Dermatology

  Demodicosis, commonly referred to as Demodex, is a disease caused by a mite (Demodex spp.) that lives deep in the hair follicles. This mite is transmitted from the dam to offspring during suckling and is found in very small numbers on all dogs. It is believed these mites may initially cause dermatitis in dogs due to an immunologic or genetic disorder. Types and Causes of Demodicosis in Dogs  This can occur in two “general”…

Allergic skin disease is one of the most common skin problems affecting dogs. Bathing is one of the key treatments. To help your dog, it is important to understand the bathing steps to perform them correctly. Below are six steps to bathing your dog to help control the symptoms associated with skin allergies including itching, redness and infections. 1. Soaking Always use cool to tepid water to wet the entire hair coat thoroughly before…

This is an Antihistamine History Form so that we can determine which drugs your pet was on and how they worked. Please let us know how the various antihistamine drugs worked for your pet.   Chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton)-helped a little–helped a lot–didn’t help at all–sedated Duration­­­­­ of treatment: _________   Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)-helped a little–helped a lot–didn’t help at all–sedated Duration of treatment: _________   Hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril)-helped a little–helped a lot–didn’t help at…

Atopic disease is an itchy skin condition sometimes referred to as atopy, environmental allergy, inhalant allergy, or ‘hay fever’. It may occur in dogs, cats, and many other animals. In dogs, it is a common, often hereditary problem that can occur in any breed but especially terriers, retrievers, German Shepherds, Bulldogs, Pugs, Lhasa Apsos, Shih tzu’s, Boxers, Dalmatians, Spaniels (especially Cocker Spaniels) and Shar Peis. Cats have not demonstrated a clear breed predisposition. Signs of…

A food allergy is a reaction to food that involves the body’s immune system. Typically, a protein or carbohydrate particle in the food is the culprit. Your pet may itch, lick or chew different areas of the body as a response to the allergy inflammation. You may notice pronounced itching in the paws, flank, groin, neck or ears. The itching can occur all seasons. Many pets may have chronic ear infections and anal gland problems…