MOTIVATION
“Our deepest fear is not that we are
inadequate, our deepest fear is that
we are powerful beyond
measure…”
-Marianne Williamson
An acute or chronic inflammatory disease of
the external ear canal
 Clinical signs:
Head rubbing or shaking
Ear scratching
Head tilt – with the affected ear tilted down
Malodorous otic discharge (brown, greenishyellow)
› Lichenification, hyperpigmentation, crusts,
erythema and excoriations may be present
› Aural hematoma
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›
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NOTE THE EXCESS
BROWN EXUDATE
ERYTHEMA, HYPERPIGMENTATION,
LICHENIFICATION
AURAL HEMATOMA

PREDISPOSING FACTORS:
› Conformation
 Heavy, pendulous ears
 Stenotic ear canals
 Ear hair
› Excessive moisture
 Frequent bathing or swimming
› Hypersensitivities
 Food allergy, atopy
 DIAGNOSIS:
› Otoscopic exam
› Clinical signs
› Cytology, ear smear
 Yeast, bacteria, cerumen, skin cells

MALASSEZZIA OTITIS
Malassezzia resemble
footprints, bowling pins,
or snowmen

BACTERIAL OTITIS
ROD-SHAPED BACTERIA
AND A SKIN CELL

TREATMENT
› Always treat the underlying condition if
present
› Topical meds instilled daily
 Antibacterial, antifungal, or combination
products often with steroids (otomax,
tresaderm, baytril otic)
 Cleaning ears during treatment
› Surgical intervention may be required
 Aural hematoma
 Chronic conditions (Total Ear Canal Ablation)
The anal sacs are located between the
muscle layers of the anus at the 4 and 8
o’clock positions. Each sac connects to
the surface through a narrow duct.
Sebaceous glands produce a foul-smelling
oily, brown fluid. The sacs are naturally
expressed during defecation, but can
sometimes overfill.

IMPACTION
› When the sacs overfill, the water can be
reabsorbed, and the material dries out.
 Sacs become a source of discomfort for the dog and
are difficult to express at this time.
› Impaction can lead to abscessation and
rupture.

Clinical signs include: scooting rear end
across the floor, painful defecation, tail
chasing, perianal erythema, and/or swelling

DIAGNOSIS
› Palpation (rectally or externally)
› Clinical signs

TREATMENT
›
›
›
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Express contents
Flush sac
Instill antibiotic ointment
Oral antibiotics, anti-inflammatories
Surgery?
WEARING GLOVES, GENTLY MILK THE GLANDS IN AN UPWARD
MOTION TO EXPRESS.
Tumors are a new growth of tissue
characterized by progressive,
uncontrolled proliferation of cells.
Benign vs. Malignant
Localized vs. Invasive
Adenoma/Carcinoma vs. Sarcomas

HISTIOCYTOMA: small, button-like tumors that
are usually pink, hairless, and raised. They are
rapidly growing
Common locations include the pinnae, head, and legs

HISTIOCYTOMA
› Occurs almost
exclusively in young
dogs <4yrs old

DIAGNOSIS
› Appearance
› biopsy

TREATMENT
› These tumors may
spontaneously
regress, but surgical
excision is the
treatment of choice
ROUND CELL TUMOR

LIPOMA: tumor of
the subcutaneous
adipocytes (fat cells)
that are typically
freely movable and
well-circumscribed
› Common in older,
female, obese dogs

DIAGNOSIS:
› Biopsy
› Fine needle aspirate

LIPOMA
› TREATMENT:
 Surgical excision
 Benign neglect
lipocytes

PAPILLOMAS: wart-like growths that
develop as smooth, white/pink/pigmented,
elevated lesions in the oral cavity (oral
papillomatosis) or on the skin (cutaneous
papillomas)
› These growths are caused by a papillomavirus

PAPILLOMAS
› DIAGNOSIS:
 Appearance
 Biopsy
› TREATMENT
 Usually spontaneous regression
 Autogenous vaccine
BENIGN TUMORS OF THE SKIN

SEBACEOUS GLAND CYSTS: Slow growing,
encapuslated, round, and exude a gray,
cheeselike material. Caused by
degenerative changes in the glandular
area surrounding the follicle.
› Common in cocker spaniels

DIAGNOSIS
 Contents of the cyst
 histology

TREATMENT
› Surgical removal of entire encapsulated cyst
BENIGN TUMORS OF THE SKIN
SEBACEOUS CYSTS
MALIGNANT SKIN TUMORS

FELINE VACCINE-INDUCED
FIBROSARCOMAS: rapidly developing,
highly invasive, malignant tumors that
occur at the site of vaccination ~4-6
weeks later.
› VACCINES MOST COMMONLY IMPLICATED
ARE THOSE WITH ADJUVANTS (substance that
enhances the immune response by
increasing the stability of a vaccine in the
body) SUCH AS FeLV AND RABIES
MALIGNANT SKIN TUMORS

VACCINEASSOCIATED
SARCOMAS
› DIAGNOSIS:
 Biopsy of fine
needle aspirate
 Physical exam
findings
 Swelling in area of
recent vaccination
 Rapidly growing
firm elongated
mass
MALIGNANT SKIN TUMORS

VACCINE-ASSOCIATED SARCOMAS
› TREATMENT
 Radical surgical excision which may involve
limb amputation is the treatment of choice
› CLIENT INFORMATION
 Poor prognosis if not detected early and
treated aggressively
 Inflammatory lumps may do develop after
vaccines but usually disappear within 1-2
weeks
MALIGNANT SKIN TUMORS
FELINE VACCINE-ASSOCIATED SARCOMAS
MALIGNANT SKIN TUMORS

MAST CELL TUMORS: firm nodules on the skin that
may be ulcerated or edematous. Mast cells
contain histamine and heparin
MALIGNANT SKIN TUMORS
FINE NEEDLE ASPIRATE OF MAST CELL TUMOR; NOTE THE NUMEROUS GRANULES
MALIGNANT SKIN TUMORS
IN CATS, MAST CELL TUMORS ARE USUALLY BENIGN AND MAY SPONTANEOUSLY REGRESS
MALIGNANT SKIN TUMORS

MAST CELL TUMOR
› TREATMENT
 Chemotherapy
 Radiation therapy
 BENADRYL
 H2 blockers to treat gastric ulceration and
irritation
› PROGNOSIS
 Depends on biopsy “grading” results
MALIGNANT SKIN TUMORS

MELANOMA (Benign or Malignant)
› BENIGN: small, slow growing, hairless,
pigmented
› MALIGNANT: large, dome-shaped sessile +/pigmentation
 Ex: Tumors of the oral cavity and digits
 Poor prognosis
 Metastasize readily
 Recurrence after surgery is common
MALIGNANT SKIN TUMORS
TREATMENT INVOLVES SURGICAL REMOVAL AND POSSIBLY TREATMENT WITH THE VACCINE