Missouri Veterinary Dermatology Center FAQs

You may expect an explanation of your pet’s history and current symptoms. The doctor will conduct a comprehensive skin and ear examination. We’ll offer you preliminary thoughts and a cost estimate for diagnostics and therapies right away. Plan to spend 1-2 hours in the office for an initial consultation. If your pet requires more complex testing, treatments, or procedures, a second visit may be necessary to perform these procedures. If these tests cannot be performed on the first visit, we will work with you to develop a plan for preliminary treatment and schedule a follow-up visit for the procedure.

The most common diseases we see are chronic or recurring illnesses. Multiple rechecks may be required at times in order for you and your pet to stay on track. We aim to deliver the highest level of quality of life and medicine to our patients through therapies and client education. The length of recheck checks varies from 20 to 45 minutes.

Follow-up will be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the illness and treatments. Some pets may only require one visit. Others may require yearly check-ups, while others could need rechecks every few weeks to months.

Environmental allergies are characterized by itching, licking, chewing, irritation, red skin, conjunctivitis, self-induced hair loss, and sneezing. Other symptoms include bacterial skin infections, nail bed disease, and yeast infections of the paws.

Allergies are a common cause of itching in dogs. Allergen immunotherapy (allergy-specific immunotherapy) is an allergy treatment that involves multiple injections over the lifetime of the pet. Each allergy shot contains tiny doses of the substances to which your pet is allergic in order to stimulate the immune system. Allergy shots(immunotherapy) is a one-of-a-kind treatment specifically developed for each pet and provides the most effective long-term therapy for environmental allergies. While this therapy does not provide immediate relief from allergic symptoms, it can help many dogs live more comfortably over time. Pets may still need additional medications and treatments to provide optimal comfort, but the allergy shots help those therapies to be more effective.

In most cases, allergy shots provide relief in six to twelve months. Some animals respond faster than others, with outcomes ranging from three to 14 months. There are also some situations that do not respond to immunotherapy because of a variety of underlying reasons.

Yes! Pets can be allergic to their owners, much like humans suffering from canine or feline dander sensitivity. The only method for a human allergic pet to develop tolerance to its owner’s dander is through allergen-specific immunotherapy.

Please do not bathe your pet for seven days before your appointment with us. Bathing washes away some of the clues that we use to help determine what is causing your pet’s problems.  Also refrain from cleaning its ears for at least a couple of days before the appointment.