Comparison of 2 sampling methods for molecular detection of bacteria or fungi from feline hair and scale specimens

Skin diseases of cats are among the most frequent client motivations for a veterinary consultation. Both carpet and toothbrush sampling are commonly used to obtain hair and scale samples for microbiologic testing. Although molecular tests have become more accessible and more widely used by clinicians, the ideal collection method for clinical specimens is unclear. To assess their performance in retrieving microbial DNA from clinical samples, we compared the bacterial and fungal DNA load in hair and skin scale samples collected using carpet or toothbrush methods. We evaluated sample DNA yield using fluorometry, spectrophotometry, and quantitative PCR. Despite no measurable differences in sample weight, toothbrush samples yielded significantly higher bacterial (p = 0.028) and fungal (p = 0.005) DNA loads compared to carpet samples, regardless of disease status. The toothbrush method was more effective in harvesting microbial DNA from hair and skin scale samples.