Chrissy - Dachshund with Superficial Pyoderma

Highgate Veterinary Clinic

173 Highgate, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 4EN
01539 721344


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Chrissy, a healthy middle aged dachshund, was presented with the skin lesions seen below. These were large round spreading patches of hair loss with a little scaling and dark pigmentation of their centres. The affected skin was slightly but not very itchy.

Diagnosis of skin problems in dogs and cats is made difficult by the fact that many conditions can look very similar. These may have very different causes and require very different treatments.
In this case for example the possible causes include:

Ringworm ; a fungal skin infection.
Demodectic mange; a skin mite living in the hair follicle
Physical damage such as heat or chemical contact.
Autoimmune skin disease; where the body damages itself.
Malassezia a yeast infection.

Investigation of skin conditions can involve the following:

A thorough detailed history of how the problem developed
A close inspection of the lesions.
Skin scrapings to look for mites living in the skin
Cytology to look at skin cells under the microscope
In some cases blood sampling for hormonal problems or allergies.

In this case a diagnosis of superficial pyoderma was made. Treatment with a 3 week course of a strong skin active antibiotic and an antibacterial shampoo cured the problem and the hair was soon regrowing.

Pyoderma is a common skin condition in dogs. However it can look quite different depending on the breed of dog , place on the body and severity of the infection. It is commonly a secondary condition in adult dogs with the “primary” initiating condition being allergic. Allergies can be caused by parasites, food or airborn allergens such as dust and pollen to name just a few; but that’s another huge story! watch this space.

Article by Nick Gray

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This case is available as a PDF here