Successful treatment of disseminated cutaneous phaeohyphomycosis in a dog

A 7-year-old castrated male Whippet developed deep ulcerative skin lesions whilst receiving immunosuppressive doses of prednisolone and cyclosporine for the treatment of immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia. The lesions were determined to be a phaeohyphomycosis, caused by Curvularia lunata. The dog was treated with a combination of systemic antifungals and weaning off immunosuppressants and made a complete recovery. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case report of the successful treatment of disseminated cutaneous phaeohyphomycosis in a dog.     

Treatment of demodicosis in dogs: 2011 clinical practice guidelines

Background and Objectives – These guidelines were written by an international group of specialists with the aim to provide veterinarians with current recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of canine demodicosis. Methods – Published studies of the various treatment options were reviewed and summarized. Where evidence in form of published studies was not available, expert consensus formed the base of the recommendations. Results – Demodicosis can usually be diagnosed by deep skin scrapings or trichograms; in rare cases a skin biopsy may be needed for diagnosis. Immune suppression due to endoparasitism or malnutrition in young dogs and endocrine diseases, neoplasia and chemotherapy in older dogs are considered predisposing factors and should be diagnosed and treated to optimize the therapeutic outcome. Dogs with disease severity requiring parasiticidal therapy should not be bred. Secondary bacterial skin infections frequently complicate the disease and require topical and/or systemic antimicrobial therapy. There is good evidence for the efficacy of weekly amitraz rinses and daily oral macrocyclic lactones such as milbemycin oxime, ivermectin and moxidectin for the treatment of canine demodicosis. Weekly application of topical moxidectin can be useful in dogs with milder forms of the disease. There is some evidence for the efficacy of weekly or twice weekly subcutaneous or oral doramectin. Systemic macrocyclic lactones may cause neurological adverse effects in sensitive dogs, thus a gradual increase to the final therapeutic dose may be prudent (particularly in herding breeds). Treatment should be monitored with monthly skin scrapings and extended beyond clinical and microscopic cure to minimize recurrences. Editor’s Note – A brief review article by R. Mueller has been published: Evidence‐based treatment of canine demodicosis, Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere 2011; 39: 419–24. This is not considered to constitute duplication of the article published here in Veterinary Dermatology.     

Diagnosis of canine claw disease – a prospective study of 24 dogs

The aetiology of claw disease in 24 dogs exhibiting only claw disease was investigated with cytologic examination of claw exudate, complete blood count (CBC), serum biochemistry panel, urinalysis, total thyroxine (tT4) concentration, antinuclear antibody (ANA) titre, bacterial culture and sensitivity testing, fungal culture, histopathology of claw biopsy samples and elimination diet. Abnormalities on the CBC, serum biochemistry panel and urinalysis were minor and nonspecific. Total T4 concentrations were within the normal laboratory reference range. Fungal cultures and ANA titres were negative in all dogs. A bacterial infection was present in approximately half of the dogs. On histological examination of claw tissue, a cell-poor or cell-rich interface onychitis was seen in all but one dog. Evidence for an adverse reaction to food was present in four dogs. One dog responded completely to antibiotic therapy. Interface onychitis seems to be a histological reaction pattern of the claw matrix in the dog with various possible underlying aetiologies. In dogs with claw disease as the only clinical sign, the recommended initial diagnostic evaluation includes cytologic examination, bacterial culture and sensitivity, claw biopsy and an elimination diet.