Dermatology
What Is A Board Certified Veterinary Dermatologist?
A veterinary dermatologist is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of benign and malignant disorders of the ears, skin, mouth, hair, and nails. A veterinary dermatologist has also had significant training in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic disorders in pets.
While your general practitioner veterinarian can diagnose and treat many routine skin ailments, certain diseases and injuries require the care of a doctor who has had specialized training in veterinary dermatology in order to provide the very best outcome for your pet.
Why Does My Pet Need A Veterinary Dermatologist?
While your general practitioner veterinarian can handle many aspects of your pet's care, just as in human medicine, sometimes there is a need for the attention of a specialist. If your pet has a complicated or difficult problem, your pet may need the care of a veterinary dermatologist. You can be assured that a veterinarian who knows when to refer you and your pet for more specialized diagnostic work or treatment is one that is caring and committed to ensuring your pet receives the highest standard of medical care for his or her problem.
While in some cases, your veterinarian may be able to simply consult with a specialist in veterinary dermatology about your pet's care, in other cases it is necessary to actually refer you and your pet to the specialist for more advanced diagnostics and treatment.
What Special Problems Does A Veterinary Dermatologist Treat?
Skin problems are some of the most common reasons owners bring their pet to the veterinarian. Most routine skin problems can be handled by your general practitioner veterinarian. Certain skin problems, however, can be difficult to diagnose and treat and the help of a specialist may be required. These include skin problems associated with allergies, parasite infestations, infectious, autoimmune, and endocrinologic (hormonal) diseases, chronic or recurrent ear infections, diseases of the feet, footpad, or nails, and skin cancers.
While it is important to realize that your pet's skin problems, especially those that have been developing over a period of time, often aren't solvable overnight, most can be cured or made much more manageable with the help of a specialist.
The following general conditions are among those that frequently require the assistance of a veterinary dermatologist:
- Parasites
- Infectious Diseases
- Systemic Diseases
- Skin Cancer
- Allergic Conditions
Most of the allergic disease that occurs in dogs and cats affects the skin. These allergies include reactions to food items (food allergy), air borne and contact substances (atopic dermatitis), and fleas (flea allergy dermatitis). Allergies can be difficult to diagnose and treat and are the kinds of cases where involving a specialist early can not only help diagnose and resolve the problem earlier but also potentially save the pet owner money in the long run.
Will My Regular Veterinarian Still Be Involved?
Your veterinary dermatologist will work together with your veterinarian as part of your pet's total veterinary health care team. Your general practitioner veterinarian will still oversee all aspects of your pet's care, but with the added, specialized input of a veterinary dermatologist.
Did You Know?
- Dogs suffer from seasonal allergies just like people, but unlike us, they tend to scratch rather than sneeze when they are allergic to something.
- Atopy (allergic inhalant dermatitis) occurs in approximately 10% to 15% of the dog population, usually starting between the ages of 1 and 3 years. Pets can even be allergic to the skin dander from other pets in the same household!
If you believe your pet is in need of a veterinary dermatologist, talk to your VCA vet or find a VCA board certified veterinary dermatologist near you.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What Specialized Training Does A Veterinary Dermatologist Have?
Just like a human dermatologist, veterinarians interested in dermatology must seek additional, intensive training to become a specialist and earn this prestigious credentialing. In veterinary medicine, specialty status is granted by the American College of Veterinary Dermatologists (ACVD). A veterinarian that has received this specialty status will list the initials, 'DACVD,' after his or her DVM degree. Or, the veterinarian may indicate that he or she is a 'Diplomate' of the ACVD. The word 'Diplomate' typically means the specialist has achieved the following:
• Obtained a traditional veterinary degree (three or four years of college plus four years of veterinary school).
• Completed at least a one-year internship in small animal medicine and at least two additional years of residency training in dermatology in a program accredited by the ACVD. This includes focused training in clinical dermatology and dermatopathology as well as study of skin diseases in a variety of species, including humans.
• Completed the credentialing application process established by the ACVD, which includes publishing original research in scientific journals and submission of case reports.
• Passed a rigorous, multi-day examination administered by the ACVD.
After completing and passing all of the above, the veterinarian is recognized by his or her peers as a board certified specialist in veterinary dermatology. As you can see, when your pet needs the specialized care of a veterinary dermatologist, all of the intensive training and additional education outlined above is focused on helping your pet to recover and/or enjoy the highest quality of life while living with the condition.- How Do I Maximize the Successful Treatment of My Pet?
You can help by strictly adhering to the recommendations of your veterinary team for the scheduling of any follow up appointments and care. At every appointment, be sure to write down any important recommendations, or ask the veterinarian or a staff member to write them down for you.
- How Can I Prevent Skin Problems In My Pet?
