Patricia F. Ashley, DVM, DACVD

Be familiar with the flea life cycle and where the stages live. Things you may not know:

Seborrhea is the abnormal (increased) production of skin cells (keratinocytes) and sebum that manifests clinically as scale and / or increased oil secretions on the skin and hair coat. Most often seborrhea occurs secondary to another dermatologic problem; less often it is a primary problem.

On the inside: I run. And I wish I could refer them to someone else. And it does not help that we have little evidence-based studies to guide therapy for Pseudomonas otitis.

While no day in veterinary practice is routine, there are weeks that are more filled with the usual offenders such as vomiting, diarrhea, and pets itching from allergies. You begin to yearn for an exotic diagnosis. In the dermatology world, diagnosing an immune mediated disease carries a sexier ambiance, shows your expansive knowledge, and gives you a swagger as you walk through the treatment room.

Pruritus, in its various forms, is a common complaint in small animal practice and has a multitude of causes. Many clients want to know what is making their pet itchy, they want an accurate answer quickly, and they want immediate relief for their pet.

Demodicosis is one of the most common and long-recognized skin diseases of animals, yet it is often overlooked, and we as a profession still struggle to find not only underlying causes but effective, safe treatments. This talk reviews the common and less known signs of demodicosis and current therapies.

Here's what I like about skin: it's on the surface of the body. This minimizes the risk of me causing a hemorrhagic event when I do a biopsy of my organ of specialty. What I don't like is the skin has limited ways in which it manifests disease, so the symptoms of many diseases overlap.