Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
West Highland White Terriers with itchy skin and Malassezia infection
By Nett, C S et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2001·Clinic of Small Animal Internal Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Epidermal dysplasia and Malassezia infection in two West Highland White Terrier siblings: an inherited skin disorder or reaction to severe Malassezia infection?
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two 9-month-old West Highland White Terrier siblings were brought to the vet because they were itching, losing hair, and had thickened skin. Tests showed they had a skin infection caused by Malassezia yeast and a condition called epidermal dysplasia (an abnormal skin development). They were treated with medicated baths, oral antifungal and antibiotic medications, and after six weeks, their skin infection cleared up and their hair started to grow back, although they still had some itching. Allergy tests showed they were sensitive to dust mites and Malassezia, so they began immunotherapy to help manage their allergies. With ongoing treatment, their mild itching was controlled with topical solutions.
People also search for: West Highland White Terrier skin infection · dog itching treatment · Malassezia infection in dogs · dog hair loss causes · allergy testing for dogs
Abstract
Two 9-month-old West Highland White Terrier siblings were referred to our clinic with pruritus, alopecia and lichenification. Cytological examination of Scotch tape strippings revealed Malassezia organisms and cocci. Skin biopsy specimens showed epidermal dysplasia. Treatment included bathing with a 2% miconazole/chlorhexidine-containing shampoo, orally administered ketoconazole (5 mg kg-1, every 12 h) and cloxacillin (25 mg kg-1 every 8 h). Six weeks later, the dermal infection had resolved and there was hair regrowth. However, the dogs were still moderately pruritic. Intradermal allergy testing was positive for house dust mites, storage mites and Malassezia. Immunotherapy was initiated, and treatment with ketoconazole and cloxacillin was stopped. Skin biopsies, which were performed in both dogs 4 months after the first presentation, revealed mild superficial perivascular dermatitis. The remaining mild facial pruritus was easily controlled with topical treatment. These two cases indicate that epidermal dysplasia might be an inflammatory or hypersensitivity reaction to the Malassezia infection or a result of excessive self-trauma, rather than a congenital keratinization disorder.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11906654/