Skin Health

Pet Skin Condition Diagnosis

When your pet suffers from a skin condition, we will put our expertise to work to diagnose the problem. Be prepared to answer questions about your pet’s living diet, environment, and flea/tick prevention so we can gain a better understanding of what may have caused the skin condition. Medications and treatments will only be prescribed once we fully understand your pet’s condition.

Chronic Skin & Ear Condition Treatment Plans

Skin and ear conditions are common problems with cats and dogs. Many of these conditions can be chronic and they often become a source of frustration for pet parents. The good news is that most pet skin conditions can be managed with effective treatment plans. Long-term management is easier and more effective when you understand the illness and the options. Dr. Spence will discuss your pet’s options with you to determine what kinds of treatment you feel comfortable giving your pet at home. In some cases, conditions can be spread among all of your pets and we will work with you to design a strategic plan to eliminate the problem in each family pet.

Strategic Flea, Tick, Mite, & Mosquito Control

If your dog or cat is dealing with fleas, ticks, mites, mosquitoes, or other external parasites, we’re here to help you choose the safest and most effective plan for both your pet and your home. These pests often start on your pet but can quickly become a household problem, so the right prevention and treatment matter.

There are lots of places to buy flea, tick, and heartworm products, but getting them through 101 Pet Vet or our trusted online pharmacy gives you more support. We can help match the product to your pet’s lifestyle, keep you up to date on the safest options, and make sure you have guidance if questions come up.

Another benefit is product support. If a pet has a rare reaction or becomes ill even when the product was used correctly, the manufacturer may help cover treatment when the product was purchased through a veterinarian. That support is often not available with products bought from other stores or online pharmacies.

Most importantly, your pet’s safety and your family’s safety come first. We’ll only recommend products we feel are appropriate for your pet’s needs. And if we don’t have a specific product in stock, we can help you order it through our online pharmacy and have it shipped right to your home.

Dietary Allergies: Why an Elimination Diet Is the Gold Standard

Food allergies can be tricky because they often look just like environmental allergies. Veterinary dermatology experts describe these reactions as Cutaneous Adverse Food Reactions, which simply means year-round itchy skin or ear problems triggered by something in your pet’s diet.

What Pet Parents Should Know

• They can be hard to spot: Food allergies can look exactly like environmental allergies in dogs and cats, so we can’t diagnose them by exam alone.
• Allergy Tests are not dependable: Blood, saliva, hair, and skin-prick tests for food allergies are not considered accurate or reliable by veterinary dermatologists.
• The best test is a diet trial: The most trusted way to diagnose a food allergy is a strict elimination diet for 8 to 12 weeks, followed by a careful food challenge.  Treats and food toppers can disrupt the elimination test and must be strictly followed.
• We’ll choose the right diet together: This may be a prescription hydrolyzed protein diet, where proteins are broken into tiny pieces, or a novel-protein diet using an ingredient your pet has never eaten before.
• Common foods are often the culprits: The most common triggers are everyday proteins like beef, chicken, dairy, and wheat rather than rare or unusual ingredients.