If you love pets, Volunteer for this FREE Event.

If You Pets, Register now!

 This event is for kids, curated by pet lovers and guaranteed to be a great time. Scan the code, registered now. Join us for this life changing event.    

Join us for the Walk for the Animals- Miami- October 4th

 

We Hope You Join Us This Saturday!!

This Saturday, we’re proud to lace up our sneakers and join the Humane Society of Greater Miami’s Walk for the Animals—and we’d love for you to be part of it!

At VCA, our values go beyond the walls of the hospital. We believe in community, compassion, and connection—the same principles that guide how we care for pets and the people who love them. Supporting the Humane Society of Greater Miami is one more way we live those values, giving back to the families and pets who make our community stronger.

Bring your friends, your pets, and your energy, and come walk with us! Together, we can celebrate the bond between people and animals while supporting an incredible cause.

VCA Hollywood's Hotshots- Meet Michelle!

VCA Hollywood's Hotshots- Meet Michelle!

VCA Hollywood has a loads of hotshots!  We love to highlight our team whenever possible.

This month's special highlight is Michelle. 

Michelle has been with VCA since 2017 but with VCA Hollywood just 9 months and we are all so grateful she chose us!

Michelle joins us as a part of our Pharmacy Team who's location at the (literal) center of our practice though really mirrors their role in our ability to provide exceptional patient care.   Our pharmacy provides care for all of our client Whether GP or Specialty, whether on preventative or chronic medication they serve our in and outpatients even filling all of the medications for our hospitalized patients- not to mention our online pharmacy. 

It is a lot and Michelle has made the team whole. 

Get to know more about Michelle:

Background: Native Floridian who (Miami Gardens) but spent the last 15 years in CA.  

1. Cat or dog person?  

I love cats & small dogs especially, but have affection for most animals in general. I currently have 3 Shepherds and 5 cats.   

2. What is your favorite comfort media (book, show, movie, music, or anything else)? 

Video games! Especially ones that encourage crafting or are open-world. (Currently playing “Subnautica” and “Tears of the Kingdom”.

3. What is one thing you’re learning now or learned recently? 

“Taking care of yourself” is a lot harder than it sounds. It’s an active process (and you don’t suddenly “have it together” by 30 yrs. old) 

4.  What is one thing you’re currently trying to make a habit? 

Better posture (so my back will stop yelling at me) 

5.  If you could trade places with anyone for the day, who would you choose and why? 

Younger me (5 years younger than now) I think it’d be interesting to see younger me deal with today’s me with my responsibilities, vice versa (lol).

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VCA Hollywood's Hotshots- Meet Cristina!

VCA Hollywood has a loads of hotshots!  We love to highlight our team whenever possible.

This month's special highlight is Cristina.

Cristina is a bright light and happy presence in the our practice. She and Dr. Melanie Hnot, our veterinary dermatologist, go together like peanut butter and jelly and have a team that truly enjoys all that they do.

Cristina recently graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Science (what an amazing accomplishment) and is working to continue her education on a path to becoming a veterinarian. 

Cristina also recently married the man of her dreams. Life is good. In the busy life she leads, she made the time to answer some fun questions for us.

Get to know Cristina:

1.    Your name/Position/Years working here

Cristina- Veterinary Technician-Dermatology

2.     What is an easy item on your bucket list that you haven’t done yet?

Go to Europe! Or Africa!

3.    Does your current car have a name? What is it?

Yes! Tiffany

4.    What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

“Treat others the way you wish to be treated”

5.    What song or album could you listen to on repeat?

Taylor Swift- Album “Midnights”

6.    What simple/everyday food do you refuse to eat?

YOGURT!! 

7.    What current fact about your life would most impress your five your old self?

I am currently applying to the vet school of my dreams and married to an amazing man

8.    What piece of advice would you share with your younger self?

Keep working towards your dreams, never give up despite how hard it is.

OUR SPECIALTY TEAM IS HERE WHEN YOU NEED US!

