WSAVA Nov 2021 Proceedings - Flipbook - Page 36
13–1 5 NOVEMBER, 202 1
After taking a good history and thorough physical examinations, the clinician should list and prioritize the disease in order. Common diseases do
occur commonly and should be high on the list than rare ones. Diagnostic
tests should be chosen according to the suspected diagnosis and the
level of information they can give.
Perform the required tests/treatment trial, collect the information, perform
further investigation (if needed) and establish a diagnosis
Rule out common conditions such as ectoparasites and infections first.
Superficial skin scrapings for scabies or surface mites can be unrewarding. A treatment trial should be conducted to confirm the diagnosis. If the
animal is still pruritic after ruling out ectoparasitic skin diseases and skin
infections, the animal likely has allergies. Food trial should be considered
as the next step in the diagnosis.
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BASIC DIAGNOSTIC TESTS- PUT THE RIGHT TEST TO
THE RIGHT JOB
M. Tunhikorn
Bangkok/Thailand
Qualifications:
Maturawan Tunhikorn
DVM, DipACVD
maturawan.tun@mahidol.edu
Basic diagnostic tests – put the right test to the right job
Various basic in-house tests are used in determining the cause of skin
diseases. Choosing appropriate diagnostic tests for the suspected disease will help speed the diagnostic time. Tests for suspected ectoparasite
infestation include coat brushing, skin scrapings, tape preparation, trichogram, and ear smear for otic parasites. Test for suspected infections
includes cytology, Wood’s lamp, trichogram, and fungal culture.
When suspecting flea infestation and flea allergy dermatitis, the following
tests can help confirm the diagnosis:
· Direct examination for fleas and flea dirt
· Coat brushing
· Tape preparation for parasite collection
· Fleas may not be present on the animal at the time of examination. To
confirm the diagnosis, strict flea control is mandatory.
When suspecting mite infestation, the following tests can help confirm the
diagnosis:
· Coat brushing: Cheyletiella, lice
· Tape preparation for parasite collection: Cheyletiella, Demodex gatoi,
Notoedres, cati, ectopic Otodectes, lice
· Ear smear for otic parasites: Otodectes and Demodex
· Superficial skin scraping: S.scabiei, Notoedres, D. gatoi, Notoedres
cati,Cheyletiella, ectopic Otodectes
· Deep skin scraping: Demodex canis, Demodex injai, D. cati
· Trichogram: Demodex canis
When suspecting infections, the following tests can help confirm the
diagnosis:
· Trichogram, Wood’s lamp, fungal culture: dermatophytosis
· Cytology: bacterial infection, yeast infection, dermatophytosis
Coat brushing:
Use a flea comb to brush hair over the affected area. Comb the scales
and crusts from the skin onto a white piece of paper (use black paper to
check for lice). Examine the sample with the naked eye and/or a magnifying glass for fleas and flea dirt. The sample can later be transferred onto
a glass slide with liquid paraffin and looked under the microscope at the
lowest magnification to search for other ectoparasites such as lice or
Cheyletiella.
Sticky tape preparation:
Clear adhesive tape is applied with sticky-side-down on the affected skin
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WSAVA GLOBAL COMMUNITY CONGRESS