Skin Care

with Dr. Kate Sapato

Skin allergies are common in pets. Causes can include flea allergies, environmental allergies, and food allergies, among others. Allergic pets are often itchy or licking at their paws or other body parts. When your pet visits Boulevard Veterinary, our main goal is to make them more comfortable by breaking the itch cycle and reducing skin inflammation. We do this with a variety of medications that fit your individual family's needs, ranging from oral medications to injectable medications that need only be given every 4-6 weeks.

Another common presentation of skin allergies is an ear infection. Pets naturally have low levels of bacteria and yeast in their ears, but those organisms can overgrow in times of allergy flare-ups. We perform an ear cytology which involves taking a swab of each ear and looking at what organisms are present under the microscope. This helps guide our treatment to provide your pet maximum relief. We have a wide variety of ear medications, from daily drops to leave-in medications that last up to 1 month.

Secondary skin infections can occur when the skin is weakened from constant allergic inflammation, so we always look closely for signs of an infection and can treat accordingly with antibiotics if necessary. We often utilize skin cytology or a skin scrape to look under the microscope for organisms or parasites. We also have various forms of antibiotics including pills, shampoos, sprays, and wipes so there are options to fit every pet. We carry a variety of diets designed for dogs and cats with food allergies and can help you through a diet trial with your pet.