 

Specialty Care Appointments

We understand the challenges your clients can face in finding appointments for the advanced care you recommend. We are here to help. What we are doing. Our Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Department has expanded to provide greater availability for Ultrasound and CT services. Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Services available Mon-Sat.  Internal Medicine & Dermatology With the growth of our Internal Medicine Department, Dr. Randi Fishkin, DACVECC, DACVIM and Dr. Melody Chen (Practice Limited to Internal Medicine) are able to provide IM consultations typically within five days of your referral. Internal Medicine Service is available Tues-Sat. Our Dermatology Department is currently booking appointments 6 weeks out. However, to ensure every dermatology client can be seen as soon as possible, we have a well-established waitlist protocol in place. Dermatology Service is available Tues-Sat. Oncology & Emergency and Critical Care Our Oncology Department's renovations are complete. Your clients are now welcomed into a state-of-the-art USP 800-compliant oncology suite, thus ensuring the safest administration of cancer care available.  Oncology Service is available Mon- Thurs. Our Emergency & Critical Care Department, overseen by  Dr. Randi Fishkin, DACVECC, DAVCIM is staffed 7 days a week for referrals.  Emergency and Critical Care Service is available 24/7, Sun-Sat. Our Surgical Service is available 5 days a week, Tues-Sat.

Lumps and bumps in the skin, should you be concerned?

The answer is not always, but an examination by your veterinarian is needed to determine this.

As pets grow and get older, they can develop lumps and bumps throughout their body. Although it is more common for older pets to develop skin masses, younger pets can develop them too. On many occasions skin masses are classified as benign. Sometimes, however, they can be malignant and cause problems. The best course of action to determine whether a lump or bump in your pet’s skin is benign or malignant is to have it evaluated by your veterinarian.

More than likely, a fine needle aspirate for cytology evaluation will be recommended to determine if further medical care is needed.A non-invasive technique that can be used to determine whether a skin mass is benign or malignant is a fine needle aspirate. This technique involves obtaining samples from the mass or abnormal tissue using a small needle. The sample obtained is then gently expelled onto a clean glass slide with the help of an empty syringe and examined with a microscope. This technique does not require sedation and can be rapidly performed.

Examples of benign masses in the skin include fatty tumors (also known as lipomas), sebaceous cysts, sebaceous adenomas, warts, skin tags, and benign tumors such as histiocytomas, among others. Unless they are causing a problem for your pet, such as impacting mobility or causing skin irritation, these don’t always require additional medical care and can be closely monitored. 

Examples of malignant masses in the skin include certain types of cancer such as mast cell tumor, carcinoma, melanoma, soft tissue sarcomas, and hemangiosarcoma, among others. Because malignant masses can be locally aggressive and spread to other locations in the body, such as the lymph nodes and the lungs (also known as metastasis) further medical care such as surgery and possibly chemotherapy are usually needed as well.

It is definitely scary to find a lump or bump in your pet’s skin. Having them examined right away will ultimately let you and your veterinarian know the appropriate next steps to take.

Learn more about Pet Cancer Care at VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital @

Irene Vazquez, DVM, MS DACVIM (Oncology)

If something's bugging your pet, we can help!

Queen after 24 days of treatment.

"Queen", a 7 month old Shihtzu, presented to the VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital Emergency Service Department for an elevated temperature, lethargy, inappetence, erythema (skin redness) and crusty dermatitis. After hospitalization, advanced diagnostic, IV fluid and a course injectable and oral antibiotics, her temperature decreased into normal range and a consult with our Dermatology Department to further address her skin was prescribed.

When Queen presented to VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital Dermatology Department, Dr. Melanie Hnot, our Board Certified Dermatologist, diagnosed Queen with Demodex mites, as well as with a severe, deep skin infection.

Queen upon presentation to our VCA Hollywood Dermatology Service.

Demodex mites are mites that live in the hair follicle and dogs obtain them from their mothers. They are not contagious to other dogs or people. When a dog has suppression of their immune system, from medications, parasites, or malnutrition, they can develop demodicosis. Demodicosis is when the Demodex mites proliferate and lead to hair loss and skin infections. When Demodex mites live in the hair follicles, it predisposes dogs to superficial skin infections. If

the hair follicles rupture, then dogs can get deep bacterial infection, which Queen had.

The treatments for demodicosis include oral ivermectin daily, amitraz dips (only licensed treatment for demodex), oral milbemycin or Bravecto. Queen continued treatment for 6 weeks with antibiotics and Bravecto to kill off the Demodex mites and the results of her care are evident. 

