Dermatology

Your pet’s skin has a very important function. Just like his or her liver or kidneys, your companion animal’s skin is an organ and its purpose is to protect the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments, and internal organs. Dogs and cats suffer from many problems that affect their skin. Pet skin disorders fall under three general categories: parasites, allergies, and infections.

Pet Dermatology in Fitchburg, WI

Determining the cause of your dog or cat’s dermatology problem requires a methodical approach. At Odyssey Veterinary Care, we use a variety of diagnostic tools including skin scrapings, fungal and bacterial cultures, cytology, biopsy, and allergy testing to get to the root cause of your pet’s skin problem. Additional blood testing to look for disorders such as hypothyroidism and Cushing’s disease (hyperadrenocorticism) may also be recommended.

Treating skin conditions (once a proper diagnosis has been reached) can involve the use of oral, injectable, or topical medications or possibly the use of a prescription shampoo. Some skin diseases can be frustrating for owners to deal with because they can only be managed and not resolved. In these more complicated cases, we may request to see your pet on a more regular basis for continued treatments or refer your pet to a veterinary dermatologist for more advanced testing or diagnostics

Contact Odyssey Veterinary Care

If your pet is exhibiting any of the symptoms above, contact us today at (608) 288-7838 to schedule an exam.