly , however, at a temperature of minus 70°C they live for seven years; in the urine of animals and rodents they remain for up to 4-7 days, in milk for 8-24 hours. Leptospira are sensitive to the effects of conventional disinfectants (1% caustic soda solution kills instantly).

Epizootological data. Under natural conditions, among other animal species, dogs are most often affected, regardless of breed and age, but young dogs and puppies are more susceptible to this disease and it occurs in them in a more severe form than in adult dogs. Reservoir and source leptospirosis are sick and recovered animals that excrete Leptospira into the external environment with urine, feces, milk, semen with discharge from the nose and genitals. In populated areas, especially in megacities, stray dogs, cats and rodents (mice and rats) serve as carriers of leptospirosis. Leptospirosis carriage in recovered animals is very long: in dogs up to 3-4 years, in cats - 199 days, in foxes - up to 514 days. Particularly dangerous is the fact that rodents are lifelong carriers of Leptospira.

Transmission factors The causative agent of infection in leptospirosis in dogs is water bodies contaminated with the urine of sick animals. Infection of healthy dogs occurs through food, water, bedding, soil, etc., which are already infected with the secretions of sick animals and leptospiron carriers; when eating the corpses of leptospiron-carrying rodents. Leptospires have the ability to penetrate a dog’s body through damaged skin (wounds, bites, cuts, scratches), mucous membranes of the nasal and oral cavities, eyes, gastrointestinal tract and genital tract. Puppies can become infected through milk from a sick bitch, as well as in utero. Leptospirosis in dogs is most often recorded in the summer-autumn period. The disease, as in other animals, manifests itself in in the form of sporadic cases or as an enzootic.

The incubation period for leptospirosis in dogs (depending on the resistance of the dog’s body, the degree of virulence, the magnitude of the infectious dose and the leptospira serogroup) ranges from 2 to 12 days.

Pathogenesis. Leptospira, having entered the dog’s body through damaged skin or mucous membranes, is carried through the bloodstream and concentrated in organs rich in reticuloendothelial elements (liver, kidneys, lungs), where they multiply intensively within 2-12 days (duration of the incubation period). Having accumulated to a certain amount and destroyed the cellular elements that held them back in places of localization, leptospires enter the systemic circulation and, continuing to multiply in the blood, are carried by it to all organs and tissues. The reproduction of leptospira in the blood leads to a sharp increase in the dog’s body temperature, which lasts as long as the leptospira are in the blood.

The dog’s body, in response to the action of Leptospira, begins to produce antibodies: agglutinins and lysines, which by the 4-5th day of the disease appear in sufficient quantities. Lysines begin to massively destroy Leptospira that has entered the dog's body, which leads to the release of endotoxins. The released endotoxins begin to destroy red blood cells. Due to the massive destruction of red blood cells, the dog develops anemia, a large amount of hemoglobin accumulates in the blood, which the liver is unable to process into the bile pigment bilirubin. Compensatory mechanisms begin to enter into the process: the pigment is formed by RES cells in various tissues, bilirubin does not pass through the liver and, being adsorbed by tissues, causes jaundice.

With good resistance of the dog's body, an increase in the amount of antibodies in the blood, reaching its highest concentration from the 6th to the 10th day of illness, is accompanied by the gradual destruction of leptospira in all organs and tissues, except the kidneys. In the kidneys of leptospira after clinical recovery, dogs can multiply for a long time and be excreted from the body. When the dog's body is weakened, the defense mechanisms come into effect with a delay, as a result of which the dog dies from leptospirosis.

Abortion in dogs occur due to the penetration of toxic substances of Leptospira through the placental barrier into the blood of the fetus. Due to the destruction of red blood cells, oxygen starvation occurs in the fetuses, as a result of which they die.

Hemorrhages and skin necrosis in dogs with leptospirosis occur as a result of capillaries due to intoxication narrow and become clogged with blood clots, which leads to disruption of the nutrition of the skin and mucous membranes.

Course and symptoms of the disease. Leptospirosis in dogs can occur instantly, acutely, subacutely and chronically. The disease may manifest itself typically(with characteristic symptoms) and atypical(fulminant and chronic forms).