Today, Queen is feeling much better. Her puppy personality is back as she is now wagging her tail and playing at home.

In 4 weeks, Dr. Hnot will perform additional deep skin scrapings hoping to reach 2 negative deep skin scrapings before approaching an "all clear" diagnosis. It can take months to treat dogs with

Queen after 10 days of treatment.

demodicosis and therefore treatment will continue one month past her second set of negative deep skin scrapings.

After treatment, Queen will need to be monitored for a recurrence of demodicosis. Certain medications can also increase the risk of demodicosis. Steroids can increase the risk of developing demodicosis so any oral, topical or injectable steroid should be avoided.

For now, Queen is feeling royal and she feels as good as she looks!  

Sarcoptic Mange in Dogs

What causes sarcoptic mange?

Sarcoptic mange is caused by a parasitic mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) that burrows just beneath the surface of the skin. It is important not to confuse sarcoptic mange with demodectic mange, which is caused by a different parasitic mite.

"Sarcoptic mange is a zoonotic disease or a disease transmissible from pets to people."

These mites bury into the skin of healthy adult dogs and puppies, and feed on material in and on the skin. Sarcoptic mange is also known as scabies and is zoonotic, which means it is a disease transmissible from pets to people.

What does it do to the dog?

The presence of the sarcoptic mite causes intense itching. The dog will chew and scratch its skin constantly. This leads to the loss of large amounts of hair, especially on the legs and belly. Eventually, the skin will become thickened and will darken.

Is it contagious?

Yes. Sarcoptic mange is highly contagious to other dogs and humans.

Although sarcoptic mites are not able to complete their life cycle on humans, they will cause severe itching until they die. Since the mite may be found in areas where infected dogs or foxes frequent, keep your dog away from these areas to attempt to prevent infection.

How is sarcoptic mange diagnosed?

Diagnosis is made by a skin scraping examined under the microscope. It is common not to see sarcoptic mange mites when performing a skin scraping. This is because the mites burrow deep into the skin and it takes only a few mites to cause significant itching.

Just because no mites are seen, does not mean your dog does not have sarcoptic mange. A presumptive diagnosis may therefore be made, based on clinical signs. Sarcoptic mange may occur in any dog at any age.

How is it treated?

There are several medications that are effective against Sarcoptes. Your veterinarian will discuss the best treatment for your pet's condition and lifestyle. Treatment varies from medicated baths and dips to injections and oral medications. Many pets will require a combination of treatments to resolve this infection.

Topical treatments may be divided into two categories:

1)   Dips. Some of the dips that are used to treat Sarcoptes include amitraz and lime-sulfur dip. Your veterinarian will provide you with information on how to use these dips.

2)   Topicals. Medication applied topically to one or two spots while the animal is dry. These medications are applied every 14-30 days or as your veterinarian recommends. Some examples of these topical medications include selamectin, imidacloprid and moxidectin, fipronil among many others.

Just like topical medications, there are a wide variety of oral medications available for the treatment of sarcoptic mange. These oral medications may be prescribed in the form of liquid, pill, or flavored chew, depending on the medication prescribed. Some of these oral medications include milbemycin (the active ingredient of Interceptor® and Sentinel®), afoxolaner (NexGard®), fluralaner (Bravecto®), and sarolaner (Simparica®). These medications are used 'off label' for the treatment of sarcoptic mange. The term 'off label' describes the use of a drug for conditions other than what it was approved for. Many of these medications are given for multiple treatments. To prevent re-infection, discard any bedding where your dog sleeps, or wash it frequently in diluted bleach solution (one ounce bleach in one gallon of water). If you dog is still scratching four to five days after treatment has started, please contact your veterinarian.

Can I get mange from my dog?

Yes. If any member of the family develops itching or a skin rash, contact your family doctor immediately. Tell your doctor that you may have been exposed to sarcoptic mange or scabies. In people, the mite cannot complete its life cycle so it will die in a few days. However, it may cause intense itching during that time and medical treatment is often recommended.