Some skin disorders are inherited and are therefore hard to prevent. To help avoid those that are preventable, consider these tips:
• Make sure you are following your veterinarian's recommendations regarding flea and tick prevention products. Many skin problems are caused by these pests.
• Keep your pet's skin and haircoat clean and well-groomed using pet friendly products only.
• Think twice before you put any perfumes or sprays on your pet's coat. Some sprays, lotions, perfumes and shampoos made for people can irritate pet's skin.
• Prevent boredom. It's easy for bored pets to start itching or licking or engaging in other inappropriate behaviors.
• Spend plenty of time with your pet daily, grooming and petting him or her and regularly and taking special note of any irritated looking areas or lumps and bumps. Be sure to have anything unusual checked by your veterinarian.
• If your pet's skin problems are a result of an allergy, follow your veterinarian's instructions to minimize your pet's exposure, either by eliminating the food from your pet's diet or keeping your pet indoors when pollens and other irritants are present in high levels outside.
- What is Otitis Externa?
This is really just a fancy name for an ear infection, specifically the external ear canal. If the middle or inner ear canal is infected, it's called otitis media or otitis interna. Ear infections can run the gamut from a mild infection due to a temporary situation, such as a dog getting water in its ears during a swim and developing inflammation, to a more serious, chronic infection that can be difficult to treat. Ear infections can be caused by allergies, ear mites, water in the ears, systemic disease, allergies, or any number of things. Dogs with flopped ears are also more prone to ear infections. Cats are less prone to ear canal infections than dogs but they do get them. Infected ears are usually red, sensitive to the touch, and may
exude an odorous fluid. Serious, chronic cases may require surgical correction. Severe ear infections can lead to partial deafness, imbalance, and vomiting.
- What is Food Allergy?
Dogs and cats of any age can develop food allergies. Specifically, ingredients in some pet foods can cause an allergic reaction in sensitive dogs and cats. Symptoms can include itching, ear infections, and gastrointestinal upsets. The problems are usually related to a protein or carbohydrate in the diet. Pets with food allergies tend to itch all year long instead of seasonally. What can complicate diagnosis of a food allergy is that many of these pets also may have concurrent allergies to fleas or other allergens in their environments.
When a food allergy is suspected, the veterinary dermatologist will recommend that you put your pet on something called a 'food elimination diet' that will help determine which food item your pet is reacting to. This is a complex process that takes place over a period of several months. Your pet is first fed a hypoallergenic diet, which is a prescription diet available only through a veterinarian, until symptoms disappear. Then, your pet is 'challenged' by feeding it different special diets that can help determine which food item your pet is reacting to. Once the allergen (s) is identified, it can be eliminated from your pet's diet, hopefully ending the allergic reaction that is making your pet itch and scratch. Note: While on a food elimination diet, it is very important not to feed your pet anything other than the elimination diet and treats and medications that are expressly approved by your veterinary dermatologist.
- What are Atopy and Atopic Dermatitis?
Some pets are not allergic to food but to substances in their environment. When inhalant allergens are suspected, this type of skin problem is called atopy. Like humans, dogs and cats can be allergic to pollen, mold spores, dust, or other allergens that can appear in the outside environment or even in the house, that they breathe in or absorb through the skin. The bite of certain insects, such as mosquitoes and gnats, can also cause an allergic reaction. The symptoms are typically seasonal in nature, and tend to worsen as the pet ages. While people tend to sneeze when they are allergic, animals tend to itch. Once recognized, the symptoms generally can be controlled although not totally eliminated. Allergy testing through the use of an intradermal skin test can help determine what the pet is allergic to. Management and treatment consists of removing the allergen from the pet's environment or preventing exposure to it if possible and treating the pet with topical and systemic therapies and medications. Allergy shots (immunotherapy) can also be helpful for some atopic dogs.
- What is Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD)?
Flea infestations are a common cause of itching and scratching in pets. Some pets are so allergic to fleas, that even just a bite or two will cause a severe reaction leading to itching, scratching, lesions, crusting, and hair loss. FAD is particularly difficult to diagnose in cats because of their fastidious grooming efforts: they may groom fleas and any signs of fleas completely away. In addition, because cats tend to groom themselves frequently anyway, it can be hard for owners to tell the difference between normal
and excessive grooming. If a pet has a suspected reaction to fleas, aggressive steps must be taken to eliminate fleas on the pet, in its environment, and from any other pets in the household.
- Want to Know More Derm Terms?
• Pruritus: Intense itching.
• Erythema: Inflammatory redness of the skin.
• Alopecia: Hair loss.
• Acral lick dermatitis: Skin wounds that are caused by a dog's constant licking of the site.
• Pyoderma: A bacterial skin infection.
• Urticaria: Hives.
