Stop your pet's constant scratching!!!

Does your pet lick its paws? Is your pet scratching? Does your dog have red scaly skin? Is your cat losing hair?

Want to see this smile again?!?

Our Veterinary Dermatologist, Dr. Melanie Hnot [pronounced-Knot] may be able to help you understand how! Skin diseases can be frustrating for pet owners.

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Why is Dermatology important?

 Skin is the largest organ in the body. Skin can develop bacterial and fungal infections. It can be targeted by parasites, such as fleas and mites. Even immune-mediated diseases, allergies and endocrine diseases can affect the skin. The ears are lined with skin so similar diseases can cause ear issues too.

What is a veterinary dermatologist?

Veterinary dermatologists are veterinarians with intensive training in skin and ear diseases. After veterinary school, they perform an internship and a three year dermatology residency. The dermatology residency includes seeing dermatology patients, research and teaching. Once finished with the residency, they take an exam to become a Diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology.

When is a Dermatology appointment recommended?

Is your pet itchy? Do they have hair loss or other skin lesions? Are their ears red or malodorous? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, you’ve found the right place. We understand that itching and infections can be frustrating and affect the bond between you and your pet. The goal is to determine what is causing the skin lesions and itching so they can be managed. Allergies are often life-long so it’s important to formulate a short-term and long-term treatment plan.

What to expect at your Dermatology appointment?

Prior to your appointment, we recommend that you fill out a questionnaire that provides more information on your pet. At your initial appointment, your pet’s skin and ears will be examined. Samples may be taken to look for evidence of infections or parasites. The treatment plan will include treating infections as well as discussing underlying diseases that could cause you

r pet’s skin lesions. Additional diagnostics, such as bloodwork, skin biopsies, diet trial, or environmental allergy testing may be recommended.

What services does a Dermatologist provide?
Beyond bringing back the happiness?!?!

-Allergy testing! Performing prescription diet trials to see if your pet has a food allergy-Cytology: looks for cells, bacteria and yeast that may be found on the skin
-Skin scrapings: looks for evidence of mites
-Skin biopsies
-Environmental allergy testing and immunotherapy (allergy vaccine)
-Manual and video otoscopy to evaluate your pet’s ears
-CT scans and deep ear flushes under general anesthesia

Meet our Dermatologist!

Melanie Hnot VMD, MS, DACVD

Dr. Melanie Hnot is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology. She received her veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania and completed a one-year small animal surgery and medicine internship at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital. This was followed by a one-year dermatology internship at several private practices in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She completed her dermatology residency at The Ohio State University as well as received a Master of Science degree in 2015. She became board certified in veterinary dermatology in 2015 and has enjoyed working at VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital.

Food Allergies: When Good Foods Go Bad !!!!!

Food Allergies: When Good Foods Go Bad 

Many of us know people with food allergies, but did you know that pets can have food allergies too? In honor of Food Allergy Awareness Week, we want to make you more aware of food allergies in pets.

While it’s difficult to determine the prevalence of food allergies in dogs and cats, food allergies may occur in about 10% of dogs and cats with allergies. While you may think this is not very common, consider that in 2007, about 3.9% of children were found to have food allergies.1 

Pets can develop dermatologic as well as gastrointestinal signs with food allergies. Common dermatology problems include itching throughout the year, skin infections and ear infections. If your pet has these clinical signs, it is recommended that they be evaluated by your veterinarian to determine if a diet trial would be helpful. To determine which diet would be the best, a complete dietary history including current and previous diets, treats, table food and supplements, is necessary.

One common myth is that grains are the most common pet food allergens. In fact, proteins are much more common allergens. When your veterinarian recommends a diet trial, options include home-cooked diets, novel protein diets and hydrolyzed diets. If you decide to use a commercial diet rather than home cooking, we recommend prescription diets as research suggests that some over the counter diets may contain ingredients that are not listed on their label.

The goal is to feed a protein and carbohydrate that your pet has not eaten before. While your pet cannot have any of their previous treats, there are treat options. I like to think of diet trials as an opportunity to find a new food or treat that your pet will like. He might even like the new treats better than the old treats. Don’t forget that chewable flea and heartworm preventatives are flavored so we recommend talking to your veterinarian about non-flavored options.

We recommend that the diet is fed for at least 8-12 weeks before evaluating your pet’s response to it. In one study,2 about 94% of dogs improved by 8 weeks on the diet trial. So even if your pet does not improve within the first few weeks, it’s worth it to continue the diet trial. You may think that sounds like a long time to wait to see a reduction in itching, but we have medications that we can use to keep your pet comfortable during the diet trial. Blood and saliva food allergy tests are available, but they have not been found to be reliable.

If your pet is on a diet trial, it’s important to follow it closely and remember, no cheating allowed! You might think one treat can’t be bad, but even a small amount of a food that your pet is allergic to can cause more itching and infections, which are the things we want to avoid.

Our goal during Food Allergy Awareness Week is to get more itchy pets the treatment they need.

We hope you enjoyed our first dermatology blog post by VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital’s dermatologist, Melanie Hnot. Check back soon for more dermatology information!

1. Branum, Amy and Lukacs, Susan. “Food Allergy Among U.S. Children: Trends in Prevalence and Hospitalizations.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Oct. 2008.
2. Rosser, EJ. Diagnosis of food allergy in dogs. J Am Vet Assoc 1993; 203: 259-262.