Allergies & Skin Conditions

If your pet is constantly scratching, licking or biting themselves, he or she may very well be suffering from an allergy or skin condition.

Skin conditions and allergies are MUCH more common in pets than you may think and there are many ways we can work together to help keep your pet comfortable. Not only do we address the underlying cause of your pet’s discomfort, we also find ways to provide immediate and long-term relief for your dog or cat.

Before moving forward with any treatment, our staff will discuss the importance of flea and tick prevention with you.

Did you know that Fleas are the #1 cause of skin problems in dogs?

You may be thinking that it’s impossible for your dog to have a flea problem because you’ve never seen a flea on your dog, your dog is regularly groomed or he or she doesn’t go out that much. Think again!

Just ONE flea bite can induce a severe reaction in your pet, even if the flea hops off after one-bite.

Seasonal Allergies

Pets can suffer from seasonal allergies just like we can. Ragweed, grasses, molds, dust mites and pollen are just some of the allergens that can affect our pets.

We generally experience watery eyes and runny noses, but our pets usually get ITCHY!

Food Allergies

Food allergies occur when an animal’s immune system misidentifies a protein from a food as an invader rather than a dietary/food item and elicits an immune response. This response may result in itchy skin or ear and skin infections in a number of pets, but can also cause gastrointestinal problems.

Some of the most common food allergens include: chicken, beef, dairy, eggs and fish, although the list can be much longer.

While you may have heard of food allergy testing for pets, none have proven to be very reliable. The only tried and true way to diagnose a food allergy is a diet elimination trial where your pet is exclusively fed a diet prescribed by a veterinarian and nothing else for at least 4-6 weeks. Once the allergen triggers are identified we can work together to ensure your pet is on a diet appropriate for him or her.

Skin Infections:

Itchy skin caused by the above allergens can lead to skin infections. Repetitive trauma to the skin from scratching, licking, biting and rubbing can break the skin, allowing entry of bacteria, causing a skin infection to develop.

There are many medications and treatments that can help once a skin infection develops.

Other skin conditions we treat:

• Mange
• Ringworm
• Dry Skin
• Yeast infections
• And more!

Our veterinarians have extensive experience diagnosing and treating skin conditions and allergies.