9. Soft Kitty, Itchy Kitty, Little Ball of Fur

T/F If an animal has well demarcated lesions it is usually not due to trauma

True

If a cat has alopecia, what should be on your DDX?

ringworm

What is the name of steroid that you use in cats?

prednisolone

What are the FOUR causes of Traumatic Induced Alopecia?

• Allergic

• Parasitic

• Behavioral

• Miscellaneous (Urinary cystitis,Impacted anal sacs)

Cats with allergy usually present (asymmetrical/symmetrical)

symmetrical

What test do you need to do when you pluck the hair and look at it under a microscope with oil?

Trichogram

How will you know if the cat is causing the lesions?

you see broken hair from barbering

What is the distribution of Feline Atopic Skin Syndrome: FASS? (6)

-Periorbital

- pre- aural

- forelegs

-neck

- abdomen

-ears

T/F Cats usually present with environmental allergies early in life like dogs but they can occasionally have outliers like cats that get allergy at 7-8 yrs old

True

What are the FOUR treatment options for FASS?

• Steroids

• Antihistamines

• Immunotherapy

• Cyclosporine

What does Dr. Kennis really like to give cats with allergy?

allergy shot

T/F You can use antihistamine but they dont work very well

True

What treatment does good but tastes terrible so it will be hard to give?

Cyclosporine

What drug can be given to dogs for allergies but cannot be given to cats because they do not utilize IL-31 in their itch pathway?

Apoquel

You have a cat that has symmetrical alopecia on the forelegs, neck, abdomen and around the eyes. The owner says that there is no seasonality to her itching. What should be one of your top DDX?

Food Allergy

How long should you give a food trial in a cat? What should you use for the diet due to it being the best?

8 weeks, Hydrolyzed

What is the distribution of Flea allergy in cats?

• Back ½

• Head & Neck

What is the treatment for flea allergy?

• Steroids

• Avoidance

Why can you not give allergy shots for flea allergy?

because flea allergy can be due to Type I or Type IV hypersensitivity and allergy shots are only good for Type I

What is a short demodex mite that is located on surface of the skin?

Demodex gatoi

How do you diagnose Demodex gatoi?

superficial skin scraping

T/F Demodex in the cat presents and is diagnosed the same as it is in dogs

False, demodex in dog is in the follicle

What is the clinical sign of demodex gatoi?

pruritus (only mite that causes this)

T/F Demodex gatoi is contagious

True

What is the TX for Demodex gatoi?

Isoxazoline or lime sulfur dip

How do you diagnose behavioral causes of alopecia?

diagnosis of exclusion

What are some of the treatment options that may help the Behavioral alopecia?

• Amitriptyline

• Calming care

• Fluoxetine

What tumor can cause traumatic induced alopecia? How does it present?

Mast cell tumors

• Solitary mass

• Diffuse

You have a 3 year old Scottish fold that comes in due to excessive grooming around the perianal area leading to alopecia. What is on you DDX?

Impacted anal sacs

What are the FOUR types of Eosinophilic Reactions seen in cats?

• Miliary dermatitis

• Eosinophilic plaque

• Linear eosinophilic granuloma

• Indolent ulceration

T/F A reaction pattern is a diagnosis

False, it is NOT

What is a common cause of Eosinophilic Reactions?

Ectoparasites

T/F Relapse likely unless the underlying cause is identified and treated

True

What kind of lesions does Miliary Dermatitis cause?

Crusted papules

What are the DDX of Miliary Dermatitis?

• FASS

• Dermatophytosis

• Bacterial infection

• Ectoparasites

How do you diagnose Miliary Dermatitis?

• Fungal culture

• Impression cytology

• Skin scrapings

• Biopsy

• Flea antigen test

How do you treat Miliary Dermatitis?

- Methylprednisolone

- Dexamethasone

- Methylprednisolone acetate (depo)

What TWO allergy drugs are not recommended and not effective?

- Antihistamines

- Apoquel

What is the well-demarcated raised lesion that causes INTENSE pruritus?

Eosinophilic Plaque

What do you need to know about Eosinophilic Plaque?

they are HELLA itchy

Where is the most common distribution of esoinophillic plaques?

ventral abdoman

What is common with Eosinophilic Plaques?

2° infections

What is the most common cause of Eosinophilic Plaque?

flea allergy

What are the treatment options for Eosinophilic Plaque?

• Steroids

• Concurrent antibiotics if indicated

• Biopsy

What is the DDX for Eosinophillic plaques?

mast cell tumor

How do you differentiate Linear Eosinophilic Granuloma from Eosinophillic Plaques? (he said know this)

usually not pruritic

What do you use to treat Linear Eosinophilic Granuloma?

Pred +/- Cyclosporine (difficult to treat)

What do you need to do to rule out other disease if unresolved?

Biopsy

What are the DDX of Linear Eosinophilic Granuloma?

Feline Atopic Skin Syndrome (atopy, food)

What is a non-pruritic FASS lesion found in the mouths of cats who's DDX is SCC?

indolent ulcer

What is used to treat indolent ulcers?

Pred +/- Cyclosporin A

What is the MOA of Cyclosporin?

inhibits T- helper cells

Cyclosporin should only be given if your cat is indoors, why is this?

Cyclosporin supresses the immune system so outside cats are more likely to get Toxoplasmosis

You have a middle-age DSH that comes in with a history of pain and ulceration. On PE, there is a puffy scaly footpad. What do you suspect is wrong with the patient?

Plasma Cell Pododermatitis