title: Clinical characteristics and causes of pruritus in cats: a multicentre study on feline hypersensitivity-associated dermatoses.
abstract: Hypersensitivity dermatitides (HD) are often suspected in cats. Cats with HD are reported to present with one or more of the following patterns: miliary dermatitis, eosinophilic dermatitis, self-induced symmetrical alopecia or head and/or neck excoriations. Previous reports on feline HD included small numbers of animals, took place in geographically restricted areas or did not compare these conditions with other causes of pruritus. The goal of the present study was to analyse 72 parameters covering signalment, clinical, laboratory and treatment characteristics from a large group of pruritic cats from different geographical areas. Of the 502 cats, the following diagnoses were made: flea HD (29% of cases), food HD (12%) nonflea/nonfood HD (20%) and other diseases in which pruritus was a feature (24%). Cats with signs consistent with a HD but which did not complete a food trial were not analysed further (15% of cases). Most cats with nonflea HD exhibited signs compatible with one or more of the four typical lesional patterns, but none of these patterns was found to be pathognomonic for any specific diagnosis. Food HD and nonflea/nonfood HD were found to be clinically undistinguishable. Young adult, purebred and female cats appeared predisposed to nonflea/nonfood HD. As many diagnoses presented with similar lesional patterns, a thorough clinical work-up is required for establishment of a specific diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Department, Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hobi
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linek
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marignac
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Olivry
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beco
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nett
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fontaine
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roosje
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bergvall
authors.forename: Sveta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belova
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koebrich
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pin
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kovalik
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meury
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Favrot
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D002415:Cats; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004478:Ectoparasitic Infestations / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D011537:Pruritus / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005423:Siphonaptera