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Dermatology—Skin/Allergy

Dogs and cats can get many different types of skin diseases and can also be sensitive (allergic) to certain foods or environmental irritants that cause them skin problems or ear infections. Also, certain breeds of dogs can be pre-disposed to skin conditions. Dermatology issues in pets can make both pets and pet parents miserable. Scratching can make your pet’s problem worse by leading to secondary skin infection.

Symptoms that your dog or cat has a skin or allergy issue include:

• Your pet has recurrent ear infections
• Your pet is constantly licking, chewing, biting, scratching, rubbing and/or shaking their head
• Your pet has hair loss, scabs, or dandruff
• Your pet has a rash or hot spots
• You notice a change in the skin or hair coat’s color or texture
• There is a bad odor coming from your pet's skin or ears

Most of these symptoms are caused by an underlying medical issue. At Blue Ridge Animal Clinic, our veterinarians are trained to diagnose and treat most medical problems that may be affecting your pet’s skin and ear health, including:

• Identification and treatment of external parasites
• Infectious skin disease
• Medical management of chronic ear infections
• Identification and treatment of food based and environmentally based allergies
• Diagnosis and management of hormonal disorders
• Management of claw and foot diseases

During your pet’s exam, we will review your pet’s medical history, lab reports and perform a complete exam of your pet. We may recommend further diagnostic testing, such as a skin biopsy, skin allergy testing or other testing such as bloodwork to identify the cause of your pet’s dermatology problem. We will discuss treatment options with you once we have diagnosed the underlying cause of your pet’s skin or ear condition.

Please call us as soon as you notice your pet is having a skin or ear problem.