Tag: dermatitis

  • The dangers of casts and bandages

    The dangers of casts and bandages

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    Casts and bandages are frequently used to treat orthopaedic conditions, especially in situations where clients have financial constraints that rule out surgical treatment. However, these techniques have an extremely high probability of complications, including: malunion, delayed or non-union fracture disease – which refers to joint stiffness, muscle atrophy and disuse osteopenia associated with prolonged casting…

  • Feline fine in lockdown

    Feline fine in lockdown

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    Since the start of lockdown, I’ve been seeing a lot of cats in practice – not that I’m complaining, as a self-confessed “crazy cat lady”. A lot of these cases have been geriatric cats – many of which presented with chronic vomiting or reduced food intake (with various aetiologies). However, when we tore through our…

  • Screen burn: thoughts on telemedicine

    Screen burn: thoughts on telemedicine

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    With the recent announcement that the UK’s first veterinary telemedicine service is set to launch, there is much debate over whether this type of service is a good thing. The major bugbear most vets have with telemedicine is the absence of a physical examination. While teleconsultations (or, indeed, just a telephone call) can allow a…

  • Always on: a new perspective

    Always on: a new perspective

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    It was a couple of weeks before I set off for Bristol and an uncertain, but exciting life on the vet course that my mother – who’s been a member of the medical field for many years – began pointing out various dogs and cats to me as we passed them, stating that, once I…

  • Staying motivated

    Staying motivated

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    When your course is a minimum of five years long, and your days are filled with lab work, lectures and study, it can be easy to lose sight of the big picture – the real core driver behind why you wanted to be a vet in the first place. Forgive me if I’m wrong, but…

  • The client from hell

    The client from hell

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    “Never work with children or animals,” advised WC Fields – I think I’d be inclined to add “the public” to that. While, on the whole, my client interactions have been good, every now and then you do get the occasional nutter. I’ve had drunk clients, barely able to stand up, let alone comprehend their half-bald…

  • Unpredictability: the spice or stress of life?

    Unpredictability: the spice or stress of life?

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    It is said variety is the spice of life – although, as much as I like fiery food, I’m sometimes just as happy with a sandwich. Unpredictability isn’t exclusive to veterinary medicine, of course, but I sometimes fantasise enviously about people who know what they will be doing from the moment they enter work until…

  • Don’t forget cytology and Malassezia dermatitis

    Don’t forget cytology and Malassezia dermatitis

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    Ever had one of those cases, which seem to typically occur around this time of year, that you think must be the start of an allergic dermatitis? These present with pruritus, erythema and sometimes a yellowish/grey, greasy feel to the skin and hair coat. The dog is already on a regular POM-V broad-spectrum antiparasiticide. Initial…

  • What’s causing the recurrent pyoderma and pruritus?

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    Given my interest in dermatology a lot of itchy canine and feline individuals are passed in my direction. They often have a history of recurrent microbial skin infections either in the form of Staphylococcal pyoderma or Malassezia dermatitis, which is treated as and when it occurs. I’m often surprised to find these individuals are not receiving routine parasite…

  • Don’t do food trials in summer

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    I now try to avoid running food trials in mid-summer. Certainly on first presentation, with no previous history of allergic dermatitis, I tend to treat accordingly and wait to see what happens later in the year as vegetation dies back. Food allergic dermatitis does not have a seasonal basis, so if the signs resolve or exacerbate over…