Dermatology & Allergy Services
More pet owners seek veterinary attention for skin problems than for any other medical condition. Many skin problems, however, look alike and are difficult to diagnose. Fortunately, recent advances in testing and therapy allow better treatment of skin conditions than ever before.
The Dermatology and Allergy Service at Tufts VETS offers the most advanced diagnostic and treatment practices for skin disorders. We work with your veterinarian to identify the problem, get it under control, and provide long-term management. We also adapt allergy testing to identify and treat feline asthma.
Examples of Specific Services
Allergy Testing identifies the environmental agents (trees, grasses, weeds, molds, house-mites, etc.) that might be causing allergic conditions in your pet. The dermatologists and allergists at Tufts VETS can perform skin and blood tests and assimilate the results to design a specific allergy management program.
Cytology is an important complementary examination that is rich in information for arriving at the final diagnosis.
Biopsies are commonly used in dermatology to confirm or refute possible diagnoses. Tissue samples are collected under local or general anesthesia and submitted to a pathologist for an expert evaluation, which we incorporate into diagnostic and treatment considerations.
Otoendoscopy uses a specially-designed fiber optic "scope" to thoroughly and carefully examine the condition of the ear canal and ear drum.
Radiowave (RAVE) Surgery allows for very precise excision of tissue with excellent cosmetic results. It also is used to cauterize bleeding blood vessels. The radiowaves cut tissue exactly, causing little pain or bleeding and minimal damage to healthy surrounding tissue, resulting in exceptionally clean healing.
Specific Services
- Allergy Testing*
- Bacterial & fungal cultures
- Biochemistries
- Biopsies*
- Cytology (cell preparations)
- Hematology
- Hormonal profiles
- Immune profiles
- Immunotherapy
- Parasite Checks
- Otoendoscopy*
- Photo-documentation
- Pre-procedure evaluation
- Radio-wave surgery*
- Rush desensitization
- Yeast preparations
Examples of Skin Conditions We Treat
- Adverse food reactions
- Allergies
- Bacterial skin infections
- Compulsive skin disorders
- Diseases of the ears, nose, and lips
- Endocrine (hormonal) skin disorders
- Eosinophilic granuloma complex
- Fungal and yeast infections
- Heritable skin diseases
- Immune-mediated diseases
- Keratinization disorders (seborrhea)
- Metabolic disorders
- Nutrition-related skin diseases
- Parasitic skin disorders
- Problems of the paws, claws, and footpads
- Sebaceous adenitis
- Skin cancers
- Viral skin disorders
Symptoms to Watch For & Report
to Your Primary Care Veterinarian
- Itchiness (pruritus)
- Hair loss
- Malodorous ears
- Head shaking
- Foot licking
- Skin lumps