Veterinary Dermatology for Pets
At Fayette Veterinary Medical Center, our veterinary dermatology services address conditions, diseases and disorders that affect your pet's skin, ears, coat and nails. These can be caused by a wide variety of sources, from infection to allergic reactions.
Our vets understand that chronic recurrent skin problems, ear infections and allergies can be extremely irritating and uncomfortable for your pet, and frustrating for you as a pet owner.
Using the technology in our in-house lab paired with our vets' expertise, we are able to test for and diagnose the root of your companion's health issue and offer a custom treatment plan to kickstart their return to comfort.
Our Dermatological Services
We are able to offer dermatological testing, diagnosis and treatments for any of the following issues:
- Immune disorders
- Ear & nose disorders
- Paw & nail disorders
- Mites (demodex & scabies)
- Hair loss & hormonal disease
- Skin cancer & tumors
- Seborrheic & breed disorders
- Allergic reactions
FAQs About Skin Problems & Allergies
At Fayette Veterinary Medical Center, we are asked a number of questions quite frequently about our dermatological services. Read on for our answers.
- What are common skin conditions and symptoms in dogs and cats?
There are many common skin conditions that can affect dogs and cats. These include allergies, itchy skin, skin irritation, hot spots, hair loss, flea bites and dry skin.
Keep an eye out for the following symptoms of dermatological issues in your dog or cat:
- pawing at or shaking their head
- scratching or pawing at a location on their body more than usual
- dragging their behind across the floor
- rubbing against furniture
- Developing mats or dirty patches on their coat
- What causes skin problems in dogs and cats?
Wet will most commonly develop skin issues because of a reaction to allergies (such as to ingredients in their food), underlying illness, or insect bites.
They can also often develop skin problems as a result of allergic reactions to substances in their environment, such as chemicals in cleaning products.
- What are some ways to help prevent pet skin problems?
The most effective preventive measures for your pet depend on the specific cause of the skin problem. Once this has been diagnosed and treated, the vet will provide advice for how to prevent the problem from recurring or flaring up.
Things that may help include:
- changes in the pet's diet or your household products
- flea treatment,
- hypoallergenic soaps and grooming products
- brushing to prevent matting
- a quieter, less stressful environment for the pet
- When should I bring my pet to the vet for a skin problem?
You should make an appointment with our vets if your pet is scratching a lot or even biting themselves. This goes doubly if you notice them developing sores or bleeding, are losing hair rapidly or have strange bumps and lumps.
- What if my pet is scratching, but shows no visible signs of skin problems?
If your pet is scratching or grooming excessively, but you can't see any indicators that there is a skin problem, you should still get your pet checked out by a vet.
Excessive scratching and grooming could be a sign of a number of underlying health issues or even stress, and can cause skin problems to develop if left unaddressed.