Skin Infections

need to add pictures!

Common Skin Disorders

Skin disorders are common in our pets. Problems with the skin and hair coat can develop at any age or time of year and can include:

• Itchiness
• Redness and inflammation
• Hair loss or thinning
• Parasites (fleas, ticks, mites)
• Crusting, scaling, greasiness
• Masses or lumps

A complete physical exam is necessary to obtain a good history, describe the lesions and to document the areas affected on your pet. During this exam some simple tests may be performs such as a flea coming, skin scraping, impression smear, collection of hairs for a fungal culture, or a fine needle aspirate of a mass to examine the cells present. Blood work such as a chemistry panel and CBC may be necessary to help diagnose systemic or endocrine disorders that affect the skin and hair coat. Occasionally surgical biopsies are needed. Some examples of common disorders we see include:

• Allergic reactions to parasites such as fleas and ticks
• Bacterial infections from inhalant or food allergies
• Fungal infections such as ringworm or Malassezia
• Benign and malignant growths
• Immune-mediated diseases such as lupus and pemphigus

Treatment is always aimed at providing comfort for your pet and a cure whenever possible. Since the skin is the largest organ in the body, we realize how important it is to keep it healthy and beautiful!