New Resident in Indianapolis
Animal Dermatology Clinic is pleased to announce that on January 1, 2011, Dr. Darin Dell will join the team in Indianapolis, IN.
Dr. Dell graduated with honors from the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine. While in veterinary school, he learned that his adopted rough coat collie had food allergies and that began his interest in dermatology.
Most recently, Dr. Dell has worked in small animal general practice for six years and animal emergency medicine for two years before starting with Animal Dermatology Clinic.
Dr. Dell has already completed two years of his veterinary dermatology residency and will be completing his training at Animal Dermatology Clinic.
“I am very excited to begin seeing cases at Animal Dermatology Clinic Indianapolis this January. The opportunity to be able to do what I love and focus solely on veterinary dermatology is both immensely gratifying and profoundly liberating. Other exciting news is that I recently finished the data collection portion of my research project (a web-based survey on the long term outcome of allergic dogs). The preliminary data is extremely interesting and I believe it will prove very useful to our profession.” says Dr. Dell.
He will be under the mentorship of the senior dermatologist, Dr. Lori Thompson, Diplomate, ACVD.
**Download the printed version of Derm Digest for more fun facts and information!
Derm Disease:
Juvenile Cellulitus
This disease often involves swelling and raised red bumps around the eyes, mouth and ears of puppies less than four months old. It is also called Puppy Head Gland Disease and the more ominous, ”Puppy Strangles” and although a dog may not have actually strangled from a swollen gland, it may have given the appearance of having the potential to do so.
It is rare for an older dog to develop this disease.
The sores that develop may occasionally extend to the skin of the feet, belly, prepuce and vulva. The lymph nodes of the head, neck and shoulders may also be very large.
Often high fever will accompany the disease causing lethargy and depression as well as a loss of appetite. Some dogs may show signs of joint pain. All breeds are susceptible, but golden retrievers, dachshunds and Gordon setters are more prone to this condition.
The most common test performed to confirm the diagnosis is a skin biopsy. This procedure is often done with sedation or local anesthesia and is painless to the patient. Bacterial and/or fungal cultures are also often done to rule out other diseases that may present similarly. Juvenile cellulitis is a fairly uncommon disease, although when diagnosed early and with proper medications there is a high probability of a full recovery. Sores will resolve, but scarring is common.
Therapy involves the use of immuno-suppressive therapy generally in the form of oral corticosteroids with gradual tapering. Antibiotics are often used but are generally not necessary and rapid response is generally noted in these cases.
The cause of juvenile cellulitis is not known but infectious agents, parasites and immune system trauma potentially caused by vaccines have all been proposed and investigated.
Sources: David Duclos, Canine & Feline Skin Diseases
Rusty Muse, DVM, ACVD & Joel Griffies, DVM, ACVD Animal Dermatology Clinic
