Erythema multiforme is a rare hypersensitivity reaction that is reported in several domestic animal species, and not in goats. This case report describes the clinical and histopathological features of erythema multiforme and secondary bacterial skin infection in a goat.

A small population of resident T-lymphocytes is present in the healthy epidermis of skin from humans, mice, cattle, and sheep. Resident lymphocytes were not found in the epidermis or adnexal epithelia of healthy skin from cats and horses. Skin-biopsy specimens from the normal skin of the dorsolateral thorax from 29 dogs were examined histologically and immunohistochemically for the presence of lymphocytes, CD3+ (T-lymphocytes), and Pax5+ (B-lymphocytes) cells in the epidermis and adnexal epithelia. All examinations were negative. It appears that lymphocytes rarely occur, or occur in very small numbers, in the epidermis and adnexal epithelia of normal dog skin.

The interdigital skin of alpacas is affected by many inflammatory conditions, such as bacterial infections, ectoparasitisms, contact dermatitis, and zinc-responsive dermatosis. Cytology is a rapid, inexpensive, and practical method of acquiring important diagnostic and therapeutic information on skin diseases. However, to date there is no published information concerning the cytological findings in normal interdigital skin from alpacas. Hence, we performed cytological evaluation of the interdigital skin on a front and hind foot of 30 healthy alpacas (Vicugna pacos). Yeasts, Gram-positive cocci and rods, and Gramnegative rods occur regularly, and there is no difference in counts of these cells between the front and rear feet. The presence of inflammatory cells or large numbers of epithelial cells would be abnormal.

Many diseases-including bacterial and fungal infections-can affect the skin of the interdigital spaces of alpacas. Culture and susceptibility testing may be required for appropriate diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. To date, no information is available on the bacterial and fungi isolated from the feet of healthy alpacas. A prospective study was conducted on two groups of alpacas, each containing 15 animals from one farm, but housed separately. One front and one rear foot was sampled from each animal. Skin samples were collected with sterile swabs and placed in culture media. Cultures were submitted to a laboratory for aerobic and anaerobic bacterial and fungal cultures. Twenty-one species of aerobic bacteria, five species of anaerobic bacteria and 12 species or categories of fungi were isolated from 60 samples. Hence, in the absence of cytological or histopathological correlates, culture results must be cautiously interpreted.