By Ernest Ward, DVM; Updated by Amy Panning, DVM

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/mange-sarcoptic-in-dogs

Contributors: Ernest Ward, DVM; Updated by Amy Panning, DVM © Copyright 2018 LifeLearn Inc. Used and/or modified with permission under license.

Demodectic Mange in Dogs

Mange is a parasitic skin disease caused by microscopic mites. Two different mange mites cause skin disease in dogs. One lives just under the surface of the skin (sarcoptic mange), while the other resides in the hair follicles (demodectic mange). Although both mites share similar characteristics, there are also important differences. It is important not to confuse the two types of mange because they have different causes, treatments, and prognoses.

What causes demodectic mange?

Demodectic mange is caused by Demodex canis, a parasitic mite that lives in the hair follicles of dogs. Under the microscope, this mite is shaped like a cigar with eight legs. Demodectic mange, sometimes just called ‘demodex’ or ‘red mange’, is the most common form of mange in dogs.

"As long as the body's immune system is functioning properly, these mites cause no harm."

All normal dogs (and many humans) have a few of these mites on their skin. As long as the body's immune system is functioning properly, these mites cause no harm.

Demodectic mange most often occurs when a dog has an immature immune system, allowing the number of skin mites to increase rapidly. As a result, this disease occurs primarily in dogs less than 12 to 18 months of age. As the dog matures, its immune system also matures.

Adult dogs that have the disease usually have weakened immune systems. Demodectic mange may occur in older dogs because function of the immune system often declines with age. Dogs who have a weakened immune system due to illness or certain medications are also susceptible to demodectic mange.

Is demodectic mange contagious?

No, demodectic mange is not contagious to other animals or humans. Demodex mites are transmitted to puppies from their mother during the first few days of life. Since the mite is found on virtually all dogs, exposure of a normal dog to one with demodectic mange is not dangerous, as the immune system must be depressed for mange to develop.

"Demodectic mange is not contagious to other animals or humans."

Why doesn't the immune system mature correctly in some dogs?

Development of the immune system is under genetic or hereditary control. An affected dog often has littermates that are also affected. Owners of littermates should be alerted to watch for the development of mange in their puppies. Because the disease is due to a genetic defect, affected dogs should not be bred, and the parents of the affected dog should not be bred again.

What does demodectic mange do to the dog?

Surprisingly, a dog with demodectic mange usually does not itch severely, even though it loses hair in patches. The hair loss usually begins on the face, especially around the eyes. When there are only a few patches of hair loss, the condition is called localized demodectic mange. If the disease spreads to many areas of the skin, the condition is called generalized demodectic mange.

How is demodectic mange diagnosed?

"Your veterinarian will take deep skin scrapings and examine them under the microscope to diagnose this disease."

Your veterinarian will take deep skin scrapings and examine them under the microscope to diagnose this disease. The finding of larger than normal numbers of Demodex mites in skin scrapings confirms the diagnosis. Occasionally, the disease will be diagnosed by means of a skin biopsy in dogs that have chronic skin infections that have not responded appropriately to treatment.

How is demodectic mange treated?

The localized form is usually treated with topical medication. The generalized form requires more aggressive treatment using special shampoos and dips, along with oral medication. Shampooing with special cleansing shampoos containing benzoyl peroxide helps to flush out and open the hair follicles prior to dipping. 

There are also several 'spot on' topical treatments, such as imidacloprid and moxidectin. These medications are used 'off label' for the treatment of demodicosis. The term 'off label' describes the use of a drug for conditions other than what it was approved for.

There is an injectable form of doramectin, which can also be used for off label treatment of demodex. Your veterinarian will discuss the benefits and risks of these medications with you.

In some cases, especially dogs with generalized demodectic mange, secondary skin infections complicate the condition, requiring antibiotic therapy. Because dogs with skin infections often have very red, inflamed skin, demodectic mange is often called ‘red mange’. Your veterinarian can help you determine whether or not your dog has a skin infection in addition to demodectic mange.

Are there any problems with topical treatment?

The dip commonly used for demodectic mange contains the insecticide amitraz. It must be used very carefully because it is a strong insecticide that can cause serious side effects, both to your dog and to you, if not used properly. Your dog may experience vomiting and sedation for twenty-four to thirty-six hours following each application. Most of these problems will resolve without medical intervention. If your dog reacts in this manner, you should dilute the next dip with 25% more water. If you are using a ‘spot on’ topical treatment, you may see drooling if your dog licks the medication.

