Dermatology Services for Dogs, Cats Coral Gables, FL

Why You Should Take Care of Your Pet’s Skin

Your pet’s skin and hair coat make up as much as 15 percent of their total body weight, representing the largest organ in their body. Taking care of their skin through routine dermatologic care can help your pet stay healthy and happy.

Our veterinary team at Gables Animal Clinic in Coral Gables, FL is here to provide top quality skin care for your pet. Learn more about our dermatologic services by contacting us at (305) 381-5694.

What’s So Important About My Pet’s Skin?

Your pet’s skin and hair coat serve a number of important roles, including:

•     Protection from the elements and other environmental stressors
•     Thermoregulation
•     Immune system function

The dermatologic system also helps maintain an adequate level of hydration. Finally, your pet’s skin provides storage for nutrients, including amino acids, collagen fibers, and enzymes.

How Can My Pet’s Skin Become Problematic?

When your pet is healthy, you may notice that their skin and hair coat appear lustrous, soft, and clean. However, issues like an unkempt coat, hair loss, or dry skin can indicate an underlying health condition. Some diseases that may cause skin and coat problems include:

• Allergies
• Bacterial infections
• Parasites, such as fleas, mites, or lice
• Thyroid disease
• Cushing’s disease
•  Kidney disease
• Other hormonal conditions
• Certain cancers

Skin problems may also be related to nutritional disorders in some situations. Whether your pet is dealing with a new problem or chronic disease, our veterinary team is here to help determine the underlying cause of their skin disease. 

How to Prevent Skin Problems in Your Pet

You can help keep your pet’s skin in tip top shape with the help of a few easy steps: 

• Offer a healthy diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids
• Keep up with regular bathing and grooming
• Utilize parasite preventive products routinely 
• Provide regular veterinary care 

Of course, if your pet’s skin problems are due to an underlying disease, this condition will need to be addressed before an improvement in skin health can be observed. Always consult your veterinarian before offering your pet a skin supplement. 

Dermatology Services That Treat Skin Problems

Because skin problems in pets can be linked to chronic disease and other conditions, seeking veterinary attention for any skin abnormality is recommended. Our veterinary team will thoroughly examine your pet and attempt to determine an underlying cause Additional diagnostics we may pursue can include allergy assessments, blood and urine tests, parasite screening, and skin biopsies.

Our team uses several different solutions once we determine the cause of your pet’s skin problems. We may suggest updating your pet’s diet to handle nutritional issues. We may also explore internal medicine options and recommend medications if your pet has a skin infection. Allow us to tailor the treatment plan to meet your pet’s needs.

Our List of Dermatology Services

1. Treatment and management of allergic skin disease and infection
2. Skin scraping
3. Fungal Culture / Ringworm PCR
4. Ear infections

Contact Gables Animal Clinic for Pet Skin Care Issues

The professionals at Gables Animal Clinic are prepared to keep your pet healthy and happy. We provide dermatology assessments and treatments for both cats and dogs here in Coral Gables, Florida. Call us at (305) 381-5694 to learn more or to schedule an appointment today.