UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

Canine dermatological disorders are commonly encountered in small animal clinical practice and may be influenced by host-related and environmental factors. The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence and etiological spectrum of dermatological disorders in dogs presented to the Small Animal Medicine Outpatient Unit, Veterinary Clinical Complex, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Orathanadu, located in the Cauvery Delta region of Tamil Nadu, South India. A total of 10,841 canine cases presented between January and December 2025 were screened. Of these, 1,011 dogs were diagnosed with dermatological disorders, giving an overall prevalence of 9.32%. Seasonal distribution showed the highest occurrence during the southwest monsoon season (31.26%), followed by summer (26.51%), northeast monsoon (25.32%) and winter (16.91%). Age-wise analysis indicated that dogs below one year of age were most frequently affected (34.42%), followed by dogs aged 2–4 years (20.97%) and 1–2 years (19.29%). Male dogs accounted for 68.94% of affected cases, while females represented 31.06%. Breed-wise distribution showed that mongrel dogs formed the largest proportion of affected animals (50.94%), followed by Labrador Retrievers (12.07%), German Spitz (7.91%) and German Shepherd Dogs (7.12%). Among the recorded dermatological conditions, bacterial dermatitis was the most common disorder (34.32%), followed by demodicosis (13.55%), sarcoptic mange (10.98%), flea allergy dermatitis (8.31%) and contact dermatitis (7.91%). The findings indicate that infectious and parasitic skin conditions were predominant among the dermatological disorders recorded in this region. The study also suggests that age, sex, breed and seasonal factors may influence the occurrence of canine dermatological disorders under local environmental conditions.