Itchy Skin in Dogs and Cats
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Why is my dog or cat so itchy?
Animals with itchy skin are really uncomfortable, and we aim to provide them with relief as soon as possible as well as diagnostics to get to the bottom of why they are suffering, so we can manage the condition more effectively. Some common causes of itchy skin that we treat include allergic dermatitis, bacterial and fungal infections, parasites and autoimmune diseases.
How do vets find out what is causing itchy skin?
As always we get a thorough clinical history and examination of your pet to ensure that we have as much information as possible to guide the next steps. In most cases we will recommend one or more diagnostic tests to fine tune the diagnosis. These may include:
Sticky tape preps: We use sticky tape to collect cells and look at them under the microscope. This usually tells us if there is evidence of infections such as yeast and bacteria.
Skin scrapes: We collect surface level scrapings of the skin, which helps us to find parasites.
Blood tests: At times blood tests may find a systemic disease that is causing a skin problem.
Skin biopsies: Rarely we may recommend skin biopsies if the diagnosis or treatment of skin disease is challenging in a patient. This is very commonly done in human medicine.
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What is the treatment for itchy skin in dogs and cats?
Once we are sure of what we are treating, we offer a personalised treatment plan for your pet, both for the short term and the long term. We have a prevention based attitude to skin disease, which means we try to make sure our patients have reduced symptoms and fewer visits to the vet long term. We have access to the latest and most effective treatments for skin disease, including immunologics and topical steroid regimes for prevention of flare ups.