"Amitraz must be used very carefully because it is a strong insecticide that can cause serious side effects, both to your dog and to you, if not used properly."

Since most dogs develop tolerance to the dip as they are repeated, your dog is less likely to have side effects with each subsequent treatment. After receiving two to three dipping treatments at seven-day intervals, skin scrapings should be repeated and examined for the presence of live mites or mite eggs. The results of these skin scrapings will determine whether further treatment is needed.

I heard that there is a drug that can be given orally for demodectic mange. Is that true?

Yes, under certain conditions.

Ivermectins are a class of drugs that are approved for prevention of heartworm disease in dogs and cats. Certain ivermectins are used to treat parasites on cattle. The cattle preparation has been used orally for demodectic mange in some dogs. However, ivermectin is not approved for use in treating dogs with mange, so its use to treat mite infestations in dogs is off-label.

Ivermectin is a very strong drug that can cause severe side-effects, including death, if it is not administered properly. It is extremely important to follow your veterinarian’s instructions and cautions carefully, as their directions may be very different from those on the label. Veterinarians do not generally recommend ivermectin for use in Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs, Australian Shepherds, Old English Sheepdogs, or any other herding breed because they are sensitive to the medication.

There are a few other oral medications that may be used off label in the treatment of the demodex mite. These include milbemycin oxime (the active ingredient of Interceptor® and Sentinel®), afoxolaner (NexGard®), and fluralaner (Bravecto®). Your veterinarian will help you decide which oral or topical medication is best for your dog.

What is the prognosis for my dog?

Treatment of demodectic mange is generally successful. However, if the immune system is weakened, neither the mites nor the infection may respond to treatment. With generalized demodicosis, successful treatment may take a long time, and may require regular skin scrapings to check the progress of the treatment.

Following successful treatment, is it likely to recur?

"It is important to treat as soon as a relapse occurs to minimize the possibility of developing uncontrollable problems."

Because the immune system does not mature until 12 to 18 months of age, a dog with demodectic mange may have relapses until that age. In addition, dogs with suppressed immune systems may be susceptible to relapse. It is important to treat as soon as a relapse occurs to minimize the possibility of developing uncontrollable problems. Relapses are usually recognized 3-6 months after treatment is discontinued.

By Ernest Ward, DVM; Updated by Amy Panning, DVM

Medical Conditions, Parasites, Pet Services

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/mange-demodectic-in-dogs

Contributors: Ernest Ward, DVM; Updated by Amy Panning, DVM

© Copyright 2018 LifeLearn Inc. Used and/or modified with permission under license.

We Can-cer-vive Cancer! - #VCAHollywoodPetCancerCareCenters

 

Oscar is a 10 year old Shih Tzu that was diagnosed with intestinal lymphoma on September 23, 2019.


Lymphoma is a type of cancer that originates from the abnormal growth of lymphocytes, an important cell of the immune system. Lymphoma in dogs most commonly affects the lymph nodes, but it can also affect the lymphatics within the intestinal tract. Although intestinal lymphoma is not a disease that can be cured, treatment with chemotherapy can help keep the cancer at bay for a period of time, prolong their lifetime, and most importantly, greatly improve their quality of life.




Oscar underwent 15 weeks of chemotherapy with the *CHOP protocol and received his last chemotherapy treatment today! He did great throughout his chemotherapy protocol and experienced minimal to no side effects.

He's our little trooper and a chemo rock star! We are so proud of him and will miss seeing him through our Oncology Service.  We wish he and his family the best of luck!




VCA Hollywood's Oncology Department applies a team approach to cancer care using the strength & expertise of all of our on site specialists Surgery, Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Dermatology, Radiology and Emergency & Critical Care departments to provide the very best care

Dr. Vazquez joined our team in July of 2019 after completing her Oncology Residency at Auburn Univeristy. For Dr. Vazquez, the most important thing in dogs and cats after a diagnosis of cancer is that  treatment is focused on improvement of their quality of life.






* CHOP is the 'gold standard' of  treatment for dogs with multicentric lymphoma consists of a multi-agent, CHOP-based chemotherapy protocol incorporating several injectable and oral drugs given on a more-or-less weekly basis for a period of several months.

