Chesapeake Veterinary Dermatology Associates

CVDA Services

What is a veterinary dermatologist?
http://www.acvd.org/

The skin is the largest organ of the body! It provides a barrier against external insult, produces hair and nails, secretes and excretes substances, is involved in sensory perception, is a regulator of body temperature, and can be an indicator of internal disease. When an underlying disease arises, the skin has a limited repertoire of responses to disease (eg, hair loss, change in coloration, itch, odor production, bumps, lumps, ulceration, scabs, dander, thickening, etc.). A veterinary dermatologist is specifically trained in identifying these lesions and the patterns they form on the animal. When this information is combined with the history and a few simple diagnostic procedures, a list of possibilities can be generated. More extensive procedures may be required to obtain a definitive diagnosis.

CVDA is staffed and equipped to diagnose and manage a multitude of skin conditions in companion animals. However, information you and your primary care veterinarian provide are extremely important to help us formulate a diagnostic and treatment/management plan. We work closely with other specialists of CVRC (http://www.cvrc.com) when needed to ensure a comprehensive medical work-up of your pet’s skin disorder. Conditions that CVDA typically examine are:

Pruritus (itch): rubbing, licking, chewing, biting, or scratching
Allergic skin disease: flea, food, and environmental (atopy) allergies
Ear diseases (the ear is just and extension of the skin)
Bacterial skin infections
Fungal skin infections: ringworm (dermatophytosis) and yeast
Parasitic skin diseases: mites, ticks, lice, fleas, and other insects
Excessive skin dander, greasiness, dryness, or crusting
Pustular and blistering skin diseases
Alopecia (hair loss)
Autoimmune and immune-mediated skin diseases
Skin cancers
Hormonal-related skin diseases