Dermatology

Allergen specific immunotherapy (desensitization or allergy shots) has been one of the mainstays of care in specialized dermatology practice for years.

When a clinician is presented with a pruritic patient, it is correct to initially consider, and rule out, the more common hypersensitivity disorders.

Pododermatitis is can be one of the more challenging manifestations of skin disease, both in terms of establishing a definitive diagnosis and providing effective care.

There are a limited number of tests a veterinary practitioner will be required to perform when presented with a patient with skin disease. For some of these tests, subtle and simple techniques can influence the accuracy of the results.

While some people claim that all skin diseases look alike, the fact is to the trained eye, even subtle difference in skin changes can offer clues to the underlying disease process. One of the first steps in appreciating and understanding the differences of skin lesions is to learn what primary and secondary skin lesions actually are, and what they represent.

Food hypersensitivity, food intolerance and other adverse reactions to food (ARF) could be the subject of a carrier of study. Food hypersensitivity in the dog and cat can cause a myriad of effects on several different systems of the body, with the integument and digestive system being most commonly affected.

Observed reaction does not resemble pharmacologic action.

Previous recommendation of a 3 week elimination diet trial was empirical.

Initial recommendation in this study was to feed a home-cooked restricted diet for 60 days

A symptom of several possible underlying diseases; Not a specific disease entity. A result of excess symmetrical licking with the barbs of the tongue fracturing the hair shafts; rarely is the alopecia spontaneous.

A symmetrical partial alopecia and excess scaling with follicular casts. Remaining hair is dull and brittle

Bilaterally symmetrical alopecia and hyperpigmentation affects the neck, perineal and genital region, tail, posterior and medial thighs, ventral abdomen.

Ischemic dermatoses fall into three categories: dermatomyositis, vaccine- and drug- caused cases, and idiopathic. Dermatomyositis has been reported primarily in collies and Shetland sheepdogs and their crosses, although other breeds have a sporadic incidence of this disease.

The eosinophilic granuloma complex (EGC) in the cat actually consists of three similar diseases. Despite the name, the three diseases do not always cause granulomas.

Most of the following options illustrate the various medical means of salvaging chronic otitis in a dog, However, the ideal option is to prevent acute otitis externa from becoming chronic.

Skin disorders in rabbits and rodents can manifest in the form of pruritus, alopecia without pruritus, scaling or nodules. Combinations of one or more of these clinical presentations may be observed in an individual.

The exact etiology in most clinical cases is not well understood. Food allergy is defined as an immunologically based reaction to food. Immunologic mechanisms of types I-IV have been hypothesized.

Any appointment for dermatology begins with the technician taking a through history of the disease. Important points to cover are the signalment (age, breed, sex), the presenting complaint (especially important to determine if pruritus is present), the age at onset and if the onset of the skin problem was sudden or slow, and if the disease is seasonal.

Atopic dermatitis is the arguably the second most frequent allergy in dogs (after fleas) and the third most frequent allergy (after fleas and food) in cats. There is a strong genetic tendency in dogs, with golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, terriers, Dalmatians, and Shar-peis among the predisposed breeds.

Canine demodicosis is a noncontagious parasitic skin disease caused by an overpopulation of the host-specific follicular mites of the genus Demodex. Most cases of canine demodicosis are caused by Demodex canis, although two other species of demodicid mites are reported.

Seasonal pruritus (due to fleas or pollen allergies) typically is more pronounced in the warm weather, whereas allergy due to dust or mold components may be more severe in the winter.

What's the most likely diagnosis in this dog?

Dr. Thomas Lewis discusses this irritating dermatologic disease.

Alert the President! Study calls into question claims that some dogs are allergen-free

This condition affects dogs of any age or breed, although German shepherds are predisposed. It affects the mucocutaneous junctions (MCJs) of the nose and lips most frequently, but other MCJs can also be affected. This is a surface bacterial infection (usually S. pseudintermedius) wherein there is a "standoff" between the bacteria and the immune system at the MCJ.

In the field of veterinary medicine we see a constant search for newer, more effective, and convenient but inexpensive drugs with lesser side effects. Not only new drugs are interesting, but old drugs are occasionally rediscovered for new indications.

Bacterial pyoderma is more common in the dog than any other mammalian species. Currently Staphylococcus virulence factors such as protein A, leukocidin, hemolysins, epidermolytic toxin have not been shown to be to play a role in canine pyoderma as opposed to humans with Staphylococcus aureus infections.

PF is the most common immune-mediated skin disease of the cat. It often begins on the face and pinnae, but also usually involves the foot pads and claw beds. Crusts and pustules on the face and pinnae, hyperkeratotic footpads, a purulent to caseous discharge with crusting around the nail beds, and crusting of the nipples are all common findings.

Vasculitis is characterized by an aberrant immune response directed toward blood vessels. Histologically there is an inflammatory response involving and destroying blood vessels leading to ischemic changes (see histopathology). A vasculopathy is a disease process in which tissue changes are consistent with ischemia but histologically vasculitis can't be identified.

The skin is the largest organ of the body and, in the view of many practitioners, it often accounts for the largest number of headaches. One would expect that since the skin is so easy to visualize, a diagnosis should be an easy task when compared with other, more hidden body organs. The problem is that many skin conditions have the same clinical presentation.