If your pet has been scratching itself, has developed unexplained sores or bald areas or has been suffering from recurrent skin, ear and/or anal sac infections, despite recent or repeated treatments from your veterinary surgeon, then I may be able to help. If drug side effects have occurred from previous treatments used in controlling the skin disease there are often alternative therapies available.
Cats and dogs will demonstrate that their skin is inflamed and irritated by:
• rubbing their faces
• shaking their heads
• scratching their head, ears, neck and flanks
• licking, nibbling and chewing their armpits, groin and/or paws (brown stained paws in white coated dogs)
• rubbing their backsides (often misdiagnosed as ‘worms’ or ‘anal gland disease’)
Itching is abnormal and never ‘a habit’. This behaviour may initially go unnoticed by the owners because it occurs at night or whilst the pet is alone in an empty house with no interesting distractions (‘hidden groomers’ or ‘closet lickers’).
Cats are so adept at concealing their itching that the skin signs can appear as if out of nowhere and often very quickly:
• many small scabs under the coat along the back or around the neck (papulocrustous or miliary dermatitis)
• hair loss on the inside of the front legs, underside of the tummy, back of the hind legs (‘fur mowers’, non-inflammatory alopecia)
• swollen chins, ulcerated thickened lips, moist red inflamed areas on the tummy, in the groin or on the back of the thighs (eosinophilic granuloma complex)
The most common reason for seeking a dermatology referral is atopic dermatitis – an inflammatory and itchy allergic skin disease associated most commonly with antibodies directed against environmental substances (house dust mites, pollens, moulds etc.). In dogs this condition often becomes apparent in the first three years of life. You may notice that your pet grooms excessively, with licking or chewing of the paws, tummy and backside. The ears may become reddened and feel hot to touch. The result of this itchiness is that the pet will often be presented to the veterinary surgeon several times in the first eighteen months of life for a variety of seemingly minor skin and/or ear conditions. Between these episodes the skin and the coat can look remarkably normal. There may even be a seasonal recurrence initially. The scratching, skin rashes, acute moist ‘hotspots’ and ear infections may all seem to occur independently. As the condition becomes more severe, itchiness begins to dominate and the pet will often suffer from recurrent yeast and/or bacterial infections all year round.
In addition there are many other types of skin diseases which may be best diagnosed and treated by a referral dermatologist. These include:
• different types of infections
• many and varied parasites
• other types of allergies
• glandular and other internal problems
• underactive or overactive immune systems
• hereditary or congenital conditions
• external or internal cancers
Some of these are specific to certain breeds and even families of pets. Foreign, imported diseases are now of increasing importance due to ease of international travel for pets.
It can be difficult to diagnose, treat, manage or cure these many diseases in busy general veterinary practice.
If you think I may be able to help your pet, in the first instance:
• Please contact your own veterinary surgeon as professional etiquette dictates that a formal referral is always undertaken
• Your vet will be able to contact me and provide me with your pet’s medical history.
• We can then arrange the first available consultation after I have collated and reviewed the medical information on the course of the skin problem to date.
The initial consultation will often last for ninety minutes:
• It will usually involve an in-depth discussion of your concerns and wishes.
• A review of your pet’s full medical history, and importantly, questions regarding the response to previous treatments.
• Your pet will then undergo a full clinical examination, then a thorough dermatological assessment.
• I will usually take some samples (coat brushings, hair plucks, tape strippings, skin scrapings etc.). I will examine them, whenever possible in your presence, often using a microscope. You will usually be able to watch the microscopic investigation live via a digital link or look down the microscope itself, if you are interested.
• In some instances, intradermal (skin) allergy testing will be scheduled for suspected allergic animals.
• Blood samples may also be taken for further analysis at external laboratories.
• I will then discuss the list of possible conditions, offer various options regarding further investigations and proposed treatments.
• I will give out advice sheets detailing further treatment plans.
• Then I will discuss the case with the referring veterinary surgeon, as well as providing a full summary for them usually within twenty-four hours.
Unfortunately it is impossible to cure some skin diseases especially some allergies. I will be able to help formulate treatment regimens and adjust them over time to ensure your pet experiences the best possible quality of life. New treatments become available every year around the world and I will adjust the management of each case, when necessary, to incorporate these new ideas.
It is very important that you, the owner(s), accompany your pet to the consultation.
If your pet has had medical insurance from before the onset of the current condition, then please contact your insurance company. It is important that you know of any possible policy exclusions, or limitations on duration of cover, before booking the appointment.
Please note payment will always be required at the time of consultation
