Case 1History and gross findings: A landowner in southeastern Wyoming (north of Torrington) noticed raccoons on the property displaying abnormal behavior in January-February 2010. He shot 5 of them. He mentioned the episode to a game warden, who froze one carcass. Subsequently he submitted it to the WSVL for necropsy. Gross findings in the skin of this subadult 4 kg male raccoon were dried exudate adherent to hair shafts, rhinitis, bilateral blepharitis-conjunctivitis, alopecia near the tail head, and thick fissured digital pads. Thickly coated skin of the head, neck and trunk had a uniform deposit of fine orange-brown debris (dried exudate) at the base of hair shafts. Bilaterally, skin over the medial aspect of the tarsus was rough, red, and moist. Footpads were cracked. There was a 5 cm patch of hair loss, centered on the tail head, where skin was rough, red-tan, and dry. Skin around the nostrils was rough, mottled pale pink and covered by dried exudate, with a few shallow ulcers. Skin of the eyelids was rough and thick with a narrow rim of alopecia. Scant mucopurulent exudate adhered to the lower eyelids. Internal finding was anteroventral pneumonia, and a gunshot wound to the chest. Ileocecal lymph nodes were large. The raccoon tested negative for rabies on FA.
Case 2
(gross picture)Clinical history: Skin punch biopsy x 4 (designated as middle and caudal sternum, L axilla, L inner thigh) from a 21 month old, female spayed, Devon Rex cat with a 5 month history of intense pruritus. Skin lesions are confined to the ventrum as erythematous papules in a striking linear arrangement. Some of the papules are thinly crusted. Scotch tape imprints from around clawbeds are positive for Malassezia sp. yeast in low number. The cat did not respond to initial treatment with oral antibiotics (claviseptin) and glucocorticoids (prednisolone) so the veterinarian next tried injectable glucocorticoids (depomedrol) and antibiotics (cefovicin) with a diet change (Hill's z/d hypoallergenic). The cat improved (reported to be 50% better) although pruritus is already unmanageable 3 weeks after the second depomedrol injection. The cat is otherwise well, has a great appetite but spends most of its time scratching. Other cats from the same breeder have skin problems but distribution is not the same. Tentative diagnosis: Urticaria pigmentosa vs allergic dermatitis.
Case 8Clinical history: Owners living at an altitude of 2,000 m presented an adult dog whose external nose was bilaterally depigmented and sensistive. Depigmentation affected the dorsal part of the external nose, and mucosa around the nostril. No other lesions were present, including no lesions in periocular or aural skin, or in the oral cavity.
Case 17
(GMS stain) Clinical history and gross findings: An adult male Pygmy goat was submitted for post mortem examination. The goat belonged to a herd of 20 animals that were fed alfalfa hay and grain. The affected animal had been losing hair and body condition for approximately one month. Previous treatments with ivermectin (Ivomec) and amitraz (Mitaban) had been ineffective and the owners opted for euthanasia and a complete diagnostic work-up. No skin problems were reported in the other animals of the herd. Grossly the carcass showed diffuse alopecia on the dorsal and lateral sides of the thorax and abdomen, proximal parts of the legs and on the neck and face. In the areas of alopecia the skin was thick and covered by dense crusts. The carcass was in poor nutritional condition, with no fat reserves, serous atrophy of subcutaneous, perirenal and pericardial fat and moderately dehydrated. No other significant gross abnormalities were observed.
Clinical history: Received were multiple punch biopsies of skin from a 4 year old, castrated male, Vizsla. The dog had areas of ulceration, alopecia, depigmentation and thickening of the skin along the nose. The lesion involved both the haired skin and the nasal planum.
History: Ulcerated mass excised from the head of a 14 year old, spayed female, DSH cat from British Columbia, Canada.
Case 38 (GMS stain)Clinical history: 2 months ago the owner noticed multiple small raised alopecic masses near the midline of the back, loins and hind end of the horse. These masses ranged in size from approximately 0.5 cm to 1 cm in diameter and were neither pruritic nor painful. One mass was biopsied and submitted for histopathologic examination.
Case 48 (gross pictures)Clinical history and gross findings: One 4-year-old fifth parity sow bred March 22, euthanized May 7 due to extensive skin scabbing was submitted. Only this animal was affected from the herd and she was housed in an individual stall. There was no history of recent vaccination or antibiotic therapy. There were antibiotics in the semen extender used for AI. The animal was not itchy or painful. The flooring was old, not new concrete and there had been no topical contact to chemicals or salt. The animal was not involved in a barn fire and was not exposed to the sun. There were no recent changes to the feed. No in contact people had lesions.
On gross examination the sow had multifocal to coalescing variable sized crusting ulcerative skin lesions on the head, neck, ventral abdomen, inguinal region, lateral sides of hind legs, tail head and lateral sides of the elbows. The perimeters of the lesions have clumps of serocellular crusts embedded with hair which can be easily removed with the underlying epithelium. The centers of the lesions are void of hair and obvious epithelium, have a reddened scalded appearance and are often dry and leathery.
Case 50 (gross pictures)Clinical history: Skin biopsy x 4 (wedge from forehead, punches from dorsal muzzle and R distal limb) from a 7 year old, neutered male, Labrador Retriever dog with a 3 to 8 month history of painful, pruritic and progressive exfoliative crusting dermatosis affecting face and distal limbs (forelimbs are more affected than hindlimbs). The dog lives on a farm. Bacterial culture results from samples collected 1 month earlier grew a Staph. intermedius group sensitive to most antibiotics. Skin scrapings are negative for ectoparasites. Treatments have included imidacloprid, short term systemic antibiotics, anti-inflammatory dosages of oral glucocorticoids, zinc supplementation. Glucocorticoids were discontinued 6 weeks before biopsy. Current medications include systemic antibiotics (clindamycin) and tramadol.
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