European Specialist In Veterinary Dermatology, Veterinary Director Rutland House Veterinary Hospital, St Helens
As in any dermatological disease the investigation of otitis should involve a general, dermatological and otic history. Experienced nurses are capable of taking a history from clients. This can be...
A diagnosis of cutaneous adverse food reaction (CAFR) should be included on every list of pruritic skin diseases in the dog. While CAFR can affect any age or breed of dog, the literature does suggest...
An assessment of the dog's ear condition prior to attempting to take a sample is important to try to gain an understanding of the severity of the otitis. While some infections such as with Malassezia...
The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, belongs to the Order Siphonaptera and the Family Pulicidae. Despite its name the cat flea is recognised as the most common and important ectoparasite of...
A range of antihistamines have been described for use in CAD. Although there are anecdotal reports to suggest that antihistamines play an important role in the control of CAD there is only very...
Pseudomonas species are Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria. They are widespread in nature but are particularly found in aquatic habitats, soil and in decaying vegetation. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is...
The choice of diagnostic technique will depend on the type of lesion that is presented. Where the lesion is superficial, such as an area of erythema, erosion, ulceration or primary lesions like...
Phototoxicity, often referred to as solar dermatitis, is purely a reaction to over-exposure to the sun's rays. Although the condition develops most commonly when white or non-pigmented skin is exposed...
Bacterial or yeast overgrowth is seen in skin fold areas because of the localised inflammation that occurs with skin fold abrasion. Microtrauma to the skin can occur purely through skin-to-skin...
A consistent finding in CAD is the presence of pruritus (itching). Pruritus can manifest itself in a variety of ways including licking, chewing, scratching, rubbing or over grooming, all of which can...
The external ear canal is composed of the ear pinna and the external auditory meatus. There is a wide range in size and conformation of the canine ear pinna, ranging from the short prick ears of the...
Most dogs with CAD as their primary cause for ear disease develop otitis between 1 and 5 years of age with 31% presenting with ear disease before 12 months of age (Zur et al, 2011). Breed incidence...