Stephen Shaw's Groups Activities

Where are we on oclacitinib in cats?

Sara Ramsey — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 23:06:37 GMT

I had been advised from a dermatologist that it's not recommended due to risk of adverse effects. This was in the last year.

Looking quickly, there does seem to be some evidence that 1mg/kg SID for 28 days is tolerated well.

AKI if over dose (they like the pork flavour tablets unfortunately)

Risk of infections/toxoplasma would worry me too..especially outdoor cats.

Reccomended temperature monitoring?

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 20:51:09 GMT

What are people using for temperature monitoring in practice? In the past pharmacy fridges with alarms and a data logger to check events if something bad happened seemed to be ok. Now being told we need to download data weekly? Guidance unclear if we then just check all ok and discard or if I need to show a long and historical record.

Anyway - anyone got a simple solution? Wifi data loggers mentioned. CBA gathering up 15 usb to download every week (with an inevitable out of range temp!)

Many thanks

Pyoderma?

Tomas B — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 12:13:13 GMT

Hello everyone

This is my own dog

7yo ME EBTerrier

Fully wormed and vacc

Started with ear infections 2 years ago (resolved) and pyoderma mainly in the paws that improved with malaseb and antibiotics15d

Has hx of walking in grasseed fields but none found- Last time my mother took him to the Vets (dog is not with me at the time present), they explored the dorsal part of the RFL by suspicion of grasseed (despite it looking like a deep pyoderma to me). Now he is limping on this foot and needs to be with the buster collar, otherwise will start to lick and the wound will be terrible again. He had a 15d course of cephalexin 3 weeks ago (after the exploration of the paw) but it seems like it didnt resolve the infection

He is on RC hipoallergenic and no meds

Any feedback is welcomed

Thank you

Cat dermatology question

Holly Lee — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 06:22:05 GMT

Hi, I have an 8yo FN Abysinnian cat with quite severe facial skin inflammation which I thought was likely a hypersensitivity reaction (e.g. mosquito bite allergy, I am in NZ so it is mosquito season) but hasn't responded especially well to a low dose of prednisone and amoxyclav for the infection.

Just wondering if I am missing something - I have increased the prednisone dose to 1.5mg/kg from 0.7mg/kg and we are doing a little bit of a food trial (not a full one but cutting out some of the junk foods). Anything major I should have thought of causing this pattern of reaction.

Thanks, Holly

How do you deal with MRSP? Any experience with chloramphenicol?

Beats — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 15:05:04 GMT

[quote user="Beats"]

The culture was from the tail (which could be amputated, albeit with some risk of non-treatable infection)., but likely to be representative of MRSP being present in other areas of deep pyoderma in 55kg GSD which needs sedated to examine.

Chronic skin issues - on 16mg apoquel twice daily and 8mg medrone once daily.

Deep pyoderma treated few months ago with TMPS, resolved nicely at time, but now this. No other antibiotic treatment.

Areas too extensive likely for topical treamtent to be successful.

Does not want euthanasia.

Is it reasonable to treat on this occasion with e.g. chloramphenicol, or is that just asking for increased selection pressure on already very bad bug (worst I've seen in skin) and should look at options of euthanasia or topical management (without expecting cure, and acknowledging persistent MRSP inevitable) only?

Moderate growth:Staphylococcus pseudintermedius
Antibiotic                    Result                    MIC                    Sensitivity Range
---------------               -----------               ------                 ----------------------
Chloramphenicol (1)           SENSITIVE                 8                      4     sSirr       64
Penicillin (1)                Resistant                 >=0.5                  0.03  sssrR       0.5
Cefovecin (2)                 Resistant                 >=8                    0.5   sssiR       8
Amikacin (2)                  SENSITIVE                 <=2                    2     Ssssir      64
Gentamicin (2)                Resistant                 >=16                   0.5   ssssiR      16
Neomycin (2)                  Resistant                 >=32                   2     sssiR       32
Enrofloxacin (2)              Resistant                 >=4                    0.5   siiR        4
Marbofloxacin (2)             Resistant                 >=4                    0.5   ssiRr       8
Pradofloxacin (2)             Resistant                 >=4                    0.12  ssiirR      4
Clindamycin (1)               Resistant                 >=4                    0.12  sssiiR      4
Minocycline (1)               SENSITIVE                 4                      0.5   sssSir      16
Fusidic acid (2)              SENSITIVE                 <=0.5                  0.5   Ssrrrrr     32
Mupirocin (3)                 SENSITIVE                 <=1                    1     Siiiiiiiir  512
Florfenicol (1)               SENSITIVE                 <=4                    4     Ssrr        32
Rifampicin (3)                SENSITIVE                 <=0.03                 0.03  Ssssssir    4
Potentiated sulphonamides (1) Resistant                 >=320                  10    sssrrR      320
Amoxicillin (1)               Resistant                                         
Ampicillin (1)                Resistant                                         
Amoxicillin-Clavulanic acid (1)Resistant                                         
Cephalexin (1)                Resistant                                         
Lincomycin (2)                Resistant                                         
Doxycycline (1)               Resistant

[/quote]

Tangent of: How would you deal with MRSP in 5 year old GSD with extensive deep pyoderma?

