GENERAL

EXAMINATION
OF
CANINE SKIN
STRUCTURE OF SKIN
 Skin is the largest organ of the body.
It provides protective barrier against environment.
 It regulates body temp.& gives sense of touch.

LAYERS OF SKIN
 EPIDERMIS
 Outer layer.
 Protects from foreign substances.
 Composed of :

Keratinocytes Melanocytes

Langerhan’s Merkel Cell

Cell
 Dermis
 Supports & nourish epidermis & skin
appendages.
Blood vessels & sensory nerves are present
here.
 Secretes protein Collagen & elastin that
supports skin elasticity.
 Immune cells are also present that defend skin
against infectious agents.
 Skin Appendages
1) Hair Follicles
2) Oil & Sweat Glands
3) Claws

SUBCUTIS
 Innermost layer& contains subcutaneous fats &
muscles.
 Provides reservoir for fluids , electrolytes, energy
& act as shock absorber.
DIAGNOSIS
 Dermatological and medical
history
Dermatological history
 Age at onset
 Original lesion’s location and initial appearance
 Progression of the lesions
 Pruritus (grade)
 Response to treatment/s
 Contagion to other animals/people

Medical history
• habitat, diet, other signs,...
Dermatological Examination

• visual and “manual” examination of all

the skin surface (included external ear
canals)
• presence of parasites
• skin and hair quality
• type of cutaneous lesions
• distribution of the lesions
 Skin and hair quality

 Skin:
• Color
• Thickness
• Elasticity

 Hair:
• Texture (broken, oily, dry…)
• Easy to epilate
• Primary/secondary hairs ratio
Fundamental cutaneous lesions

 Primary

 Secondary (to self-trauma and/or to

spontaneous progression of primary
lesions)
Primary Cutaneous lesions
i. Macule
ii. Papule
iii. Pustule
iv. Vesicle or bulla
v. Wheal
vi. Nodule
vii. Tumour
 Macule
Circumscribed area, flat spot upto 1 cm in dm,
characterized by a change in the color of the skin.

Erythematous Hyperpigmented (melanotic)

Papule
 Small solid elevation of the skin up to 1 cm in
diameter
 It can be of:
Normal color
Erythematous
Hyperpigmented
Pustule
 Small elevation of the skin filled with pus
 Fragile
 Follicular / Non-follicular
VESICLE
• Sharply circumscribed elevation of skin
filled with clear, free fluid
• Lesions upto 1cm in dm.
BULLA
Vesicles greater than 1cm in dm.
Wheal
 Sharply circumscribed, raised lesion consisting
edema .
 Usually erythematous
 Variable shape and size
Nodule/tumour
 Solid elevation greater than 1 cm in diameter
 Variable depth and attachment to underlying tissues
 Inflammatory/neoplastic.
Erythema
 not a “pure” cutaneousprimary lesion
 Change in the color of the skin (“redness”)
 Variable limits,shape, size
Secondary Cutaneous lesions
 Alopecia
 Scale
 Crust
 Scar
 Comedo
 Pigmentary abnormalities
 Excoriation
 Ulcer-Erosion
 Lichenification
Alopecia
 Lack of hair where it is normally present.
• Complete alopecia
• Partial alopecia (hypotrichosis): due to reduction of
number and/or length of hairs
Scale
 Loose fragment of stratum corneum.
 Final result of epidermal keratinizaion.
 Variable size, color, consistency.
Crust
 Accumulation of dried exudate, blood, cells
(epithelial and inflammatory), hairs, adhered to
the skin.
 The underlying skin is excoriated/eroded/
ulcerated
 Variable color
SCAR
• Area of fibrous tissue that has replaced
dermis or subcutaneous tissue.
• They are remnant of trauma or
dermatological lesions.
• They are : Atrophic, Depigmented or
Alopecic.
Comedo
 Dilated hair follicles filled with cornified cells,
sebaceous material & microorganisms.
 Clinically appear as “black points”
Hyperpigmentation

 Increased pigmentation (melanin) of the

skin
 Macrophages may be found in superficial
dermis
 With/without inflammatory changes of the
skin
EXCORIATION
• Superficial removal of epidermis by
SCRATCHING, BITING or RUBBING.
• They are mostly self produced.
ULCER
Break in the continuity of the skin with
exposure of the underlying dermis.
A scar is always left after healing.

EROSION
Shallow ulcer that doesn’t penetrate the
basal cell layer & heals without scar.
 Lichenification
 Thickening & hardening of the skin
characterized by exaggerated skin
markings (“wrinkles”)
 Usually due to chronic trauma (pruritus)
 More frequent in the ventral skin
 Often accompanied by hyperpigmentation
 Laboratory Techniques
SKIN SCRAPING
It is done for the diagnosis of parasites like:
MITES
Sarcoptes scabiei Demodex canis
 i. Clipping of Hair ii. Pinching of Skin

iii. Scraping of skin is done

with scalpel until the blood
oozes out.
 CELLOPHANE TAPE METHOD
 It is done to collect parasites & debris from hair
& skin surface.
 Useful for the detection of Cheyletiella mites,
fleas ,lice & also for YEAST .
1 1-2 inch tape piece is torn, & sticky part of tape is
touched to hair & skin collecting flakes & debris.
2 Tape is then directly applied on the slide.
 SKIN BIOPSY
Done for malignant skin tumors or a mass that
appears suddenly or grows rapidly.
It provides information about the nature of the
abnormality, and will differentiate between
infections, allergic skin disease, autoimmune skin
disease, and cancer.
1. Site for biopsy is 2. Local anesthetic around
prepared & hair are the region is given.
clipped.
3. Skin is punched 4. Grasping the biopsy
from underneath using
forseps.
5. Biopsy is placed on 6. Site is sutured.
cassette.
 WOOD’S LAMP EXAMINATION
It is done to evaluate lesions of dermatophytes
(ringworm) infection.
In this Wood’s Lamp is used.
It gives bright green fluorescence with hair in the
lesion.
( green fluorescence occurs because of
TRYPTOPHAN which is produced by fungus.)
THANK YOU