Dermatological diseases of small mammals

Small mammalian pets frequently present with dermatological conditions. Just as in dogs and cats, these can be complex conditions with primary, secondary and perpetuating factors. Where there is pruritus or severe underlying systemic disease, there may also be welfare issues for the animal. With some parasitic diseases and dermatophytosis, there may also be zoonotic implications for the owners, especially as small mammals are often handled by relatively immunenaive children.

Therefore, there is a need to perform a thorough investigation in all these cases, as would be the norm in canine and feline medicine. Unfortunately, such investigations may often not be possible in these species. First, their small size and increased anaesthetic mortality risk can make procedures, such as skin biopsy, much higher risk, and there are often cost limitations on these investigations. This does not mean that clinical investigations should not be offered, but there is commonly at least a degree of restriction on what can be done. At this point, communicating with owners is very important in terms of managing their expectations. Restriction on investigation hampers diagnostic capability and therefore lessens the chances of successful management or cure. However, finances may simply not be available (and most of the patients are uninsured), so it is rarely helpful to induce feelings of guilt in an owner.