Food Allergy vs Other Allergies Skin allergies are a very common problem in dogs and cats; in our dermatology practice, itching of the skin or ears account for the majority of our appointments. Pet owner awareness of food allergy has greatly increased in recent years, likely due to marketing efforts of boutique dog food companies […]

Lack of Flea Prevention Causes Issues A common refrain we hear from pet owners is, “I don’t give that poison to my pet!” These owners mean well, and they’re trying to do what’s best for their beloved pets, but calling flea prevention “poison” is not accurate. A lack of good flea prevention is very likely […]

What is it? Pemphigus foliaceus is an autoimmune skin disease in cats. In general, it is an uncommon disease; however, pemphigus foliaceus is the most common out of all the autoimmune skin diseases. This disease occurs due to the immune system attacking its own skin cells. We do not always find the trigger. What does […]

Cryosurgery is the application of extreme cold to remove abnormal or diseased tissue. This compound term comes from the Greek prefix “cryo” meaning “freezing cold” AND the English word “surgery” meaning to “cut”.  A better descriptive term to describe this procedure is cryotherapy because the cutting of tissue is not done during the procedure. Rather, […]

CBD oil, or cannabidiol, is a compound found in the cannabis (or marijuana) plant. This is different from tetrahydrocaccabinol (THC), which is the compound in cannabis responsible for the psychoactive effects of marijuana, i.e. “feeling high.” CBD does not cause the “high” feeling and is not considered an illicit drug, meaning that it is legal […]

Many dogs develop yeast infections on their skin caused by the organism Malassezia pachydermatis. A few of these organisms on the skin is considered normal. However, high numbers of this yeast can cause the pet to develop a bad smell and can increase licking, scratching, chewing, etc. An underlying skin disease such as hypothyroidism or allergic dermatitis can […]

Coconut oil is a hot health trend right now, and it’s being used in everything from cooking to candles to facial moisturizers. Many ADRC clients mention that they’ve tried using coconut oil to relieve their dogs’ itchy skin, but didn’t see much help from it. While topical coconut oil has been shown to be beneficial […]

Why do dogs get these skin infections? Compared to other companion animals, dogs seem to struggle the most with bacterial skin infections. Why do they get these skin infections? Dog skin is unique as it lacks a fatty plug that is present in other animals including humans. The most common isolated bacterium from dogs is […]

Avoiding Grains in Dog Food is Unnecessary Grain-free diets for pets are extremely popular in the pet food industry right now, much to the befuddlement of many veterinarians. Avoiding grains in dog food is unnecessary for a number of reasons. 1.  Dogs can eat carbs. Dogs can eat carbs. The idea that wolves eat raw […]

3 Reasons to Avoid Raw Food Diets 1.  They do not treat or cure any disease. Food allergy is directed against a protein (beef, dairy, and chicken most commonly1) and feeding them raw chicken or beef doesn’t change anything—they’re still eating a protein to which they’re allergic. If you suspect your pet has a food […]