The Wood's lamp versus M. CanisJanuary 18, 2023There were only a few percentages we were told to "memorize for boards" in veterinary school, a dozen years ago now. These included odds of malignancy in dog/cat mammary masses (50 percent/90 percent); canine splenic mass diagnoses (33 percent hematoma/hemangioma/ hemangiosarcoma); failure rates of TPLO versus TPP versus. lateral band in canine cruciate disease (now debunked); and, in dermatology, the sensitivity of the Wood's lamp in diagnosing dermatophytosis: less than 50 percent. Where did "50 percent" come from, and why has it been lodged so firmly in our heads? So firmly that I recently ran across this same number in the crisp 2022 edition of a small animal textbook. That number is wrong, and my veterinary friends, colleagues, students still quote it. It is also possible the first percentages quoted here need updating—they probably do (See: "When in doubt cut it out! But by how much?" by Brennen McKenzie, MA, MSc, VMD, cVMA on VPN Plus+). A closer look at M. canis Dermatophytosis in small animals is generally caused by one of three fungal organisms: Microsporum canis, M. gypseum, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. M. canis is the only one of these that produces pteridine …
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