Dr. Rossi’s guest this week is Dr. Patricia White, a board certified veterinary dermatologist at the Atlanta Veterinary Skin and Allergy Clinic. Dr. White discussed the most common problems in veterinary dermatology, including allergies, bacterial and fungal infections, and mange. She also briefly touched upon autoimmune diseases. Dr. White described some of the common signs of allergies, such as scratching, chewing, rubbing, and mentioned that “scooting” was perhaps the most common sign of allergies. It is often misdiagnosed as an anal gland problem. She stated that in many cases there is only one sign present with an allergy, particularly a food allergy. She pointed out that the signs of food allergy are constant, whereas the signs of an environmental allergy are more seasonal. In her opinion, food allergies are vastly under diagnosed.
Dr. White made a strong case for the benefits of seeing a veterinary dermatologist, or any specialist, by pointing out the ultimate savings of making the right diagnosis and solving the problem quickly. The animals are happier, too!
Dr. Rossi also revisited the cat diet controversy, suggesting that dry foods may lead to disease in some cats. He discussed some recent research that supports this theory. He also mentioned a protozoal disease called Cytauxzoonosis, an infection of wild and domestic cats. The signs, diagnosis and treatment were presented.