Dermatology

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.

When a clinician is presented with a pruritic patient, it is correct to initially consider, and rule out, the more common hypersensitivity disorders. Atopic dermatitis, adverse food reactions, and parasite hypersensitivities (especially flea allergy dermatitis) are seen on a daily basis.

The cat has some important anatomic differences from the dog. The obvious is that there is less breed variation in pinna shape and conformation as well as relatively short and straighter ear canal.

Ear disease is a very common problem presented to veterinarians. It may be broken down into two major components, pinnal disease and otitis, though the strict definition of otitis would include any inflammatory pinnal disease.

Poor hair coats and alopecia that are not a result of inflammation or pruritus and are symmetric or involve much of the body most commonly reflect a disorder of hair growth that is metabolically or genetically related. In general the disorders will fit into one of four categories.

Pruritus is the most common manifestation of skin disease in the horse. Pruritus is exhibited in a number of ways including the obvious scratching, rubbing, chewing and biting, but also in more subtle fashion such as head shaking, foot stamping or "irritability".

A variety of different diseases are in the category of what are referred to as autoimmune or immune mediated dermatologic diseases. The diseases typically have differing etiologies though a significant component in there pathogenesis is an abnormal or deleterious immune response that affect normal cutaneous structures, such as epidermal keratinocytes, basement membranes, blood vessels or adnexal structures.

Erythema multiforme was first documented in the dog in 1983 and in the cat in 1984.

Pyoderma and bacterial folliculitis in the dog is considered to be very common problems yet in the cat are described as rare or very uncommon in textbooks on small animal dermatology. A study in France of 783 feline derm cases evaluated between 1992 and 1997 diagnosed pyoderma in 4.7%.

Malassezia yeasts and Malassezia dermatitis have been the subject of almost innumerable publications and anecdotes since the early 1990s. The condition is diagnosed commonly in the dog and uncommonly in the cat.

Skin infections with bacteria (pyoderma) or yeast (Malassezia dermatitis) often are found in dogs secondary to other diseases such as seborrhea, endocrine diseases and allergic diseases.

Pentoxifylline (PTX) has been heralded as "the drug of the decade" and "a wonder drug". There is variably believable information (anecdotal-to-scientific) suggesting the therapeutic efficacy of PTX in a staggering number of dermatoses in human and veterinary (Table 1) medicine.PTX has been reported to have a steroid-sparing effect.

Cutaneous vasculitis was first documented in a dog in 1980. Vasculitides can be apparently limited to the skin or, less commonly, the skin may be one of multiple organ systems involved.

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.

Veterinary dermatology is a relatively straight forward aspect of veterinary medicine to deal with because the diseased organ is able to be visualized and palpated by the veterinarian but also by the technician and owner. The technician can and should play an integral role in cases with skin disease.

Pruritus and the various aberrations of skin and hair coat that it provokes are, by far, the most common reasons for which cats are presented to veterinarians for dermatologic diagnosis.

Treatment of otitis externa is dependent on identifying and controlling the predisposing factors, primary and secondary causes and perpetuating factors whenever possible. Inadequate treatment and reversal of the progressive pathologic responses, tympanic membrane alterations, and otitis media often leads to treatment failures or recurrences.

Tips on performing skin cytology, dermatophyte cultures, and more.

Some rules of thumb for performing skin biopsies.

What's the most likely diagnosis in this dog?

A link to "Treatment of canine atopic dermatitis: 2010 clinical practice guidelines from the International Task Force on Canine Atopic Dermatitis."

I've found bandaging an ear after an ear hematoma repair to be a challenge.

Veterinary dermatologist Dr. Paul Bloom gives his thoughts on this reader question.

The main concern with this condition is a secondary bacterial folliculitis and furunculosis. The infection often requires six to 12 weeks of oral antibiotic therapy.

A common misdiagnosis of ear edge dermatitis in certain dog breeds.

What's causing this dog's pruritus and greasy truncal coat?

Diseases of the nasal planum and footpads in cats and dogs range from life threatening diseases to benign conditions that require long-term therapy to maintain control. It is of the utmost importance to properly diagnose the diseases that affect these locations, as the treatment and prognosis varies greatly depending on the disease entity.

Flea infestation and flea allergic dermatitis in both dogs and cats remains one of the most common reasons owners bring their pets to the veterinarian. In the past 20 years, the advent of new products has revolutionized our ability to control fleas and, specifically, keep flea allergic patients comfortable.

Malassezia pachydermatis is a commensal yeast organism that is a normal resident of the skin, mucosa, and ear canals. In dogs and cats, Malassezia pachydermatis colonizes the skin soon after birth, and is the primary yeast species associated with skin and ear disease.

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