The most common form of skin disease in adult dogs is eczema

The most common form of skin disease in adult dogs is eczema

The most common form of skin disease in adult dogs is eczema

The most common form of skin disease in adult dogs is eczema, which for purposes of rough, or popular, classification, may be divided into two forms, wet and dry. Weeping eczema is decidedly uncommon, but is the only form of skin disease offering open sores and raw surfaces likely to affect comparatively well-cared-for toy dogs. In this, as in the dry, severer forms of eczema, it is useless to attempt cure by mere outward applications. The mischief is in the blood, and until the blood is put right the external symptoms will continue, unless, indeed, strong mercurial lotion or ointment be used, which may fatally drive the disease in, and by clearing up the skin and so depriving the body of the safety-valve of outward lesions, eventually kill the animal. Such a proceeding is occasionally resorted to by unscrupulous persons whose only desire is to sell their mangy or eczematous dogs, for the immediate effect of dressing with mercurial ointment is often almost miraculously good to the eye. Therefore, my advice to the amateur is, under no circumstances to purchase a dog which is known to have suffered from any severe form of skin disease. Even if the complaint has not been doctored in the way described, and has been cured by honest methods, it may always break out again, for it is in the constitution. I must, of course, except cases in which contagious eczema has been given to the victim by some other dog, but in dealing with strangers, shops, or professional dealers, it is wisest to avoid a purchase where skin disease has existed.