Dermatology consultation
A visit for a dog or cat that is scratching, losing hair or has changes on the skin. History-taking, examination of the skin and basic tests in the on-site laboratory lead to a plan for diagnostics and treatment.
What it involves
A dermatology consultation is a structured examination of an animal with a skin problem: itching, hair loss, a rash, redness, scabs, a change in skin odour or recurrent ear infections. The skin has a limited repertoire of reactions — many different diseases look similar, so simply looking at the lesions is rarely enough. The key is the history and basic tests carried out straight away, in the consulting room.
During the visit we usually take skin scrapings and swabs for cytology, comb out the coat and examine hairs under the microscope. Within 10–20 minutes this lets us confirm or rule out parasites, bacteria, yeasts and some fungal infections. The results of these tests guide treatment from the first day.
The outcome of the consultation is a plan: a diagnosis or a list of probable causes, treatment to start straight away, and a schedule of further steps (elimination diet, blood tests, biopsy) if the problem is chronic.
When it is used
Book a visit when your dog or cat scratches more than usual, licks its paws, loses fur, has red or foul-smelling skin, pustules, scabs or recurrent ear infections. It is worth coming early — the longer the itching goes on, the more secondary infections complicate the picture.
We also recommend it when a skin problem returns after medication is stopped, despite earlier treatment. Relapses are a sign that we are treating the symptom rather than the cause.
Indications: symptoms that should prompt a visit
- Your dog scratches and licks its paws so intensely that it wakes you at night.
- The skin on the belly, under the armpits or in the groin is red, and the dog smells of “old oil”.
- Your cat has bald patches on its sides or belly, but nobody has seen it scratch.
- Pustules, scabs or round scaly lesions have appeared, sometimes in people in the household too.
- The animal shakes its head, scratches its ears, and dark discharge comes from the ears.
- The coat has become dull and is thinning symmetrically on the sides, and the dog has put on weight and is lethargic.
- The skin lesions return every time after a course of antibiotics or steroids ends.
Conditions for which we use it in particular
Diagnostics beforehand
You do not need to prepare for the consultation, but some things help a great deal: do not bathe your pet for 3–5 days before the visit, do not apply ointments to the lesions on the day of the visit, and do not start a new antibiotic or steroids just before it unless necessary — they obscure the picture on cytology. Bring the names of foods and treats from recent months, and of flea preparations with the dates they were given.
Tests carried out in the consulting room: superficial and deep skin scrapings, impression and tape cytology, trichogram, Wood's lamp test, ear swab. In our on-site laboratory we do a full blood count and biochemistry when we suspect a hormonal cause or plan long-term treatment; fungal culture and hormone tests are sent away.
How it proceeds
The visit takes 30–45 minutes. We start with a detailed history: when it began, whether the itching came before the lesions, whether the problem is seasonal, how your pet responded to earlier medication, and whether other animals or people in the household have symptoms. Then we examine the whole animal — the skin all over the body, ears, spaces between the toes, claws, mucous membranes — and note the distribution of the lesions, because their pattern often points to the cause.
Next we collect material for tests and examine it under the microscope during the visit itself. On this basis we start treatment of secondary infections and parasites and decide how to look for the primary cause: a flea-control trial, an elimination diet, hormone tests or a skin biopsy. You receive a written plan with check-up dates.
Aftercare
Dermatology requires patience: most skin diseases are chronic conditions that we control rather than cure once and for all. Follow the plan in full — including the “boring” parts, such as regular medicated baths and flea prevention for all the animals in the household.
A check-up is usually after 2–4 weeks: we assess whether the secondary infection has resolved and whether the itching has lessened, and then move on to the next stage of diagnosis. Call earlier if the lesions spread rapidly, a fever appears, the animal is not eating or reacts badly to a medication.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bathe my dog before the visit?
Better not to. A bath washes away from the skin surface what we want to see under the microscope — yeasts, bacteria, parasites. Wait 3–5 days.
Can allergy tests be done at the first visit?
Blood tests only make sense once fleas, parasites, infections and food allergy have been ruled out — otherwise the result is misleading. We usually reach testing after several weeks of structured diagnosis.
Is my dog's skin disease contagious to children?
Ringworm, sarcoptic mange (scabies) and fleas — yes. Atopy, yeast infection and pyoderma — no. That is why, at the first visit, we immediately carry out the tests that settle this.
Why did steroids help, and then the problem came back?
Steroids suppress itching whatever the cause, but they do not remove the cause. When they are stopped, the disease returns, and long-term use has side effects. Our aim is to find the cause and provide treatment that can be safely maintained for years.
We manage every case individually. The scope, indications and course described above are indicative; we agree the exact diagnostic and treatment plan during the consultation. This content is for information only and does not replace a veterinary consultation.
Have questions about the dermatology consultation?
Call us or book a consultation. We will set out the diagnostic and treatment plan in writing, before you decide.