Dermatology
At Hunt Valley Animal Hospital, our team believes that the health of your pet’s skin is essential to your pet’s overall happiness and well-being. Our team of veterinarians are experienced in treating pet dermatology issues including dog dermatitis and dog rashes. We also offer intra-dermal skin testing for allergic disease.
Since many of the skin diseases that can affect your cat or dog share similar symptoms, our veterinarians are trained to identify and hone in on these minute differences. This ensures efficient and affordable diagnostic testing and follow-up work. As part of continuing education, our vets stay up-to-date on new research and treatments, including skin manifestations of internal diseases.
Is your pet suffering from itchy skin or allergies?
Pet Dermatology FAQs
Here at Hunt Valley Animal Hospital, we offer skin allergy testing and treatment. Here are a few of the questions we receive from our dog and cat owners.
My pet has a rash. Could it be allergies?
Dogs and cats often get allergies for the same reasons their human owners have allergies, like pollen, dander and contact with certain chemicals. Symptoms of a skin allergy include excessive scratching, wet or damp skin, scabs, rashes, hives, runny or watery eyes and ear infections. If you notice any of these symptoms, it is important to schedule an appointment with our veterinarians. We can diagnose your pet’s allergies to help you limit future exposure. (Pets should not have persistent, recurring rashes or hair loss.)
What causes allergies in pets?
Skin allergies in pets can be caused by flea and tick bites, mites, dust, mold, pollen, cigarette smoke, human and pet foods, cleaning products, perfumes, as well as other chemicals. If you notice an allergic reaction on your pet’s skin, contact our office right away.
Do you offer skin allergy testing?
We offer numerous types of skin allergy testing, including skin scrapings, cytologies, dermatological cultures and trial diets. A scrape test is performed by scraping your pet’s skin with a sterile scalpel blade. The blade picks up hair, skin cells and microorganisms, including mites. After this test, you may see some irritation or redness. This is normal and should go away within a day or two.
Cytology tests are used to diagnose allergies in your pet’s ears. It involves using a swab to remove cells from the ears of cats and dogs. The cells are then placed on a glass slide and viewed under a microscope to determine the best course of action.
Dermatological cultures are like cytology tests in the sense that cells are removed from the affected area using sterile cotton swabs. However, instead of viewing the cells under a microscope, they sent out and grown in a lab to determine the cause of the skin irritations on your pet.
Food allergies are typically diagnosed by placing your pet on a special diet for several weeks until your pet’s symptoms improve. Then, foods are reintroduced slowly to determine the cause of your pet’s adverse reactions.
What treatments do you offer for pet dermatitis?
We offer oral corticosteroids to relieve the symptoms associated with certain types of rashes, that include inflammation and itching. If we suspect an infection, we may recommend oral or topical antibiotic creams. There are many other types of allergy drugs for pets that can help control symptoms. Our vets will make treatment recommendations after a thorough examination of your pet’s skin problems.
How do I schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for my pet’s skin allergies and rashes?
To schedule an appointment for your pet’s rash or allergies, call our animal hospital in Hunt Valley at (410) 527-0800.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN CAUSES OF ITCHING IN PETS?
Pruritus is the medical term for itchy skin, which is common. Allergies are not the only possible cause, but they tend to be the most frequent. Itching can be caused by conditions such as:
- Allergies
- Pyoderma (hot spots)
- Ringworm
- Scabies
- Mange
- Fleas
- Yeast infections of the skin
- Dandruff
- Bacterial infections
- Skin cancer
