Skin Signs

The skin can demonstrate disease with only a limited number of symptoms. It can:

• Lose hair

• Gain hair

• Change hair color

• Change skin color:

  • Lose pigment

  • Gain pigment

  • Inflame (red)

  • Blanche (white)

  • Bruise (purple or blue)

• Become scaly

• Become crusted

• Become scabbed

• Thin

• Thicken

• Erode or Ulcerate

• Exude fluid

• Crack or peel

The dermatologist must be adept at recognizing the types and patterns of lesions affecting the skin, and together with obtaining a thorough history piece together a list of the most likely causes of disease (the differential diagnosis list).

There are four categories of skin disease (dermatitis/dermatoses) that occur most frequently in companion animals. They are allergic dermatitis, ear infections, skin infections, and immune-mediated/autoimmune dermatoses.