Lightning form The illness lasts from 2 to 48 hours. The disease begins sudden rise in temperature bodies advancing severe depression and weakness dogs. In some cases, owners note excitement in a sick dog, turning into violence; The dog’s body temperature remains high during the first few hours of illness, and then drops to normal and below 38 ° C. The dog has tachycardia, pulse of weak filling and tension (thread-like). Breathing is shallow and frequent. When examining the mucous membranes, they are revealed yellowness, bloody urine. Death dogs occurs within 12-24 hours from asphyxia. The mortality rate for this form of the disease reaches 100%.

Acute course illness occurs more often in young animals between the ages of one week and two years, characterized by fever(39.5-41.5 °C), which lasts from 2 to 8 days, tachycardia, the dog’s refusal to feed, depression and weakness. Breathing is frequent and shallow.

By the end of the febrile period (on days 4-6), the dog appears severe jaundice mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth, vagina, sclera and skin. The dog has difficulty urinating, the dog urinates in small portions, urine is cherry or brown in color. When taking blood samples for analysis and intravenously administering drugs, the blood quickly clots in the injection needle. Light tapping in the lumbar region causes pain, the dog arches its back, groans or growls. At the beginning of the disease, there is diarrhea, sometimes mixed with blood, which, due to atony of the gastrointestinal tract, turns into constipation. In bitches, milk production sharply decreases and then completely stops. The milk is saffron yellow in color.

U pregnant bitches, especially in the second half there are abortions. Coat in a sick dog disheveled, dull, with a large layer of dandruff. A few days after the onset of the disease, small necrotic areas. Necrosis leads to the formation of ulcers, erosions and bleeding. In sick animals, serous-purulent conjunctivitis is observed, due to which purulent white or greenish exudate accumulates in the corners of the eyes. In bitches, bubbles appear on the nipples, which quickly open, forming continuous crusts with longitudinal and transverse cracks.

With this form of the disease, large disturbances in the blood picture are observed. There is a sharp decline quantities erythrocytes, drop in hemoglobin to 10-30%. Sick dogs have leukocytosis, the number increases bilirubin, content sugar levels decrease sharply. The duration of the acute form of leptospirosis ranges from 3 to 10 days. If a sick dog is not provided with qualified veterinary care in a timely manner, the disease ends in death, with symptoms of severe asphyxia.

Subacute course leptospirosis in dogs is characterized by the same symptoms as in the acute form, they only develop they are slower and less pronounced. The temperature can rise above 39.5°C, but for a short time, mainly at night. The fever is recurrent. The yellowness of the mucous membranes is not as pronounced as in the acute course. Due to atony of the gastrointestinal tract, dogs develop persistent constipation.

Along with rhinitis and conjunctivitis, necrosis of the mucous membranes and skin is more pronounced. During walks, dogs experience rapid fatigue and sweating, ataxia, trembling of the limbs, lameness and muscle soreness. Some dogs develop paralysis of the limbs, and epileptic seizures are sometimes observed. The duration of this form of the disease in dogs is 2-4 weeks.

Chronic course leptospirosis in dogs happens rarely and is characterized by progressive emaciation, anemia of the mucous membranes, necrosis; the inguinal and cervical lymph nodes are enlarged. There is a periodic short-term increase in body temperature, the urine is brown in color. Dogs experience frequent urination, signs of nephritis, and increased breathing. Due to increased irritability of the central nervous system, dogs avoid being in the sun and hide in the shade or in a booth. In sick dogs, hair shedding is delayed, and areas of baldness appear in the back, sacrum and other parts of the body. Bitches lose the ability to fertilize, and abortions occur at different stages of pregnancy, the birth of stillborn fetuses, and prenatal and postnatal complications. Puppies from such bitches are born frail and sick.

Atypical The (abortive) form of the disease in dogs is mild. There is a slight and short-term increase in body temperature (0.5-1°C), slight depression, anemia of visible mucous membranes, slight jaundice, short-term (from 12 hours to 3-4 days) hemoglobinuria. All of the above symptoms disappear after a few days and the dog recovers.

