Skin And Allergy Problems
Skin problems are a very common occurrence for our beloved pets but can be very frustrating–for both owner and pet. Smith Veterinary Hospital offers dermatology services to diagnose and treat your pet’s itchy skin and other skin problems. We are trained to diagnose and treat a variety of dermatological conditions, such as:
- Allergies (food, inhalants, contact and fleas)
- Parasites (fleas and mites)
- Autoimmune Diseases
- Infectious Diseases (bacterial and fungal)
- Hormonal Diseases
- Skin Cancer
If your pet is exhibiting any of these symptoms, please call us for a dermatology appointment:
- Biting and chewing at the skin
- Chronic anal sac problems
- Ear infections
- Excessive licking of skin, particularly feet, legs and belly region
- Excessive scratching
- Face rubbing
- Hair loss
- Oily skin
- Redness, sores, and/or pimples on the skin
Ear Care
Inflammation of the external ear (otitis externa) is a very common ailment in dogs. Often there is an infection present. Even though there are many underlying causes of otitis, most cases respond quickly to treatment especially if the initiating cause is addressed. The sooner we see the dog with otitis, the easier the treatment may be. Once your dog exhibits symptoms of otitis, please give us a call.
Symptoms Of Otitis Include:
- Odor or discharge from the ear
- Scratching or shaking of the head or ears
- Soreness of the ear canal
- Swelling of the ear flap
Causes Of Otitis:
Otitis has many initiating causes such as allergies, ear mites, foreign bodies, hormone imbalances, conformation of ear (floppy ears), excessive wax, polyps/tumors in ears, bathing/swimming. Yeast or bacterial infection will complicate otitis; however, these germs do not start an ear problem. When we treat Otitis we need to get rid of the infection as well as try to assess the underlying cause to prevent infections in the future.