This is Freddie, a lovely Border Terrier that came to see me with severe bilateral pseudomonas otitis and an autoimmune skin disease causing blistering of the skin called Pemphigus foliaceus.

He responded very well to high doses of steroids that are used to treat these conditions, but shortly before starting to taper the dose, erupted in lesions of Calcinosis cutis all over the body. This is a very rare occurence in my experience (only having seen one other, much milder, case 20 years ago).

We had to clip all his haircoat off so that DMSO gel could be applied to the skin (speeds up removal of calcium deposits from the skin) and we had take him off steroids very quickly. The worry was that his Pemphigus would return, so we put him on cyclosporin, a drug not very good at inducing remission, but may be of use as a maintenance therapy.

This photo was taken 4 weeks after the start of his Calcinosis cutis and having a total body clip. The next photo shows him virtually fully recovered from his Calcinosis cutis with thankfully, no relapse of his pemphigus or otitis.

Calcinosis cutis in a border terrier Leicester skin vet
Calcinosis cutis in a border terrier after 5 months Leicester skin vet
Nasopharyngeal Polyps in Cats

Nasopharyngeal Polyps in Cats

Ear disease isn't that common in cats. Apart from infestation with ear mites (otodectes) which in my practice is most commonly seen in newly purchased kittens, otits externa, which is often seen in dogs, is only seen occasionally. Very often , when I am referred a...