- How is the VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital different from other specialty hospitals?
Welcome to VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital. If you are new to our hospital, I hope your experience will be as pleasant as possible and we hope that we can live up to your expectations. If you are returning, we are pleased that you have once again chosen our hospital to help meet your pet's health care needs. In order to improve our service, I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you a little about our hospital, how it functions and how we can both work to provide your pet with the best care possible. VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital is one of the largest private small animal hospitals in the country. We have referral hospital for veterinarians in Southern California and we are a teaching hospital providing post-graduate education for veterinarians. We have a professional staff of over 25 veterinarians including specialists in such disciplines as internal medicine, surgery, oncology, radiation therapy, dermatology, ophthalmology, radiology, and cardiology. Specialists are available 7-days-a-week on an appointment basis. One advantage of a large hospital like VCA WLA is that all cases receive the benefit of input from a number of veterinarians all of whom lend their special expertise to the problem at hand.We are open 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week, 365 days of the year to provide comprehensive care. However there are instances when waiting times to see a doctor may be long depending on the time of day and the number of emergencies that are being handled. To avoid unnecessary delays, especially if you don't have a medical emergency, you may wish to call ahead to determine if there is a wait to see a doctor or to schedule an appointment with one of our staff doctors at a time convenient to you.
VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital has one of the largest graduate teaching programs in the country through our internship and residency programs. Interns and residents are graduate veterinarians who are seeking to obtain additional supervised training and expertise in a facility such as ours where the caseload and the availability of specialists ensures an excellent teaching environment. Competition for these positions is intense and those selected are amongst the brightest in their class.
Having a sick or injured pet can be very stressful and we will work to help alleviate your concerns while we tend to the needs of your pet. In order to help improve our service, we do wish to remind you of a few items that should help. First, if you need to obtain a prescription refill please let us know 24 hours in advance. All prescription refills must be approved by a doctor. We need this time to obtain approval and have your prescription available. Secondly, when your pet is hospitalized, the attending doctor will be calling to give you an update after 11 a.m. in the morning. Prior to 11 a.m., your doctor will be in rounds where all the hospitalized cases are discussed amongst our medical and surgical staff and unless there is an emergency, your doctor will not be able to take your phone calls until this time. This allows us to obtain a wide range of opinions regarding your pet's condition, and obtain the input from all the specialists on duty that day. We work as a team, which helps in providing more complete medical care. Of course, we do have visiting hours every evening from 7 to 8 p.m. so that you can visit with your pet, talk face to face with the attending doctor, and help in the healing process. Lastly, if your pet is being admitted in the morning for an elective procedure (simple mass excisions, endoscopy, etc.) your pet should be able to go home the same evening between the hours of 7-10:30 p.m. This helps us ensure that your pet has completely recovered from anesthesia and is ready to return home after evening rounds have been completed. It is possible that on rare occasions, elective procedures may be performed later in the day or even postponed until the following day if unforeseen emergencies arise which demand our immediate attention. We will always place the medical needs of a patient above those of a schedule and if we need to unexpectedly change you pet's procedure date or time we will be sure to notify you as soon as we are aware of the situation.
We are primarily concerned about your pet's health and will do our best to provide the best health care possible. This of course involves a fee and at times veterinary bills can seem quite expensive. At first this may be hard to understand but the reality is that veterinary medicine is not all that different from human medicine. Veterinarians spend as much time as physicians in school and veterinarians can provide many if not all of the services that would be available to you or I in a human hospital. Our veterinary facility is also unique in many respects. Our hospital is quite large. We employ over 30 doctors and over 150 technicians, front office and housekeeping staff. VCA WLA also has a large specialty staff and a great deal of sophisticated equipment, which helps us to provide the best care possible. Lastly, we are open 24-hours-a-day, with doctors and technicians always available to see any emergencies as they arise and to monitor those pets that are hospitalized. We will do our best to provide you with written initial estimates and to keep you updated on a daily basis on the status of your account when your pet is hospitalized. It is expected that 100 % of the estimate will be left as a deposit when your pet is admitted (not necessary for routine or elective procedures) and that the balance will be paid in full at the time of discharge. While we do not offer payment plans we can offer you a financing plan through CareCredit. Again our front office staff can help you with these arrangements.
Of course, the buck stops here. If you have any comments/suggestions/complaints or praise, I am always available. I can promise that I will listen to all of your concerns and compliments as we are always looking to improve our service and patient care. Feel free to call (310-473-2951) or fax (310-477-7412) and I will get back to you as soon as possible. You may also e-mail me at David.Bruyette@vcamail.com. I would like to thank you again for selecting VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital and I hope that both you and your pet have a pleasant experience.
Sincerely, David Bruyette, DVM
Medical Director
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
