Dermatopatias não-tumorais em cães: bases para o diagnóstico e dados de prevalência em Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul (2005-2008)

Abstract

The current study stemmed from the interest in improving the diagnostic capabilities of a team consisting of two small animal clinicians and four veterinary pathologists from the Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária of the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil; it was conducted from March 2005 to December 2008 as part of a doctoral project entitled "Non-tumorous dermatopathies in dogs" and was divided in two parts. The first part consists of an illustrated literature review on the histological aspects of the skin of dogs and cats, aimed to serve as a tool for dermatopathology, and on the methods applied to the dermatological diagnosis in small animals, with emphasis in the laboratory tests that support the diagnosis. The second part consists of the determination of the prevalence of dermatopathies in dogs in the municipality of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In this second part there is a pictorial collection, in the format of an atlas, of the main gross and histopathological aspects, that, in association with other criteria, allowed the diagnosis of the non-tumorous dermatopathies herein described. To accomplish that, the canine dermathological clinical cases seen at the Hospital Veterinário Universitário of UFSM and at a private practice from Santa Maria were followed up from March 2005 to June 2008. During this period 480 dogs with dermatological problems were examined; in 393 (81.9%) it was possible to establish a definitive diagnosis and in 87 (18.1%) the diagnosis was inconclusive. Four hundred and twenty four primary diagnosis and 78 secondary diagnosis were performed in the 393 dogs with conclusive diagnosis, totaling 502 diagnosis. The distribution of the diagnosis according to the categories of diagnosed dermatopathies was as follows: Allergic (190/502 [37.8%]), bacterial (103/502 [20.5%]), parasitic (97/502 [19.3%]), environmental (28/502 [5.6%]), mycotic (20/502 [4.0%]), endocrine (13/502 [2.6%]), keratinization defects (11/502 [2.2%]), psychogenic (9/502 [1.8%]), acquired alopecias (6/502 [1.2%]), autoimmune (6/502 [1.2%]), inherited (6/502 [1.2%]), pigmentary abnormalities (1/502 [0.2%], nutritional (1/502 [0.2%]), and sundry conditions (11/502 [2.2%]). In general, the ten most frequently diagnosed non-tumorous dermatopathies in decreasing order of frequency were: Atopy, flea bite allergic dermatitis, superficial bacterial folliculitis, demodectic mange, deep bacterial folliculitis/furunculosis, sarcoptic mange, myiasis, food allergy, pyotraumatic dermatitis, and Malassezia dermatitis. These 10 conditions together made up approximately for 75% of all canine skin diseases diagnosed in the current study. Such a result supports the view that a few skin diseases make up for the most part of the dermatological clinical cases seen in dogs from Santa Maria.