Page 617 - Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 5th Edition

Skin and Hair Disorders 639

The age of the patient is important; most skin and coat Table 32-2. Breed predilection for non-neoplastic skin diseases
VetBooks.ir changes due to nutritional deficiencies occur in young growing often managed by food changes or supplementation.*
animals or adult females during gestation and lactation. The
requirement for most nutrients is highest during growth and
Atopic dermatitis
Airedale terrier
reproduction, which accounts for the increase in nutritionally Breed Disease
Akita Sebaceous adenitis
related skin and hair problems seen during these lifestages. As
Basenji Atopic dermatitis
an example, a biotin-deficient food will cause dermatitis, alope- Basset hound Atopic dermatitis
cia,dull fur and achromotrichia when fed to young growing kit- Beagle Atopic dermatitis
Boston terrier Atopic dermatitis
tens but will not cause similar clinical signs when fed to non-
Boxer Adverse reactions to food
lactating adult cats (Pastoor et al, 1991). Many other examples Atopic dermatitis
of nutritional skin diseases exist that occur during periods of Bull terrier Acrodermatitis
Atopic dermatitis
increased nutritional demand but do not occur during normal
Zinc-responsive dermatosis
adult lifestages. This age-related phenomenon is complicated Chesapeake Bay retriever Atopic dermatitis
by the fact that congenital defects of the integument and cer- Dalmatian Atopic dermatitis
English bulldog Atopic dermatitis
tain parasitic, fungal and bacterial infections of the skin are also
German shepherd dog Adverse reactions to food
more common in dogs and cats younger than six months. Atopic dermatitis
Gender and reproductive status affect the prevalence of certain Seborrhea, primary
Golden retriever Atopic dermatitis
skin problems, but they are not usual risk factors in nutritional
Gordon setter Atopic dermatitis
skin disorders, unless the increased nutritional demands of Irish setter Atopic dermatitis
pregnancy or lactation are present. Seborrhea, primary
Labrador retriever Adverse reactions to food
The clinician should obtain a complete medical history in all
Atopic dermatitis
cases. Specific details of the dermatologic history are found else- Seborrhea, primary
where (Scott et al, 2001).The nutritional history should focus on Lhasa apso Atopic dermatitis
Malamute Zinc-responsive dermatosis
the adequacy of the specific food for the patient’s lifestage, and
Old English sheepdog Atopic dermatitis
types and dosages of nutritional supplements.The veterinarian or Poodle, standard Sebaceous adenitis
a veterinary nutritionist should evaluate homemade foods for Pug Atopic dermatitis
Schnauzer, miniature Atopic dermatitis
nutritional adequacy (Chapter 10) because nutrient deficiencies or
Shar Pei Adverse reactions to food
imbalances are more likely to occur in dogs or cats eating home- Atopic dermatitis
made vs. commercial foods. Excessive nutrient levels in food can Shih Tzu Atopic dermatitis
Siberian husky Zinc-responsive dermatosis
cause skin disease due to direct toxicosis or interaction/interfer-
Spaniels Adverse reactions to food
ence with the use of other nutrients in the food. Atopic dermatitis (American cocker)
Seborrhea, primary
Physical Examination Terriers Atopic dermatitis
Vizsla Sebaceous adenitis
A comprehensive physical examination that evaluates all body *Atopic dermatitis is often managed with fatty acid supplemen-
systems should be performed on patients with skin or hair dis- tation, sebaceous adenitis and primary seborrhea with retinoid
supplementation, zinc-responsive dermatosis with zinc supple-
ease. Internal disease is often manifested as skin and coat dis-
mentation and adverse reactions to food with dietary changes.
ease, and this diagnostic possibility should not be overlooked by Specific nutrient deficiencies are usually not breed-specific.
concentrating on the integumentary changes alone.
The skin can be affected by many nutritional factors, but usu-
ally responds in a limited number of ways. The cutaneous
changes associated with nutritional abnormalities are often are rarely helpful in evaluating nutritional skin disease. How-
indistinguishable from those caused by other more common ever, these tests can be used to rule out internal or metabolic
skin diseases. Changes that raise the suspicion for nutritional diseases as causes of cutaneous problems.
abnormalities include: 1) a sparse, dry, dull and brittle coat with Routine laboratory procedures for patients with dermatolog-
hairs that epilate easily, 2) slow hair growth or regrowth from ic problems include skin scrapings for parasites, hair examina-
areas that have been clipped, 3) abnormal scale accumulation tion, cytologic examination of tissue or fluids, fungal culture,
(seborrhea sicca), 4) loss of hair, erythema or crusting in areas of bacterial culture and biopsy for dermatohistopathologic exami-
friction or stretch such as the distal extremities, 5) decubital nation. Of these procedures, hair examination and dermato-
ulcers and poor wound healing and 6) loss of normal hair color. histopathology are most helpful for evaluation of potential
Primary lesions such as papules and pustules rarely occur with nutritional problems.
nutritional abnormalities, but can occur with bacterial pyoderma
secondary to nutritional, allergic or other underlying problems. HAIR EXAMINATION
Plucking hairs from the skin and examining them micro-
Laboratory and Other Clinical Information scopically is termed trichography. This procedure helps diag-
Common laboratory evaluations including a complete blood nose a number of conditions including nutritional diseases.
count, serum biochemistry profile, urinalysis and thyroid panel Trichography is performed by grasping a small number of