If you are a pet parent, it is important to look for signs of health problems and irritations in your pet. Some of the most common issues in pets are skin problems – in fact allergic/atopic dermatitis is the number one reason for veterinarian visits. Many pets with itchy skin go untreated and without relief.
“Allergic skin disease is on the rise in both humans and pets. This condition can be challenging as it is multi-factorial in nature. A veterinary dermatologist can help tailor a treatment that works specifically for your pet and their symptoms,” says Dr. Jay Korbelik, DACVD, MSc, BVSc.
If your pet’s skin is red, itchy or irritated, you may be wondering whether it’s time to reach out to a veterinary dermatologist for help. At Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital, we have partnered with North West Veterinary Dermatology Services to provide specialized dermatology services for our clients. North West’s veterinary dermatologists are trained to diagnose and treat a variety of skin conditions, including:
- Environmental allergies
- Food allergies
- Fungal and bacterial skin infections
- Chronic ear infections
- Immune-mediated skin diseases
- Parasitic skin disease
When should I consult a veterinary dermatologist?
It can be challenging to know when to consult a veterinary specialist, so the following are several situations where our dermatology team recommends a visit to a veterinary dermatologist.
1. Your pet’s itching is interfering with their quality of life
Chronic itching is extremely uncomfortable and can interfere with your pet’s normal activities. If your pet constantly scratches, licks, or bites their skin, or if your pet’s itching is keeping them—and you—up at night, their quality of life is impacted. Atopy, or environmental allergies, the most common cause of pets’ chronic itching, can cause mild to severe itching, depending on your pet’s allergy severity and allergen exposure.
Pets can suffer from a number of environmental allergens, including pollens, molds, insects, dust and storage mites. Some allergic pets experience only mild itching for a few weeks when a particular tree or plant blooms, but others experience more intense itching or year-round symptoms. Pets with mild, short-lived allergic symptoms can be treated symptomatically to help them through an allergen’s peak season. However, it is not uncommon for seasonal symptoms to progress to year-round problem.
Pets with more severe allergies require in-depth diagnostics and personalized long-term treatment plans.
A veterinary dermatologist can perform allergy testing to identify your pet’s specific allergens and formulate a long-term treatment plan that focuses on desensitizing to the offending allergens, so they can live more comfortably.
Possible culprits in chronic itching cases also include parasites, skin infections, or other problems, and our dermatology team will determine the best diagnostic and treatment plan for your pet’s situation.
2. Your pet has a persistent rash
Pets develop skin inflammation and rashes for a variety of reasons, from contact sensitivity to superficial skin infections. However, a rash or skin lesion that persists despite treatment, or worsens over time, may require a veterinary dermatologist’s expertise.
Less commonly, immune-mediated skin disease, which can be difficult to diagnose and treat, may be the cause. Immune-mediated diseases result when a pet’s immune system attacks its own body. The most common immune-mediated skin diseases to affect pets include Pemphigus Foliaceus and Cutaneous Lupus.
Diagnosing an immune-mediated skin disease typically requires a skin biopsy with microscopic evaluation. Our dermatology team can help diagnose and manage an immune-mediated skin disease.
3. Your pet is losing their fur
Alopecia (i.e., hair loss) can be caused by a number of factors, from skin allergies to hormonal disease, and reaching a definitive cause can be challenging. While alopecia caused by allergic skin disease is paired with intense itching, metabolic and hormone-related diseases cause hair loss without itching. Alopecia can also be caused by congenital conditions, such as color-dilution alopecia or black hair follicular dysplasia, that cause gradual hair loss in younger pets. A skin biopsy with microscopic analysis is required to diagnose these uncommon conditions.
One advantage of seeking help from a large specialty hospital is the multiple departments that can provide collaborative care to your pet. Our dermatology specialists can team up with our internal medicine specialists, who will lend their expertise to help diagnose and treat the most complicated diseases, including Cushing’s disease, hypothyroidism, and sex hormone imbalances, that could be causing your pet’s hair loss.
4. Your pet has an ear infection
Mites, tumors, foreign bodies or, most commonly, an underlying allergy can cause bacterial and yeast infection accompanied by pain and discomfort.
Some of the many symptoms of an ear infection are scratching of the ears, head shaking, unpleasant odor and discharge from the ears, hearing loss, and, in severe cases, loss of balance due to a middle ear infection.
Your vet will prescribe antimicrobial medication. If the problem persists, your veterinarian may refer you to dermatologist to remove the mass or perform a deep ear flush. In extreme cases, the veterinary dermatologist may recommend consulting with a veterinary surgeon.
At Boundary Bay, we don’t want anything to stand in the way of your pet’s quality of life, and we take their discomfort—and your concern—seriously. Our veterinary dermatologist team will get to the bottom of your pet’s skin condition, so they can start enjoying life again. Contact us if your family veterinarian recommends a veterinary dermatologist for your pet’s skin problem.