10- The Pruritic Animal Flashcards
List 3 clinical signs of pruritus
Scratching , chewing
Licking feet (dogs)
Overgrroming (cats)
Stamping (horses)
Barbering (small furies)
List 3 main causes of pruritis
Hypersensitivities
Microbial infections
Parasites
Which endoparasitees can cause pruritus
Hookworm (dog)
Onchocerca / oxyuris (horses)
Name 2 causes of microbial infectious pruritus
Bacterial pyoderma
Malassezia dermatitis
Dermatophytosis
What animal presents as overgrooming when pruritic
Cat
What are the 3 most common hypersensitivity induced causes of pruritus
Environmental and food induced atopy (atopic dermatitis)
parasite induced
What is important to consider about the age of an animal when taking a history for a pruritus case
Age of animal at onset
What is the first step to take in a dermatological work-up after taking a history and a dermatological exam
eliminate parasites and microbial infections as a d/d
If you suspect a parasite but can’t see one/confirm it what do you do
Trial a treatment- common for fleas, Sarcoptes, cheyletiella
T/F malassezia dermatitis is a secondary disease
True
so need to treat this then identify the primary cause
If upon treatment of a Malassezia/ bacterial skin infection the pruritus resolves fully what do you need to consider
secondary problem so need to consider a non-pruritic underlying cause (due to pruritis resolving)
Immunosuppressive diseases
If pruritus persists after eliminating a bacterial/ parasitic disease what do you need to consider
hypersensitivity- environmental/ food
Describe the basic steps for investigation into food/ environmental induced atopy
Rule out food via an exclusion diet trial (novel protein/ carb sources)
(don’t use blood tests for diagnostic of food induced stopy)
If continues after this…..
Environmental atopy- systemically control
