How to find a local vet specializing in my pet's skin allergies?

Chronic skin allergies can be related several things including allergies to fleas, skin mites, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Simba wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello! Canine allergies can be a really difficult problem to manage, so I sympathize! There are two main classes of allergies- environmental and food. If allergy testing hasn't been done, it is an expensive investment, but it can give you a report of the most common environmental allergies. Most environments that are colder and snowier tend to have less pollens, allergens, and insects overall and many allergic dogs may cope better in colder climates for that reason. Dogs with environmental allergies benefit from regular baths and having their feet wiped down with hypoallergenic baby wipes after they go outdoors to mechanically remove any possible pollens, etc that may be stuck to the feet and triggering a reaction. Dogs that are primarily allergic to ingredients of their food may do much better on a different diet. Dogs tend to be allergic to proteins in their diet, such as beef or chicken. Grain allergies are possible but exceedingly rare- grain free diets are widely considered a marketing ploy by vets and not actually helpful. My own dog has a beef allergy and does just fine on over the counter food with no beef products, for example. It takes 8-12 weeks after exposure to the food allergen for the reaction to completely go away- for this reason, many people get frustrated with new diets too early and give up. The diet also will not work if she is being fed any outside table scraps or treats, so compliance is key. Trying a diet with a new protein she has not had before, such as fish or kangaroo, for an entire 12 weeks may be a beneficial idea to discuss with your dermatologist. If you do this, transition the food slowly over 7 days to let her GI flora adjust and make sure if you have a dog food bin, you clean it well between the two foods as to not contaminate the new food. The most important thing to remember with allergies is that she is likely constantly being exposed to them, so treatment needs to be just as constant to battle it. I hope this is helpful! Let us know if you have any more questions after your dermatology appointment!

Hello. We do need to do some diagnostics to at least rule out some causes or underlying reasons as to why this has occurred. There should be many veterinarians in Houston who can at least take a preliminary look at Vella's face, then if she needs any advanced care, you may be referred to a specialist like a dermatologist. You can either use this site to find a veterinarian https://www.vetlocator.com/ or just type into your browser " veterinarians near 77083 ". I did a quick search & there are dozens within 10 miles of you. Good luck & thanks for using PetCoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Poor Bruno! His abdomen looks very uncomfortable. I would recommend that you have a veterinarian examine Bruno so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. This looks like a severe contact reaction or a severe skin allergy. There are many treatment options for allergies including Cytopoint injection, which helps in cases of atopic dermatitis. There are shampoos such as Douxo PS Calm shampoo and calming sprays that contain a steroid and topical anesthetic to provide relief. Your veterinarian can guide you in the right direction and make the most appropriate recommendations based on the physical examination. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Skin problems can have a variety of causes, sometimes more than one. Allergies, parasites, bacterial or fungal infections, even contact with some surfaces or substances will cause itching, rash and/or hair loss. It is important to have the problem checked by your vet to determine if there is a medical cause for your pet’s skin issues and treat accordingly. In pets of all ages, fleas, food allergies and exposure to chemical irritants such as cleaners and soaps can be a cause. Any one of these may not be enough to trigger the breakouts, depending on how sensitive your pet is, but a combination can be enough to start the itch-scratch cycle. Finding out the cause and eliminating it is the best course of action. With flea allergies, if your pet is sensitive enough, a single bite can cause them to break out scratch enough to tear their skin. Check for fleas with a flea comb. Look for fleas and/or tiny black granules, like coarse black pepper. This is flea feces, consisting of digested, dried blood. You may find tiny white particles, like salt, which are the flea eggs. Applying a good topical monthly flea treatment and aggressively treating your house and yard will help break the flea life cycle. If you use plastic bowls, this is a possible cause for hair loss, though this tends to be on the chin, where their skin touches the bowl while they eat. If you suspect this to be the culprit, try changing the bowls to glass, metal or ceramic. Food allergies are often caused by sensitivity to a protein in the food. Hill's Science Diet offers some non-prescription options for sensitive skin as well as prescription hypoallergenic foods for more severe cases. Royal Canin carries limited protein diets that may also offer some relief. Your vet can recommend a specific diet that will help. If there is no relief or not enough, consider getting your pet checked by a veterinary dermatologist and having allergy testing done.

Hi. This is just an Internet ask the vet forum. I do think a checkup for Dappa isn't a bad idea. You would have to call around to your local vet clinics to find out the exam fees. Skin conditions can be from parasites, allergies, bacterial or yeast infection so a vet visit is a great place to start. They may recommend testing such as cytology or skin scrapes to find out what is going on with her skin in order to prescribe the approriate treatment. Good luck.

Hi there and thank you for posting your question. In regards to allergies, there are multiple causes of allergy symptoms. If we are talking about environmental allergies, there are certainly multiple things you can use to help alleviate allergies. Bathing with a good quality shampoo (Duoxo PS shampoo is a great product) is a good start. Supplementing with Omega-3 fish oils (such as Canine Welactin) and topical essential oils (Dermoscent Essential 6 spot on) can aid in relieving allergy symptoms. Over the counter antihistamines can also be used. You can start with Benadryl and give 1mg per pound of body weight every 12 hours for allergy relief. If these fail to relieve the allergy symptoms, then I would suggest scheduling an appointment with your veterinarian to discuss other options that you may have for treating the allergies as there are many treatments available from your veterinarian to help. Hope this helps and do feel free to contact me with any further questions / concerns that you may have!