Dermatology

Dermatological diseases are very commonplace, accounting for many of the cases a veterinarian examines each day. Unfortunately, many of these dermatological disorders can look very similar, if not identical to each other.

With the ever-expanding awareness of animal diseases, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recognized the American College of Veterinary Dermatology (ACVD) as the body with expertise in diagnosing and managing dermatologic problems. The ACVD’s board-certified dermatologists have undergone intensive training in the field of animal skin, ear, and allergic diseases.

Primary care veterinarians and pet owners/guardians can now rely on these specialists for consultation when more extensive dermatologic training is required to help a beloved pet.

We accept appointments Monday through Friday when a dermatologist is on duty. Generally, mornings are limited to initial appointments while afternoons and Fridays are reserved for rechecks.

If your pet is an existing dermatology patient with a current flare-up of problems, and it has not been seen in more than four months, then a morning appointment should be scheduled.

Please be courteous and arrive on time for your pet’s appointment. If you are running late, please call with your estimated time of arrival. Clients arriving one hour past their pet’s scheduled appointment time will be asked to reschedule. Also, late fees may be applied.

Emergency care is provided 24/7 through the Texas A&M Small Animal Teaching Hospital Emergency Service.

Appointments for horses are on a case-by-case basis, limited to when an Equine Service and the Dermatology Service can schedule a consultation. These appointment times can vary and may not be a specific time of day. Additionally, horses may be required to be stalled overnight depending on the condition being examined.

Small animal appointments can usually be scheduled within a few days to weeks, but it can vary with the season and the dermatologists’ on-duty time. Equine appointments are scheduled on every other Wednesday morning.

Please have your referring veterinarian fax your pet’s medical record and a referral form to the Dermatology Service at 979.845.9077 one to two business days before the scheduled appointment. Equine medical records should be sent to the appropriate Equine Service within the Large Animal Teaching Hospital.

All Dermatology Service forms may be found on our Patient Forms page.

Please download, complete, and bring our Dermatology History Form (for small animal or equine) and the hospital’s Patient Information Worksheet (for small animals) to the appointment. If you choose to complete this paperwork at the hospital, plan to arrive 20 minutes prior to the appointment time. 

Please bring any and all treatments (e.g., oral medications, shampoos, sprays, wipes, ear medications, ear flushes) your pet is currently receiving.

Food should be withheld from small animals after 11 p.m the night before the appointment. For appointments scheduled after 2 p.m., a small amount of food (no more than 1-2 tablespoons for a medium-sized dog) may be given before 8 a.m. the day of the appointment. Water should not be withheld.

Please discuss this with your primary care veterinarian to make sure your pet does not have any pre-existing medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, feline obesity) hindering this practice.

Continue standard feed practices for your horse when traveling.

Antibiotics, antifungals, flea prevention, heartworm prevention, insulin, thyroid supplementation, heart medication, anti-seizure medication, and ophthalmic cyclosporine/tacrolimus for dry eye can be continued prior to any appointment or skin testing procedure.

Cool water baths with a veterinarian-recommended shampoo and ear flushes with a veterinarian-recommended flushing agent can be used up to three days before the appointment.

Please discuss what medications you should continue administering prior to the appointment with your primary care veterinarian.

The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) is a teaching hospital with a mission to train the next generation of veterinarians, so your visit will likely take longer than visits to your primary care veterinarian. Furthermore, horses may be stalled overnight.

Upon arrival, a fourth-year veterinary student will greet you and your pet and then obtain an initial history of your pet and perform the first physical exam. Once completed, the student will discuss his/her findings with a dermatologist before the team returns to the exam room (small animal) or stocks (horses) for the dermatologist to examine the patient.

Once the examination is complete, a prioritized list of likely diagnoses will be discussed with you. Please note that for horses, the discussion may be relayed through the attending equine clinician.

More often than not, simple routine dermatological tests such as skin scraping and cytology will be used to sample the skin/ears so that complicating factors such as infections can be excluded. Students, under the supervision and guidance of the dermatologist (and the attending equine clinician for horse cases) and technician(s), will be performing these diagnostic procedures on your animal. Additional testing procedures will be recommended as necessary with implementation based on your approval.

Ultimately, recommendations and patient care are based on the experience of the board-certified specialist in dermatology. Please be patient with our students as they are learning the verbal and technical skills needed to be a veterinarian.