I created this video because I find that veterinarians often use the terms almost interchangeably. The subcutaneous pattern refers to the closer of the deep and sometimes the superficial subcutaneous layers (depending on the amount of fat found between the two).
The purpose of this closure is to decrease the dead space and approximate the skin edges. The bites are taken in the deep subcutaneous fibrous layer (and sometimes the superficial one as well) and they should be taken perpendicular to the incision. This will allow for better dead space closure. The subcuticular pattern is synonymous with the an intradermal pattern.
This pattern is used to close the skin (the invisible skin suture pattern). The bites should be taken in the deeper portion of the dermis itself and they should be parallel to the skin incision.
IN both cases, the initial and final knots should be buried. Both of these closures are demonstrated in the video.
