Understanding the symptoms of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) allows you to seek immediate care. Few dogs survive this deadly disease. Because of this, early treatment provides the best odds for your dog's recovery. Your dog's survival rate is dictated by infections. The earlier your dog is contained in a sterile environment, the better the dog's chances of beating the disease.
Understanding What TEN Involves
With TEN, the outer layer of the skin separates from the remaining skin layers. It's appearance is similar to severe burns and treatments are similar. On average, 90 percent of all cases of toxic epidermal necrolysis appear following an allergic reaction to a new medication. The disease may also occur with certain cancers. Staph infections share a similar appearance, so your veterinarian will want to make sure a staph infection is not present.
TEN is a rare disease affecting many mammals including cats, dogs, humans and monkeys. The biggest danger with open sores is the risk of infection. It is not advised to try to treat TEN at home. A sterile environment is important. Prognosis for those inflicted with TEN is not great. Studies find that humans afflicted with TEN have a 50/50 chance of survival, dogs odds are lower than that because pet owners tend to delay treatment thinking it's a rash or bad insect bite.
Symptoms of Canine Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis
TEN starts with a high fever. There may be a cough and usually the dog will become lethargic and unwilling to eat. As the disease progresses, the skin and mucus membranes, such as the mouth and nose, form large blisters. When these blisters rupture, the turn into ulcers, sometimes bloody and a purplish-red color.
Left untreated, canine toxic epidermal necrolysis can lead to death, mostly due to infections. But, dehydration from leaking body fluids from the ulcers can cause an electrolyte imbalance. As the body loses valuable electrolytes, the heart and kidneys are affected. Heart and kidney failure are other reasons dogs with TEN succumb to the illness.
How Vets Diagnose TEN
Upon seeing your dog, it's likely that your vet will ask if the dog has taken any new medications in the past three weeks. Next, he will take a tissue sample for a biopsy. The biopsy will help determine if there is a staph infection or if blisters are the result of TEN.
Treatment Options for Canine Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis
If your dog is diagnosed with canine TEN, he will be moved to a sterile kennel, usually in an animal hospital that is equipped to treat burn patients.
IV fluids will be used to replace any fluid and electrolyte imbalances. Veterinarians prescribe antibiotics to help battle and ward off infections. The lesions may be treated with a topical disinfectant to prevent infection. If the lesions are large, some veterinarians prefer to keep them covered with skin grafts to aid in healing. Keeping the lesions covered also protects from infection
Some veterinarians use anti-inflammatory medications to relieve pain and swelling. These medications are not always effective and affect immune system function, so discuss the advantages and disadvantages before using them.