Treatment of cutaneous loxocelism in an equine using integrative medicine – Case report

Abstract

In Brazil, there is a huge number of cases of loxocelism in Veterinary Medicine, especially in the south of Brazil, as it is an endemic region. Due to the painless bite, when the pacient is diagnosed with a locoxeles accident, he has a fair to poor prognosis. The treatment of loxocelism varies a lot according to the patient's condition, as there are two types of loxocelism, cutaneous and viscerocutaneous. Regardless of the disease, integrative therapy can be combined with allopathic treatment. In the reported case, mare, female, 5 years old, mixed breed, presented a lesion (anatomically dorsal to the 17th thoracic vertebra), with perilesional edema, gravitacional edema, hyperemic halo, alopecia, marbled plaque, disgnosed as cutaneous loxocelism. As initial tratment, dexamethasone (2,5mg/kg intravenously dose) and sulfadiazine with trimethoprim (2,5g/kg intramuscular dose) were administered for 3 days, and also perilesional and focal moxibustion (D0 - D22), Acupunture with the surround the dragon technique (only on D0) and ozonated oil (D0 - D22) as a complementary therapy to conventional treatment. At the end of the allopathic medication, the complementary techniques were maintained until the 23rd day of treatment, when trere was complete regression of the lesion and the patient was discharged. In this case, integrative medicine proved to be a great ally in the treatment of cutaneous loxocelism, controlling the progression of the dermonecrotic lesion, helping with analgesia, inflammatory reactions, angiosenisis, combating microorganisms and, finally in healing.