07/29/2023
It’s that time again Fun Fact Friday!
With summer in full swing, here are the skin diseases and cases you and your team should be on the lookout for and warn your clients about
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Now that we have passed the April showers and received the May flowers, summer is officially beginning. Because of this, it is important to warn your clients of the dangers that lurk within the summer months such as fleas and ticks or fireworks and other celebrations that can cause anxiety in pets. However, there are dermatology cases that also need to be talked about and looked out for at the veterinary clinic.
Feline miliary dermatitis, pyotraumatic dermatitis, and flystrike are just a few dermatology cases that appear more in these hotter months. To help, here is a breakdown of these diseases, treatments, and how to talk to clients to help them keep their pets safe.
Dogs
A common summertime dermatology case is pyotraumatic dermatitis, or acute moist dermatitis (also known as hot spots). Hot spots are typically red and inflamed skin lesions that present themselves quickly and that ooze and may contain pus. Hot spots can be found anywhere on the dog’s body; they are typically found on the head, hips, and legs. These spots become painful and itchy and have an odor that can either stick out to pet parents or may be hidden underneath fur.1
Hot spots are typically caused by self- trauma after a dog has scratched itself so harshly that it created an open wound. Allergies, ear infections, insect bites (such as fleas), pyoderma, and even boredom are among the most common causes of hot spots. VCA Animal Hospitals also warns that these spots can grow in a very short amount of time. In some cases, a pet owner had noticed a pinpoint area of redness on their pet before going to work, then returned home hours later to see a raw lesion the size of a pancake.
First and foremost, veterinary teams and the client must stop the pet from continuing to attack the spot. Then, successful treatment often includes combinations of using Elizabethan collars, covering hot spots with a sock or bandage, and administering topical or oral steroids and antihistamines to help reduce itching.
“The best way to prevent is to make sure your pet’s allergies are well controlled as they go into allergy season, and they are on good, consistent flea control to prevent flares from ectoparasites like fleas or even potentially scabies. Dogs with long, heavy coats should always be dried thoroughly to prevent moisture from sitting on the skin which can lead to irritation and in some cases pyotraumatic lesions can occur as a result,”
Cats
Feline miliary dermatitis is commonly used to describe a feline skin condition that is the result of an allergic reaction. Cats with feline miliary dermatitis will present with an extremely itchy rash that they may be licking, biting, and scratching at. In some cases, even just touching the affected area will cause the patient to start scratching, licking, or twitching.4 This rash will progress into small, scabbed lesions and can be caused by self-trauma or allergic reaction. The rash can become infected in severe feline miliary dermatitis cases and will present with pustules or pimplelike lesions.
Although multiple underlying conditions can cause feline miliary dermatitis, the most common cause is an allergic reaction to flea bites, but it can also be caused by environmental allergens or allergens in the pet’s diet. Patients with this disease will typically present with infected areas on the lower spine, face, ears, belly, beck, flank, and around the base of the cat’s tail, with the patient’s coat thinning in the affected areas.
Once identified, topical treatments can be used if feline miliary dermatitis is caused by mites or lice. If it is caused by food, a hypoallergenic food trial could be done to rule out or identify a food allergy. To help ease any pain or discomfort, veterinarians can prescribe antihistamines; essential fatty acids; topical treatment, such as calming or antiseptic sprays or mousses;
and cyclosporine.4
“Ruling out the causes for miliary dermatitis is important so you can determine and tackle the exact cause. Treating with an ectoparasiticide is one of the first steps to rule fleas and demodex gatoi,” explained Griffin. “Then if not improved, starting a novel protein diet trial is important especially if no clear seasonality is present. If no improvement is seen after a 6-8 week diet trial, then further work up and treatment for environmental allergies can be initiated.
