Anita Patel
RCVS recognised specialist in Veterinary Dermatology, dermatologyreferrals.co.uk, South East England
Anita Patel runs a busy dermatology referral service in the South East of England and is Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons recognised specialist in Veterinary Dermatology. She is immensely experienced, gaining her certificate (Cert. SAD) in 1993 and her Diploma in 2002. She has dedicated the last 20 years exclusively to small animal dermatology and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society for her contribution to the clinical practice of veterinary dermatology in 2018.
Anita co-authored a case-based textbook on small animal dermatology in the “Saunders solutions in veterinary practice” series, which has been translated into four other languages, as well as writing chapters in various dermatology text books. She has published papers in refereed and peer reviewed journals and is actively involved in all aspects of dermatology with a special interest in Feline Dermatology.
Anita lectures in the UK and internationally. She is involved in teaching dermatology in Europe, China and South east Asia through the European school of advanced veterinary studies. Anita also lectures in Africa and provides online dermatology to vets in Kenya through Kenya veterinary dermatology study group that she helped start up.
Anita Patel is speaking at the following sessions
Allergies in dogs: Drawbacks to relying on allergy testing
Allergic skin diseases are some of the most common skin conditions seen in general practice. Reaching a diagnosis is generally a complex process, which can lead to misdiagnosis and to unnecessary lifelong treatment.
Over the last decade, new diagnostic tests for food and environmental allergens are offered by laboratories, yet we fail to make a definitive diagnosis in many cases. Some of the reasons may the lack of standardisation in allergen selection and lack of international standards, which result in poor inter-laboratory comparability, because of the different methodologies and reference ranges used. Other reasons for misdiagnoses include inappropriate drug withdrawal, seasonal variations in the allergens and the presence of IgE antibodies against cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants, etc.
This lecture highlights the limitations of the available diagnostic tests and the drawbacks of relying on laboratory test results alone. It will discuss how to interpret test results correctly, taking into consideration the patient history, clinical signs and exposure.
The magic of the practice microscope: how YOU can help both the pet and the vet
The microscope is one of the most useful pieces of equipment in the practice for investigating skin cases. Many of the investigations can be carried out by nurses to aid both the vet and the patient.
Often, vets are pushed for time and are unable to perform in house investigations there and then. Many of these investigations can be easily passed onto the nurse to perform the tests. The time needed to providing better targeted treatment is thus shortened, which is in the best interest of both the patient and the vet.
The lecture will show you the sampling techniques for trichography, skin scrapings and skin cytology; and what you might find under the microscope lens to help the vet make a diagnosis.
Allergies in dogs: Incurable but manageable, how?
Atopic dermatitis is an incurable, but a manageable, inflammatory and pruritic skin condition. It has complex pathomechanisms requiring a multimodal approach to its treatment and management. This approach includes treating and managing recurrent infections, controlling pruritus, taking preventative measures and managing owner compliance and expectations.
Depending on the severity of the clinical signs, symptomatic treatment and/or preventative measures may be implemented. Preventative measures include allergen-specific immunotherapy, maintenance of the epidermal barrier and allergen avoidance. Symptomatic treatments to manage pruritus include the use of oclacitinib, lokivetmab, glucocorticoids and ciclosporin.
Other treatments, which include prescribing antihistamines, essential fatty acid supplements, shampoo treatments and specific diets, are also used concurrently in the multimodal approach for the management of atopic dermatitis.
This lecture discusses the reactive measures when dealing with acute and chronic atopic dermatitis and taking proactive measures that could reduce the incidence and severity of flare-ups.
Itchy cat: Is it atopic?
Atopic dermatitis is not well defined in the cat. To come to a final diagnosis of atopic dermatitis, all the other causes of pruritus in the cat need to be excluded in a systematic manner. Unlike in the dog, atopic dermatitis in the cat is poorly defined for several reasons:
- The condition can manifest itself as form of reaction patterns seen in many other diseases. The reaction patterns seen in the cat are miliary dermatitis, symmetrical alopecia, eosinophilic granuloma complex, which is subdivided into indolent ulcer, linear granuloma, eosinophilic plaque, and finally head and neck pruritus.
- Clear distribution patterns are not seen
- The role of IgE in feline atopic dermatitis has not been fully established
Many other conditions can result in pruritus and these reaction patterns. Ectoparasites, food induced hypersensitivity dermatitis (FIHD) and flea bite hypersensitivity (FBH) can all manifest similar clinical signs.
This lecture discusses the need for a systematic approach to reach that final diagnosis of non-flea, non-food induced hypersensitivity (NFNFIH). A subset of these cats may have IgE antibodies against environmental allergens where we can make that final diagnosis of atopic dermatitis.