Malassezia slooffiae-associated dermatitis in a goat

An adult male Pygmy goat with a history of losing hair and declining body condition was euthanized, and a complete diagnostic work-up was performed. The animal showed diffuse alopecia on the dorsal and lateral sides of thorax and abdomen, proximal legs, neck and face. Histology revealed diffuse orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis, epidermal hyperplasia and perivascular dermatitis. Broad-based budding yeasts and hyphae were visible in the keratin layer. Malassezia slooffiae was identified in the skin by polymerase chain reaction amplification of part of the large subunit rRNA gene using broad-range fungal primers and DNA sequencing. This is the first report of M. slooffiae-associated dermatitis in goats.