Non healing pinnae wounds

charlievelyn — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 10:01:44 GMT

I am looking for advice on what to do about these non healing pinnae wounds in a charity kennelling setting.

Lack of previous history means I do not know how these started or how long they have been present, but we have known the dog about a month and they have been present since the start. When the dog was castrated and had a tail amp (case of happy tail, now healed well) on January 19th, the ears were cleaned and one was sutured. The dog has been on pain relief (NSAID and pardale) and still is. Handling is challenging but not impossible though he needed a week course of trazadone earlier in the month to help keep him relaxed in a kennel setting to allow tail amputation healing and he did tend toward aggression once when he banged his painful tail, so we are cautious. We have been unsuccessful at keeping a head cover on him thus far. The ear wounds keep opening up whenever he shakes his head. I have asked for cytology and otoscopic exam for otitis.

Does anyone have any advice on ways to help these heal without needing surgery to remove part/all of the pinnae? From personal experience I have found antibiotics helpful and ultimately bandaging, but I am worried we mightn't be successful head bandaging this dog.

Many thanks for any help!

Dex/water for injection mix for pseudomonas otitis

Elenor Walsh — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 13:51:47 GMT

Hi,

I've a dog I'm treating for pseudomonas otitis media, I've lost my recipe for dexadresson in water for injection - can anyone help me out with the quantities here?

Thanks in advance :)Elenor

Pseudomonas aeruginosa nose bridge infection

Aida Navarro — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 14:10:24 GMT

Good afternoon,

I've just taken a swab from a pugs nose bridge as he has a nasty infection and it has come back positive to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, sensitive to Gentamicin and Amikacin. I have only found some topical treatments containing Gentamicin, Clinagel eye gel which is only 4g and Easotic or Otomax ear drops but wouldn't think it's a good idea to use these as it's so close to the eyes. There are some human topical creams too but again I'm concerned about it getting in the eyes, especially as the patient is very fidgety (typical pug). Any suggestions??

Thanks in advance,

Aida

Facial dermatitis and hypoallergenic diets in a cat

janine redman — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 22:00:42 GMT

I have a 7 year old domestic short haired cat appointment yesterday . She has a history of pruritis with a significant amount of irritation over the muzzle , peri orbital region and chin . In previous years she has had more widespread lesions but is now on bravecto which seems to have helped .

she started a hypoallergenic diet 3 months ago , purina HA , and is on prednisolone 5mg on alternate days , down from 5mg daily . There has been a slight improvement and she now has erythema and partial alopecia of the muzzle and peri orbital erythema only .

clinically she is otherwise well.

so is there any advantage in trying an alternative hypoallergenic diet ?

I wanted to do skin biopsies but any reduction in the prednisolone results in unacceptable pruritis and self trauma

Would ciclosporin Be indicated even when I have not managed to get a definitive diagnosis ?

Any other suggestions ? Skin scrape and coat combing all negative . No other food given and an indoor lifestyle.

Do cats and dogs have sweat glands on foot pads?

Beats — Thu, 21 May 2020 08:23:14 GMT

I was watching a recorded lecture on dermatopathology (dog and cat) from a DECVD which stated both on the slide and orally:

"Sweat glands: absent footpads and nasal planum."

This does not seem to tally with my histology text (Bacha and Bacha, 3rd edition) which states:

1) "The planum nasale of carnivores is devoid of hairs and glands" [agreement with lecture]

2) "Digital pads of dogs and cats are covered by a very thick epidermis that is smooth in the dog and roughened by conical papillae in the cat. Coiled merocrine sweat glands occur in the dermis and the digital cushion of the pads." [apparent disagreement with the lecture]

As cats often seem to have sweaty foot pads in the consult room, I'm assuming it is the Bacha text that is corrent on this point of difference?

Is there a controversy, or subtlety, here that I am missing or is this just an error in the recorded lecture? It was stated with apparent conviction both written and orally in a lecture from a university DECVS, so I don't like to dismiss out-of-hand without checking first.

Many thanks!

Otitis Externa with no microbial cause

Anthony Dennison — Sat, 09 May 2020 12:20:39 GMT

I have been treating a young, chihuahua cross that has had issues with bilateral otitis externa. Pinnae and external canal become very red and angry, but no discharge build up Cytology is clear, cleared up completely with a short course of systemic corticosteroids, and when it came back again Recicort was succesful.

Just seen the dog again today, ears had flared up so owner used left over recicort, but now the internal surface of both pinnae are covered in comedomes and are quite dry. I suspect it is part of an allergic skin disease rather than isolated otitis, but no other areas of skin are affected.

Would intermittent topical steroid use be enough as management in this case or would systemic medication such as apoquel be more appropriate?

VetSurgeon.org

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 08:08:08 GMT