Veterinarian training courses library : Dermatology

Teaching goals

• Define alopecia
• Diferentiate self-induced alopecia and non-induced alopecia
• Know the major challenges in the diagnosis of this clinical sign
• Provide the appropriate tools for a correct identification

Teaching goals

Alopecia is defined as the loss of hair in areas of the body where normal hair would be expected. Alopecia can represent a mere cosmetic problem with no risk to the patient, however, it can also occur as a consequence of an internal disease with potentially serious implications. As such, a methodical approach and an accurate diagnosis are prerequisites for the correct management of alopecia cases.

The first step in approaching alopecia is to assess whether the hair loss is primary and not associated with inflammation, or whether, on the contrary, it is due to self-trauma (broken hairs, erosions) or skin inflammation.

The clinical examination should, therefore, initially aim to identify signs of follicular inflammation and infection that must be differentiated from clinical alterations associated with non-inflammatory alopecic diseases. Erythema, papules, pustules, lichenification, self-trauma recognized by broken hairs, excoriations, erosions and ulcerations are suggestive of an inflammatory process associated with pruritus.

In the case of non-inflammatory alopecia, a mere cosmetic problem, with no risk to the patient, may be present, or the alopecia may be the manifestation of a systemic disease. In this case, there can be potentially serious consequences for the patient if the condition is not correctly identified and corrected.

With this class we intend to provide the appropriate tools for a correct identification of the clinical signs associated with the different types of alopecia, as well as for its correct diagnosis.

Teaching goals

• If feather-plucking in birds is often frustrating for the vet, it is also because they are not normally addressed in depth.
• The objective of this short course on plucking is to frame a problem that is much wider than what is usually assumed.
• In fact, plucking can have organic, psychological and behavioral causes. We will try together to resolve this complicated issue a bit.

Teaching goals

• This lesson explains two of the most common foot diseases in birds: bumblefoot, or bird foot dermatitis, and Amazon foot necrosis. Both are common diseases that every avian veterinarian should know how to recognize and treat.

Teaching goals

• Otitis externa (OE) is defined as an acute or chronic inflammation of the external ear canal. In dogs, it is a very common alteration, being reported to represent up to 20% of all visits seen in the daily small animal clinic. In cats, otitis externa is less common, accounting for about 4% of all medical cases. Although it is often considered a diagnosis, otitis externa is just a clinical sign, almost always resulting from an underlying primary cause, almost always involving a secondary infection, and in which other predisposing and perpetuating factors also contribute to the disease. For the effective management of all cases of otitis, these factors must be identified and controlled.
• Otitis media (OM) usually occurs as an extension of otitis externa and can occur in up to 80% of cases of chronic otitis, being a frequent cause of therapeutic failure in the management of OE.
• With this class we intend to define the most appropriate therapeutic approaches taking into account the different clinical scenarios.

Teaching goals

• Otitis externa (OE) is defined as an acute or chronic inflammation of the external ear canal. In dogs, it is a very common alteration, being reported to represent up to 20% of all visits seen in the daily small animal clinic. In cats, otitis externa is less common, accounting for about 4% of all medical cases. Although it is often considered a diagnosis, otitis externa is just a clinical sign, almost always resulting from an underlying primary cause, almost always involving a secondary infection, and in which other predisposing and perpetuating factors also contribute to the disease. For the effective management of all cases of otitis, these factors must be identified and controlled.
• Otitis media (OM) usually occurs as an extension of otitis externa and can occur in up to 80% of cases of chronic otitis, being a frequent cause of therapeutic failure in the management of OE.
• With this class we intend to define the best diagnostic approach in cases of acute and chronic external otitis.

Teaching goals

• This brief talk on feather loss explains that not all the issues with plumage have the same cause, and that passive plumage loss is a very different thing from active feather plucking, or Feather Destructive Behavior.
• Certainly, there are common causes of the two problems, and the diagnostic process is similar, but the causes of a loss of feathers and active feather plucking can also be very different.

Teaching goals

• Unlike dogs, external otitis (OE) is much less frequent in cats, being a reason for consultation in only 2% of cases.
• The primary causes of otitis externa in cats differ to some extent from those in dogs, requiring an adapted and specific diagnostic approach.
• The purpose of this talk is therefore to summarize the various causes associated with the development of otitis externa in cats.

Teaching goals

• One of the most frequent veterinary consult complaints is otitis externa (OE). Approximately 20% of all canine patients have some type of ear disease.
• Otitis externa occurs as a consequence of a multitude of causes and factors. Primary causes result in ear canal inflammation, predisposing factors increase the risk for the development of otitis, and perpetuating factors delay a clinical cure. The control of these factors is the key to avoid chronicity and recurrence of otitis externa.
• The purpose of this lecture is, therefore, to summarize the various factors and causes associated with canine otitis externa development.

Teaching goals

The talk of today’s quickly examines some of the most frustrating lesions for the avian veterinarian: papules, pustules and papilloma.
Often, we do not know the cause of such lesions, and sometimes, even if we know it, we cannot and cure them.
Let’s deepen a bit our knowledge of avian dermatology.

Teaching goals

• Feline atopic syndrome is a chronic disease and allergenic avoidance, when possible, is the best possible option. If this is not possible, a combination of etiological, symptomatic and nutritional therapies must be instituted, depending on each case
• The purpose of this lecture is, therefore, to summarize the various treatment options for feline atopic syndrome

Teaching goals

• Cats show unique reactive and lesional patterns in their skin conditions. These reaction patterns reflect the skin's response to various inflammatory stimuli, and they are just that in themselves: patterns, not definitive diagnoses.
• The most common reaction patterns are usually indicative of allergic disease, however, other differential diagnoses, such as infectious and parasitic diseases, should be systematically considered and excluded.
• The most common reaction patterns are: self-induced alopecia; head and neck pruritus; miliary dermatitis; eosinophilic granuloma complex.
• The goals of this class will be to present the clinical presentation of the cutaneous reaction patterns considered characteristic of feline atopic syndrome.