Playing Dermatological Detective:
s a veterinarian, diagnosing disease processes in pets is similar to a detective gathering clues to determine the crime. And like with any crime scene, every clue is important, so asking questions is part of the investigation. It is no different if you are a groomer dealing with skin issues.
So, what are the most important things to look at? First is always the “signalment,” which means the basic information. These are things like age, breed, general health, nature of the skin issues, type of lesions present, pattern of lesions, etc.
Age, for example, starts narrowing or directing our list of possible diseases. If I see a young dog with very itchy skin, my major rule-outs are dry skin and demodectic mites. If I see an old dog that has symmetrical hair loss, I start thinking of some type of hormonal or metabolic disease (liver, kidney, etc.).
We also see many pets with breed-specific issues, so we always need to consider whether the signs are consistent with the diseases the breed is prone to. Here are a few of the more common diseases that we see:
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Sebaceous Adenitis is an inflammatory disease that causes scarring of the sebaceous glands, eventually leading to poor sebum production. The skin becomes very dry, and noticeable hair character changes occur.
Common breeds affected: Poodles/Doodles, Akitas, Vislas, Havanese, Samoyeds, German Shepherds.
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Ichthyosis is an inherited disease where the skin turns over very rapidly. The normal skin (keratinization) cycle is usually 21 days, but with Ichthyosis, the skin may turn over every three to four days. This leads to constant flaking of large quantities of skin and dander.
Common breeds affected: Golden Retrievers, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, American Bulldogs, Jack Russel Terriers, West Highland White Terriers. -
Shave Alopecia is irregular or total coat loss after trimming or shaving down the coat. Often, the coat goes dormant and may or may not ever grow back without the proper products to stimulate the regrowth. Alopecia X and Black Skin Disease are two names commonly associated with this condition.
Common breeds affected: Pomeranians, Chow Chows, Samoyeds, Malamutes, Huskies, Keeshounds.
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Color Dilution is an inherited disease associated with recessive hair color, most commonly blues and fawns. Many of these dogs have fragile, weak hairs or lack hair altogether. Some of the coats can be helped or significantly improved with proper products.
Common breeds affected: Dobermans, Labrador Retrievers, Chow Chows, Chihuahuas, Great Danes, Yorkshire Terriers, Silky Terriers, Shetland Sheep Dogs, Standard Poodles, German Shepherds, Bernese Mountain Dogs.
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Zinc Responsive Dermatosis is a skin issue, often with secondary infections, created from lack of zinc absorption through the intestinal tract.
Common breeds affected: Malamutes, Huskies, Bull Terriers.
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Auto-Immune Disease is a disease where essentially the pet’s body is having an allergic response to itself. This requires high levels of anti-inflammatory or chemo drugs to quiet the immune system. Groomers can play an essential role in healing skin lesions, but veterinary care is necessary to get the pet into remission.
Common breeds affected: German Shepherds, German Shepherd mixes, Border Collies, Collies.
Sadly, many of these conditions are diagnosed as allergies or deemed non-treatable. Given the cause, most of these are “non-curable” conditions but can be significantly improved using the right products and techniques to fit the disease. If you are not aware of the source, the wrong approach is often taken.
If you have a dog with a skin issue following a certain pattern, that is also a big clue. For example, if it is an allergy to a plant or pollen that causes a reaction from breathing in the pollen and manifests as a whole-body reaction, the scratching will be generalized. Or, if we have a dog with bad ears, inflammation around the anus, reddened underbelly and itchy paws, then we start thinking about food allergies. If the scratching and hair loss is from the rib cage back, we need to consider flea bite dermatitis (inflammation/infection of the skin). But if we are dealing with symmetrical hair loss, then we need to think of a whole-body issue. If it is patchy or not symmetrical, then we think more of infection (usually secondary).
Determining whether a problem is acute (just happened recently) or chronic (going on long term) is crucial. Is this something that occurs the same time every year (allergies)? Asking these types of questions is probably one of the most important things we can do as detectives to get the answer. Here are some key questions to ask:
- What does the pet do during the day?
- Where does the pet lay?
- How much time does the pet spend indoors vs outdoors?
- Does the pet only go outside in the yard or do they go for walks?
- Does the dog go swimming? Where?
- What has changed recently?
- Have you changed their food in the last couple of months?
- Have you started any new treats or supplements?
- Has anything in the household changed?
- Are there stressful things going on in the household? (Child going to college? Company? Marital issues?)
- Have you changed laundry detergent, cleaning products, dog beds, etc.?
- When did it start?
- Is the problem constant or intermittent?
- Did something change one to three months before this started?
- Does the dog have any health issues?
- Has the pet seen a veterinarian and what was the diagnosis?
- Was the dog put on any medications?
All of these clues paint a picture of what could be a source of the issue. However, as a groomer, you are not allowed to diagnose a disease. But this is not about diagnosing; this is about being a pet advocate first. You may educate your client on the possible causes or things that may need to be changed in the environment. Or, you may take all that information to help design a restoration plan to bring the skin back to health. But after all these questions, the response is often, “You need to take this pet to your veterinarian or a dermatologist.”
Solving skin or hair issues—whether a veterinarian diagnosing or a groomer gathering information—requires critical thinking. To move forward with a scientific approach, you must collect all the evidence, just like a detective evaluating a crime. Otherwise, you are just guessing. So next time someone asks, “What should I use for my itchy dog?” I hope you realize more information is required to answer the question!
Dr. Cliff Faver graduated with a BS in Biology/BA in Chemistry before getting a Veterinary degree in 1987. He is the past owner of Animal Health Services in Cave Creek, Arizona and now the US distributor for Iv San Bernard products, teaches the ISB Pet Aesthetician Certification program, and speaks internationally on hair and skin. His passion is to merge groomers and veterinarians to aid in helping and healing pets. He is also a member of AVMA, AAHA, AZVMA, Board member with Burbank Kennel Club, and has served on Novartis Lead Committee, Hill’s International Global Veterinary Board, and a Veterinary Management Group.