My dog has chronic skin issues. When should I see a pet dermatologist?

Hello. I am so sorry for your concerns with Brandi. I wish I could just diagnose her skin problems from just a picture, but this is quite impossible. If this has been a chronic issue, my recommendations would be to either get a referral to a veterinary dermatologist who specializes in unusual skin problems, or have your veterinarian biopsy one of these lesions. It is not unusual to have to go this route when you have a frustrating case that just does not want to resolve using conventional therapy. Skin scrapes are good first step, but I think your veterinarian needs to look deeper into Brandi's skin problem. Good luck & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It's probably not mange. It looks like chronic skin allergies (could be from food or the environment or atopy) with secondary bacterial and yeast infections. The thickening and darkening of the skin tells me that this isn't going to be a simple case to fix. As far as I am aware, specialists are still open in the US, but with some modifications. Most often they have a decreased appointment load and you will be asked to wait in the car. I would recommend that you make an appointment with the specialist, since this is a case that will not resolve with short courses of antibiotics and cytopoint injections.

There are a lot of things that could be causing this appearance to the skin, and it may not be easy or cheap to figure it out. I would recommend that you keep working with the vet. Baseline blood work, thyroid hormone, testing for Cushing's disease, skin biopsies, food trials, flea preventatives, etc may be needed.

Poor little Kilela. That looks very uncomfortable. It sounds like you and your vets have done all the right things. For me, the next step would probably be doing a skin biopsy and submitting it for histopathology and tissue culture. You could also see a veterinary dermatologist if one is available near you. Good luck!

HI, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Summer! Your Vet has tried a lot. My suggestion at this point is to see a dermatologist. I would have him on Nexgard or Bravecto to cover fleas, demodex and scabies despite the injections. I would start an omega 3 fish oil (see link). I would also do several seeks of an antibiotic and antiyeast. I would also use cytopoint. The dermatolgist can do skin testing as well for environmental allergies. You can try a thin layer of the quadriderm cream on the areas once daily but he can not lick it so you have to use an E-collar. It also will only help the symptoms you see not the underlying cause of his allergies. Do not use it for more than 1 week. I wish you the best https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=19121

Yes, at this point, Cosmo should take a trip to the vet. From the pictures, his skin lesions are highly suspicious for a bacterial skin infection. This may have occurred as a result of matted hair or underlying allergies. If he did well on Dinovet in the past, it may be worth restarting this supplement (double check with your vet first!), but I doubt that this alone will be sufficient to manage these lesions. I hope that he's on the mend soon!

A food elimination trial should last a minimum of 6-8 weeks feeding one food exclusively, no other treats or foods. Afterwards, the condition should be reassessed. If this is the case with two different diets containing a novel protein/carb combo and still no improvement, then a consultation and exam with a veterinary dermatologist may be your next step. If Samson is licking or chewing excessively, an e-collar (cone) should be used. Consider an essential fatty acid supplement, such as DermCaps or EicosaCaps, to promote healthy skin and coat. If allergies are the underlying cause, they can be frustrating to diagnose, but once you determine specific allergens then management may be easier.