Figure 2. Skin scraping taken from the dorsum of a Sheltie with diffuse scaling and erythema; note how the dislodged epidermal material adheres to the sharp edge of the scalpel blade because it is coated with liquid paraffin and also that the skin has been scraped repeatedly by the pet to cause erosion of the epidermis.

Pruritus in dogs and cats part 1: what is pruritus and how do we approach the pruritic patient?

It is worth emphasising that pruritus in a patient can be the result of several co-existing pruritogenic processes combining together to push the individual over what is known as the pruritic...