FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ELEVATED CUTANEOUS MALASSEZIA-PACHYDERMATIS POPULATIONS IN DOGS WITH PRURITIC SKIN-DISEASE

The prevalences of breeds and concurrent diseases in a group of 40 dog s with pruritic skin disease associated with elevated cutaneous Malass ezia pachydermatis populations were compared with samples of a dermato logical hospital population. The ages and genders of the affected dogs were comparable to those of the dermatology population. Basset hounds , cocker spaniels and West Highland white terriers were significantly overrepresented. Concurrent diseases were diagnosed in 27 dogs, of whi ch 15 were atopic. However, the prevalences of atopic disease, primary keratinisation defects and endocrinopathies in dogs with elevated cut aneous M pachydermatis populations were comparable to those in the der matology population as a whole. These results indicate that certain br eeds are predisposed to the development of elevated cutaneous M pachyd ermatis populations and that concurrent skin diseases can frequently b e identified in affected dogs. However, the relationship between these concurrent diseases and abnormal M pachydermatis populations remains unclear.