Healthy skin is in! Protect the skin your pet is in.

In human medicine, patients see their family doctors for routine wellness checks and general health concerns. But often, the primary care doctor recommends a specialist. The same is now true of veterinary medicine. Get to know our Veterinary Specialist in Dermatology, Dr. Melanie Hnot [NOT].

Does my dog need a manicure?

Symmetric Lupoid Onychitis in dogs
Do you have a dog whose nails are brittle or where the nails have started to fall off? Symmetric lupoid onychitis (SLO), an immune-mediated condition that affects your dog’s nails and paws. I’ve seen this recently in some patients so I wanted to give an update on this dermatologic disease. 
Luckily, this disease isn’t that common, but if it’s your dog, you want to bring them to your veterinarian right away. 

What is it?
SLO has been reported in many dog breeds. I’ve seen it in Vizslas, Greyhounds, German Shepherds, Giant Schnauzer and mixed breed dogs. Commonly occurring in middle age, dogs can present with brittle nails or with nails falling off on multiple paws. Understandably, this can be painful and discourage your pup from walking or playing. This disease usually only affects the feet so dogs are typically still eating and drinking normally.

What can I do?
The best way to diagnose this disease is to biopsy an affected nail. The biopsy is helpful because it can differentiate SLO from other diseases.
Treatments for SLO varies as does the response of from each dog. Often a combination of treatments are used. Some dogs respond to strict diet trials, whereby a food allergy causes this disease. Other dogs respond to omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, doxycycline (an antibiotic) along with niacinamide (a B-vitamin) and some need stronger medications like prednisone. Nails grow slowly so treatment can take time. Most patients need to be treated for at least 8 weeks before seeing improvement and dogs may need treatment lifelong. Even with treatment, the nails can grow in abnormally. We also want to make sure our patients are comfortable so pain management is part of the initial plan. 

The good news, most patients respond well to treatment of SLO.

Itchy Cats

Itchy Cats
Ever had a cat that is licking excessively or scratching so much the skin bleeds?  Hopefully not, but if you have an itchy cat, you know heartbreaking it can be to watch.  If you’ve been reading up on the multitude of causes of itching in cats online, you might get discouraged.  We’re here to help guide you through the process of figuring out what’s making your cat itch!!

What causes this?
There are many causes of itching in cats. They can include parasites, infectious diseases, allergies, and behavioral issues, among other diseases. Your veterinarian will take a detailed history to learn more about your cat and will then perform their exam. Looking for parasites is one of first things we want to do. We see a lot of flea allergy dermatitis (inflammation of the skin) so we will want to perform a combing to check for fleas. Some cats are fastidious groomers and can lick fleas off of their hair coat before we even find them so we often recommend a flea prevention. Looking for other parasites is important too. Superficial and deep skin scrapings can be taken to look for certain types of mites. Skin cytology can be helpful to look for bacteria and yeast infections and testing for ringworm can be performed.

Could it be allergies?
Once parasites and infectious diseases are ruled out, the next step is determining if your cat has allergies. Allergies can be caused by fleas, foods or even pollens, dust mites and molds in their environment. 

What can I do?
A strict, prescription 2-3 month diet trial may be recommended to see if your cat has a food allergy.  We know that cats can be picky eaters, which is why we have multiple dry and canned foods to try.  If environmental allergies are suspected, allergy testing can be performed.
With all of these possible causes, we recommend taking your cat to their veterinarian so they can help you determine the cause of itching and help treat it.

*New product update in cats: Revolution Plus is a new topical preventative for cats. It helps to provide protection against fleas, some ticks, heartworm, roundworms, hookworms and ear mites. It requires a prescription so you will need to talk with your veterinarian to see if it is an option for your cat.

A veterinary dermatologist is an expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of animal skin, ear, hair, nail, hoof and mouth disorders. Our specialty teams work closely with your pet’s primary care veterinarians to develop the best possible treatment plan for your patient.  If you have questions about our dermatology services or any of our other specialized services in Surgery, Cardiology, Internal Medicine or Emergency & Critical Care, please contact us via our website at vcahollywood.com, by phone at 954-920-3556 or by email at au1000@vca.com.

