Pet Columns

Can Dogs and Cats Get Acne?

Nov 12, 2018 / Dermatology / Cats / Dogs

Animals typically develop acne in middle age Acne plagues many teenagers and even adults, but did you know that animals get pimples too? Dr. Pieper, a board-certified veterinary dermatologist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, sees a few cases of pet acne every year. Acne occurs when a hair follicle becomes...

Dog’s Painful Growths between Toes Removed by Laser

Jun 4, 2018 / Advances in Medicine / Dermatology / Dogs

Interdigital cysts are fairly common Poor Ares was in pain. The three-year-old Doberman Pinscher had sores between his toes on all four paws when he came to see Dr. Jason Pieper, a veterinary dermatologist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana. Ares had been licking at the bumpy sores and some of...

Allergy Shots May Bring Relief to Itchy Dogs

Nov 27, 2017 / Advances in Medicine / Dermatology / Dogs

Immunotherapy may be an effective treatment option Is something itching at your dog? If an allergy is to blame, it probably falls into one of three categories, according to Dr. Scott Miller, who recently completed an internship in small animal dermatology at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana. The options are flea...

When Your Dog Is Always Itchy

Apr 26, 2016 / Dermatology / Cats / Dogs

We may not ‘cure’ allergies, but we can manage them A lot of things can make a dog itchy: fleas, mites, skin infections, and food allergies, to name a few. Dr. Jason Pieper, a boarded veterinary dermatologist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, says, “After veterinarians rule out all other causes...

Itchy Pets May Have Flea Allergy

Jul 20, 2015 / Dermatology / Parasites / Cats / Dogs

Many pets are allergic to the saliva of the adult flea Most pet owners know that dogs and cats should be treated regularly with medication to prevent an infestation of fleas, but they may not realize that even a pet receiving a flea preventive can be bitten by an adult flea and develop an allergic...

Pets Have Allergies Too

Aug 7, 2014 / Dermatology / Cats / Dogs

Most allergic reactions in pets manifest as a problem in the skin. Just like people, pets may be afflicted with allergies. According to Dr. Gary Brummet, a primary care veterinarian at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at the University of Illinois in Urbana, pets’ allergies most commonly arise from environmental allergens, such as pollen, mold spores,...

Dogs’ Itchiness May Indicate Atopic Dermatitis

Oct 28, 2013 / Dermatology / Dogs

Between 10 percent and 15 percent of the dog population has atopic dermatitis Like people, pets suffer from allergies. Sometimes, these allergies are triggered by items commonly found in the pets’ environment, such as pollens, mold, house dust, kapok (used as filling in pillows and cushions), sawdust, human dander, and feathers, just to name a...