Dermatophytosis are cutaneous mycoses caused by Microsporum spp., Trichophyton spp. and Epidermophyton spp. dermatophytes. Dermatophytosis resembles other skin diseases due to its various clinical manifestations such as multifocal alopecia, circular lesions, scaling, crusting, papular and pustular lesions, follicular obstruction, erythema, hyperpigmentation, miliary dermatitis and dystrophic nail growth, and its diagnosis is based on the use of many different methods. Generally used methods; clinical appearance, microscopic examination, examination with Wood's lamp and mycological culture but these methods have some disadvantages. Microscopic examination requiring expertise, fast and cost-effective method, but in some cases, microbiologists encounter specimens that are microscopically negative but give positive results in mycological culture. Examination with Wood's lamp can only be used for the diagnosis of M. canis and its specificity is low. On the other hand mycological cultures require a long time (3-6 weeks) to give definitive results, and their sensitivity may decrease due to common contaminant growth. Considering these reasons, new polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based methods have been developed for the diagnosis of dermatophyte agents. Compared to other molecular methods, the PCR method is easy, fast and applicable for the identification of dermatophyte species that do not show typical morphological features. Although PCR-based diagnostic methods are widely used in humans in the diagnosis of dermatophytosis, its usefulness in dogs and cats has also been confirmed. As a result, the PCR method used in the diagnosis of dermatophytosis; it is emphasized that it can be used in the diagnosis of dermatophytosis due to the ease of obtaining samples, providing faster results compared to mycological culture, and not requiring expertise, and it is emphasized that new and different methods should be used in the diagnosis of diseases. In this study, it was aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the PCR method and its applicability in clinical practice, as well as mycological culture, which is frequently used in the diagnosis of dermatophytosis.

Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is a genetically inheritable, inflammatory and pruritic skin disease with characteristic clinical features, most commonly associated with IgE antibodies to environmental allergens. Itching is the most prominent clinical finding. Depending on the allergens involved, seasonal or non-seasonal pruritus may occur. In the first active phase of pruritus treatment, which consists of two stages, acute exacerbations should be controlled by drugs with active ingredients such as corticosteroids, oclacitinib, lokivetmab, etc. In the proactive pruritus treatment, it is aimed to prevent exacerbations and prolong the pruritus-free period with maintenance treatment. For this purpose, in addition to active phase of the therapy, different treatment options such as cyclosporine, tacrolimus, antihistamines, essential fatty acids, Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), topical drugs and shampoos can be used to repair the skin barrier. Due to the side effects and costs of the drugs used in the treatment of pruritus in atopic dermatitis, researches on alternative treatment methods are still continuing. Applications such as mesenchymal stem cell therapy, recombinant canine gamma-interferon, luteolin, vitamin D, vitamin E, lactoferricin/verbascoside, mastinib, cannabidiol (CBD), probiotics and vaccination against IL-31 are the alternative treatment options for atopic dermatitis in dogs. However, more studies are needed before their inclusion in our routine clinical practices and added to the guidelines. In this review, it is aimed to provide information about new treatments used for pruritus in CAD and to encourage their use in routine veterinary clinical practice.