Pathological changes. Necrotic areas of varying sizes are found on the skin of dogs. The mucous membranes, as well as all tissues, are jaundiced. Hemorrhages are noted on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, on the serous and mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. Lymph nodes are enlarged and icteric. The liver is enlarged in volume, flabby, on a section it has a clay color; histologically, degeneration of liver cells is found. Leptospira are found between the liver cells. The kidneys are enlarged in volume, there is hemorrhage under the capsule, the border between the cortical and medulla layers is smoothed, and histologically, parenchymatous or interstitial nephritis is noted. Leptospires are found in the lumen of the tubules. There is red urine in the bladder cavity, and pinpoint and streaky hemorrhages on the mucous membrane. There is congestion in the lungs.

Diagnosis. A lifetime preliminary diagnosis of leptospirosis is made on the basis of epidemiological data and clinical signs that are characteristic of leptospirosis. The final diagnosis is established based on the results of laboratory tests (microscopic, bacteriological, serological and histological). The material for intravital diagnosis is the blood and urine of a sick dog.

Lifetime diagnosis considered for leptospirosis established when leptospira is detected by microscopy; establishing an increase in antibody titer during repeated testing; if specific antibodies are detected in the blood serum during a single PMA test in a titer of 1:100 or higher.

Differential diagnosis. It is necessary first of all to exclude food poisoning and nutritional poisoning.

Forecast. For fulminant, acute and subacute forms of leptospirosis, the prognosis is generally unfavorable or fatal.

Treatment. Dogs sick with leptospirosis are isolated and given comprehensive treatment, including: etiotropic(specific) therapy – the use of hyperimmune anti-leptospirosis serum and pathogenetic therapy.

Hyperimmune anti-leptospirosis serum is administered subcutaneously to sick dogs at a dose of 0.5 ml per 1 kg of body weight once a day for 2-3 days. The serum is especially effective if used at the very beginning of the disease.

A course of antibiotic therapy with drugs from the group penicillin, which are effective against Leptospira of various serogroups (benzylpenicillin, bicillin-1, bicillin-3). Dose of bicillin preparations: 10-20 thousand. ED per 1 kg of animal weight 1 time every 3 days (2 times a week). To stop leptospiraemia, the course of antibiotic treatment should consist of 2 to 6 injections. Application is considered effective streptomycin at a dose of 10-15 thousand units per 1 kg of dog’s body weight 2 times a day for 5 days.

Pathogenetic therapy. In case of severe hemorrhages, sick dogs need to use drugs that increase blood clotting (calcium chloride or calcium gluconate), rutin, Vicasol. To reduce intoxication of the body, intravenous or drip administration of saline solutions with a high content of potassium ions and hemodesis with glucose are recommended.

To relieve renal failure in the initial stage of the disease, osmotic diuretics are indicated: 20% mannitol solution, 4% sodium bicarbonate solution, 20% glucose solution with insulin.

To normalize liver function, sirepar, vitagepat, lipoic acid, B vitamins (B-1, B-2, B-6, and B12), folic, ascorbic and glutamic acid are used.

In case of severe liver failure, the use of corticosteroid drugs (prednisolone, dexamethasone) is recommended.

Symptomatic therapy. For cardiovascular insufficiency - cocarboxylase and cardiotonic drugs. For severe vomiting, antiemetic drugs and intravenous administration of hemodez.

Prevention. To prevent leptospirosis in dogs, both domestic and foreign mono-, polyvalent and associated vaccines are used: Biovac-L, vaccine against canine leptospirosis (NPO Narvak), polyvalent vaccine VGNKI against animal leptospirosis, etc. (Russia), Leptodog (France) ) and etc.; domestic associated vaccines - Biovac-DPAL, Biorabik (NPO Biocenter), Geksakanivac, Dipentavak (JSC Vetzverocenter), Multikan-6 (NPO Narvak); foreign associated vaccines Hexadog, Leptorabisine (France), Vanguard-5b, Vanguard-7 (USA), etc.

For passive immunization puppies and adult dogs in unfavorable epizootic conditions for leptospirosis, especially when keeping animals in groups, it is necessary to use hyperimmune serum against leptospirosis, and also use the method of active-passive immunization, which involves the simultaneous administration of a vaccine and hyperimmune serum against leptospirosis in dogs.

Owners of sick dogs and those caring for them, based on the fact that these animals pose an immediate epidemic danger to people, must strictly observe personal hygiene and prevention measures, get vaccinated against leptospirosis.

Owners of summer cottages and personal farmsteads who keep dogs must systematically deal with deratization(extermination of rodents) in their areas.