Page 615 - Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 5th Edition

Chapter
32

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Skin and Hair Disorders

Philip Roudebush
William D. Schoenherr

“Dermatoses affecting various species of animals are more commonly
associated with malnutrition than they are with . . .
a good state of nutrition.”
F. Kral and B.J. Novak, Veterinary Dermatology, 1953

diseases in pets fed nutritionally adequate commercial pet
CLINICAL IMPORTANCE food appear to be very uncommon. However, the skin and
coat can be affected by many nutritional factors (Table 32-1),
Very little information is available concerning the demograph- and many pet owners want to improve the quality and appear-
ics of canine and feline skin and hair disorders. Surveys and ance of their pet’s coat. The tactile and visual interactions
textbooks suggest that skin disorders are the most common rea- between people and pets are among the greatest pleasures of
son for patient visits to the veterinarian’s office (Scott et al, the companion animal-human bond (Credille et al, 2000).
2001). Surveys also indicate that 15 to 25% of all small animal This emphasizes the importance of understanding the nutri-
practice activity is involved with the diagnosis and treatment of tional factors that affect normal skin and hair and the nutri-
problems with the skin and coat (Scott et al, 1995). tional factors that should be investigated in patients with skin
The most commonly diagnosed canine skin disorders are: 1) disorders. This chapter discusses the nutritional factors that
allergy (flea-bite hypersensitivity, atopic dermatitis), 2) cuta- affect skin and hair, except for adverse reactions to food,
neous neoplasms, 3) bacterial pyoderma, 4) seborrhea, 5) para- which are specifically addressed in Chapter 31.
sitic dermatoses, 6) adverse reactions to food (food hypersensi- This chapter is divided into two sections: 1) nutrient-defi-
tivity or food intolerance), 7) immune-mediated dermatoses cient dermatoses and 2) fatty acids for inflammatory skin dis-
and 8) endocrine dermatoses (Sischo et al, 1989; Scott and ease. The first section covers dermatoses related to nutrient
Paradis, 1990). The most common feline skin disorders are: 1) deficiencies. These deficiencies usually occur when pets in a
abscesses, 2) parasitic dermatoses, 3) allergy (flea-bite hyper- nutritionally demanding lifestage are fed homemade foods,
sensitivity, atopic dermatitis), 4) miliary dermatitis, 5) eosino- poor quality commercial foods, commercial foods that contain
philic granuloma complex, 6) fungal infections, 7) adverse reac- nutrient excesses or even high quality commercial foods that are
tions to food, 8) psychogenic dermatoses, 9) seborrheic condi- inappropriately supplemented. Breed predilection can also be a
tions, 10) neoplastic tumors and 11) immune-mediated der- factor. The second section focuses on the use of antiinflamma-
matoses (Scott and Paradis, 1990; Nesbitt, 1982). tory fatty acids in the management of skin diseases that have an
Clearly, skin and hair disorders are an important part of inflammatory or pruritic component. These dermatoses are
small animal practice; bacterial infections, ectoparasitism, responsive or partially responsive to antiinflammatory interven-
allergies, fungal infections and neoplasia are common prob- tion. Many commonly diagnosed skin disorders have an
lems. Aside from adverse reactions to food, nutritional skin inflammatory component.