The histopathological changes at skin of German shepherd dogs associated with ringworm infection in directorate of K9 in Al-Diwanyia province

Abstract

The current study was conducted to exam the histopathological changes of skin of German shepherd dogs suffering from ringworm infection. It may be the first study on this breed of dog in the Al-Diwanyia province. Seven German shepherd dogs from directorate of K9 in Al-Diwanyia province suffering from skin lesion were used in this study. Highly contaminated fur of infected dogs was cultured on Sabouraud’s dextrose agar (SDA). A five mm shaved biopsies of skin from all cases were taken from lesions present on shoulder region and after routine processes histological technique to evaluate the histopathological changes. The result were revealed that the colonies of Microsporum canis was flat, spreading, white to faint creamy-coloured with a dense buffy, granular to coarsely fluffy to hairy surface with radial grooves, and the histopathological exam of skin were showed presence of hyperkeratosis, spongiosis and marked dermal edema, skin bullae in the epidermal layer and accumulation of collagen fibers found of spores and hyphae of Microsporum in the stratum basale layer of epidermis and infiltration of eosinophils in the dermis layer directly beneath the basal layer of epidermis.