Sep

2016

September Newsletter 2016

September Newsletter 2016

Spring has sprung, and with it comes something that puts the fear into many pet owners' hearts - skin problems! Excessive itching and skin irritation is one of the most common causes year round for needing a visit to the vet. However, when the weather warms up, these visits multiply tenfold!

The most important place to start is to ensure that you have a comprehensive flea control programme in place for all your pets. We are lucky up here on the coast that for most of the year we are treated with lovely warm weather, but this also means that fleas are a year round problem. Preventing fleas through the regular use of flea control is much easier than dealing with an infestation, so if you are unsure about what flea treatment is best for your pets, speak to one of our nurses. They can talk you through the tablets, topical treatments, collars, and spray products we have on offer.

If you have a flea control programme in place and your pet is still showing signs of excessive licking, itching, chewing, or hair loss then a vet visit is your next step. In order to make a diagnosis, the vet will gather a full history on your pet, before identifying clinical signs by performing a medical examination which includes looking at the skin, eyes, ears, and paws which are the most commonly affected areas. They may also perform a skin scrape or collect a sample with sticky tape to check under a microscope, or bring out the ultraviolet light in order to check for any fungal infections. From here, it becomes a matter of making a diagnosis and attempting to rule out any other causes for itching. 

There is a wide range of causes for skin issues, in some cases more than one cause at a time, so finding a diagnosis and a treatment plan is often a case of trial and error in order to alleviate the discomfort. In some cases, it may be an ingredient in the diet that is causing the itchiness so a food trial may be started with low-allergen food to assess if food is the cause. Atopic dermatitis is another common cause of skin issues. Atopy is an allergy to environmental allergens such as grasses, pollen, moulds, and house dust mites. These are everywhere and impossible to completely remove from your pet's environment, so it becomes very hard to control. The best course of action is to stop the itching, usually through a combination of treatments such as steroids, antibiotics, ointments, and shampoos. Now there is a new treatment available to bring relief to itchy pets that has been working wonders.

A break-through in itch-control, APOQUEL is a fast-acting tablet specially designed to rapidly control itching and inflammation associated with skin allergies. Within the first day of use, Apoquel reduces itching and provides long-term relief to your dog. Apoquel can be used alongside many other common medications without any adverse effects, does not compromise diagnostic testing allowing vets to diagnose the underlying cause of the itch, and is well-tolerated for short and long term use with fewer side effects when compared to steroids.

Apoquel is available by veterinary prescription only. If you're worried about your pet's skin, make an appointment with your vet to see if Apoquel is right for your pet and you may qualify to get the first 7 days of Apoquel FREE! There has never been a better time, especially with warmer weather right around the corner.

All the best,

The team at Whangaparaoa Veterinary Centre.