UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

Aim: The present study was conducted to determine the hospital based occurrence of canine infectious dermatitis, evaluate its distribution according to age, sex and breed, and identify the major bacterial and fungal aetiological agents, with morphological characterisation of selected bacterial isolates.

Study Design: Hospital based observational epidemiological study.

Place and Duration of Study: Veterinary Clinical Complex (VCC), DUVASU, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India, from April to September 2025.

Methodology: A total of 2,160 dogs presented to the VCC were screened for dermatological disorders. Dogs diagnosed with dermatitis were categorised as having infectious or non-infectious disease. Infectious dermatitis was further classified as parasitic, bacterial or fungal on the basis of clinical and laboratory findings. A total of 245 skin swab and scraping samples were examined using culture, staining and biochemical techniques. Selected bacterial isolates were further characterised using the VITEK 2 system.

Results: Of the 2,160 dogs screened, 245 (11.34%) were diagnosed with dermatitis, of which 200 (81.63%) had infectious dermatitis, accounting for an overall hospital-based occurrence of 9.25%. Parasitic dermatitis was the predominant form (60%), followed by bacterial (24%) and fungal dermatitis (16%). Bacterial dermatitis was more frequently observed in dogs aged 0-2 years (46%), whereas fungal dermatitis was predominant in dogs older than 6 years (41%). Male dogs constituted 77% and 72% of bacterial and fungal dermatitis cases, respectively. German Shepherds had the highest breed-wise representation in both bacterial (27%) and fungal (34%) dermatitis. Microbiological examination revealed 48 bacterial and 32 fungal isolates. Among the bacterial isolates, 41 were Gram-positive and identified as Staphylococcus spp., while seven were Gram-negative and identified as Escherichia coli. Further examination identified Malassezia spp. in 10 fungal samples, whereas 22 samples showed mixed or unidentified fungal growth. Selected bacterial isolates were further subjected to identification using the VITEK 2 system.

Conclusion: The study identified a higher proportion of infectious dermatitis among dogs with dermatitis presented to the veterinary teaching hospital, with parasitic dermatitis being the predominant form. Staphylococcus spp. represented the major bacterial isolates, while Malassezia spp. was identified among the fungal agents. The observed differences according to age, sex and breed provide epidemiological information for clinical assessment and disease management. The findings provide baseline information to support diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to canine infectious dermatitis.