A skin scraping can reveal the presence of abnormal cells on the surface of the skin. It can reveal some fungi, bacteria and parasites. By determining the cause of a skin disorder, effective and appropriate treatment can be initiated. Skin scraping occurs when a veterinarian uses a scalpel blade to “gently” remove a layer of cells from the animal's skin. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay A skin scraping is performed by collecting “a sample of skin cells” with the use of a scalpel. You will gently scrape away the layers of skin with the blade, usually until a small portion of blood is visible. It is important that a small amount of blood is visible because the parasites are suspected to live deep in the skin. Also squeeze the skin before scraping because it helps push the mites out from the “depths of the hair follicles”. The received skin cell sample will then be placed on a microscope slide, mixed with oil, and evaluated under the microscope. Most veterinary clinics will use mineral oil to examine the skin scratch under a microscope. In most cases results are available within 30 minutes. Sometimes, veterinarians may need a second opinion on the skin scraping and will send the sample to an outside laboratory. If this is done, results may take two to four days. The tools for this procedure are very simple, you don't need much. For this procedure a specialist needs glass slides, coverslips, scalpel blade, mineral oil and a microscope. When viewing the skin scratch under a microscope, a specialist examines the slide with 4x to 10x magnification. Using skin scrapings can help diagnose the following conditions: mites (including scabies), demodex, ringworm, bacterial or yeast infections. Scabies and Demodex mites can be identified directly with a skin scraping. Bacterial and yeast infections can be diagnosed by a skin scraping or skin cytology test. A skin cytology is a test in which a swab is run “firmly on the skin” and then on the microscope slide. Ringworm can be diagnosed with a skin scratch, but may sometimes require a fungal culture. A fungal culture is performed by placing a sample of fur or skin on a “special Petri dish” and letting it grow for several days or a week. The feet and skin are one of the most difficult areas to perform a skin curettage on. Facial skin is difficult to scrape, especially around the eyes because animals tend to move around a lot. If the animal moves a lot while you scrape the skin around the eyes, you may cut it due to the sharpness of the scalpel. When performing a skin scraping on the face, make sure you have someone to assist you in holding the animal. Any pain associated with skin scraping will simply depend on the animal. The level of pain varies from one animal to another, but most likely it is not pain that the animal feels. Animals will feel more uncomfortable because they are not used to being held, restrained, or having a blade near them. When it comes to skin scraping, no sedation or anesthesia is necessary. Most animals tolerate this procedure quite well. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, a skin scraping is a procedure in.