Healthy skin is in! Protect the skin your pet is in.

In human medicine, patients see their family doctors for routine wellness checks and general health concerns. But often, the primary care doctor recommends a specialist. The same is now true of veterinary medicine. Get to know our Veterinary Specialist in Dermatology, Dr. Melanie Hnot [NOT].

Does my dog need a manicure?

Symmetric Lupoid Onychitis in dogs
Do you have a dog whose nails are brittle or where the nails have started to fall off? Symmetric lupoid onychitis (SLO), an immune-mediated condition that affects your dog’s nails and paws. I’ve seen this recently in some patients so I wanted to give an update on this dermatologic disease. 
Luckily, this disease isn’t that common, but if it’s your dog, you want to bring them to your veterinarian right away. 

What is it?
SLO has been reported in many dog breeds. I’ve seen it in Vizslas, Greyhounds, German Shepherds, Giant Schnauzer and mixed breed dogs. Commonly occurring in middle age, dogs can present with brittle nails or with nails falling off on multiple paws. Understandably, this can be painful and discourage your pup from walking or playing. This disease usually only affects the feet so dogs are typically still eating and drinking normally.

What can I do?
The best way to diagnose this disease is to biopsy an affected nail. The biopsy is helpful because it can differentiate SLO from other diseases.
Treatments for SLO varies as does the response of from each dog. Often a combination of treatments are used. Some dogs respond to strict diet trials, whereby a food allergy causes this disease. Other dogs respond to omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, doxycycline (an antibiotic) along with niacinamide (a B-vitamin) and some need stronger medications like prednisone. Nails grow slowly so treatment can take time. Most patients need to be treated for at least 8 weeks before seeing improvement and dogs may need treatment lifelong. Even with treatment, the nails can grow in abnormally. We also want to make sure our patients are comfortable so pain management is part of the initial plan. 

The good news, most patients respond well to treatment of SLO.

Itchy Cats

Itchy Cats
Ever had a cat that is licking excessively or scratching so much the skin bleeds?  Hopefully not, but if you have an itchy cat, you know heartbreaking it can be to watch.  If you’ve been reading up on the multitude of causes of itching in cats online, you might get discouraged.  We’re here to help guide you through the process of figuring out what’s making your cat itch!!

What causes this?
There are many causes of itching in cats. They can include parasites, infectious diseases, allergies, and behavioral issues, among other diseases. Your veterinarian will take a detailed history to learn more about your cat and will then perform their exam. Looking for parasites is one of first things we want to do. We see a lot of flea allergy dermatitis (inflammation of the skin) so we will want to perform a combing to check for fleas. Some cats are fastidious groomers and can lick fleas off of their hair coat before we even find them so we often recommend a flea prevention. Looking for other parasites is important too. Superficial and deep skin scrapings can be taken to look for certain types of mites. Skin cytology can be helpful to look for bacteria and yeast infections and testing for ringworm can be performed.

Could it be allergies?
Once parasites and infectious diseases are ruled out, the next step is determining if your cat has allergies. Allergies can be caused by fleas, foods or even pollens, dust mites and molds in their environment. 

What can I do?
A strict, prescription 2-3 month diet trial may be recommended to see if your cat has a food allergy.  We know that cats can be picky eaters, which is why we have multiple dry and canned foods to try.  If environmental allergies are suspected, allergy testing can be performed.
With all of these possible causes, we recommend taking your cat to their veterinarian so they can help you determine the cause of itching and help treat it.

*New product update in cats: Revolution Plus is a new topical preventative for cats. It helps to provide protection against fleas, some ticks, heartworm, roundworms, hookworms and ear mites. It requires a prescription so you will need to talk with your veterinarian to see if it is an option for your cat.

A veterinary dermatologist is an expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of animal skin, ear, hair, nail, hoof and mouth disorders. Our specialty teams work closely with your pet’s primary care veterinarians to develop the best possible treatment plan for your patient.  If you have questions about our dermatology services or any of our other specialized services in Surgery, Cardiology, Internal Medicine or Emergency & Critical Care, please contact us via our website at vcahollywood.com, by phone at 954-920-3556 or by email at au1000@vca.com.