Diagnostic approach to the itchy dog
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Candace A. Sousa
- Source
- In Practice. 35:2-6
- Subject
- medicine.medical_specialty
Presentation
Chronic disease
General Veterinary
business.industry
media_common.quotation_subject
medicine
Intensive care medicine
business
Surgery
media_common
- Language
- ISSN
- 2042-7689
0263-841X
In practice, it can be challenging to obtain a diagnosis for the pruritic dog. Without a diagnosis it is difficult to provide the pet owner with information about the cause, the prognosis or even the appropriate treatments. This can create frustration for both the pet owner and veterinary surgeon and leads to increased chronic disease in affected dogs. The aim of this article is to provide some guidelines that will help a veterinary surgeon proceed from the first presentation of an itchy dog to a diagnosis. It also discusses the common pruritic skin diseases of the dog and how to think about and approach the diagnosis.