Dermatologic issues of pets are commonly among the top 10 reasons owners visit their veterinary hospitals. The visible fur loss that shocks clients requires veterinary teams to use their detective skills. The single-most important diagnostic tool for any skin disease (including alopecia) is a thorough history, writes Cherie Pucheu-Haston DVM, PhD, DACVD.
Pucheu-Haston’s article lists common differentials and provides a logical algorithm for approaching these cases.
Source: Today’s Veterinary Practice, March/April 2021. Link. It is helpful to categorize alopecia in cats as spontaneous or self-inflicted and to further subdivide self-inflicted alopecia into pruritic or nonpruritic. These categories can help focus the initial diagnostic approach and decrease the number of potential differentials.
INSIGHTS: It is not uncommon to see this algorithmic approach demonstrated during Nat Geo Wild veterinary programs. The focus on history, changes in the animal’s environment, diet and other animal contact is evident in the veterinary-client-patient interactions.
NOTE: For sales representatives, Pucheu-Haston provides a practitioner’s viewpoint that likely compliments the training you receive on various products.