Veterinary Services

Pet Allergies & Dermatology in Cleveland, TN

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Pet Allergies & Dermatology

Itchy pets with ear problems are extremely common. Many pets spend months of each year miserably itchy and owners struggle to sleep at night while their pet licks, chews, kicks, and flops away! Often, the key to treatment is a vet team that listens paired with patience and persistence from you. Let Creekside Veterinary Hospital help you help your pet.
itchy dog
Allergy Symptoms
  • Excessive licking, biting, chewing, or scratching at certain areas of the body or all over
  • Excessive rolling or scooting
  • Hair loss on certain spots of the body or thinning hair all over
  • Reoccurring ear infections
  • Sores/scabs on the skin
  • Poor coat condition
  • Redness to areas on the skin
  • Odor
Diagnosing the Problem

Identifying the exact condition your pet is experiencing is the first step toward helping them feel better again. Our hospital has its own laboratory, allowing us to perform a variety of diagnostic procedures promptly and efficiently. We may be able to identify what’s wrong with your pet just by looking at it, or we may need to look into it further. Blood tests, skin scrapings, and biopsies assist us in obtaining the information we need to move forward with a cure.

Some of the dermatological issues we can provide assistance with include:

  • Allergies (food and/or environmental)
  • Infections (acute or chronic)
  • Parasites
  • Dermatitis
  • Hormonal disorders
  • Autoimmune diseases
  • Tumors
  • Skin cancer
Developing a Treatment Plan

A number of distinct characteristics will be considered in order to determine the optimal treatment option for your pet’s problem. This enables us to create a unique method tailored specifically for your pet, with the goal of achieving the best possible results. We may propose anything as basic as applying a topical ointment, depending on the situation. More complicated problems may necessitate a combination of treatments.

Allergies necessitate a little more effort to control. We’ll work toward a solution that eliminates outbreaks as much as possible once we know what’s triggering your pet’s reactions. Some allergies can be controlled by altering one’s lifestyle, such as switching food products. Others may necessitate a longer-term plan. Our suggestions will be tailored to your pet’s individual requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pet Allergies and Dermatology

How can I tell if my pet’s itching is caused by an allergy?
While all pets scratch occasionally, signs of a true dermatological issue include excessive biting, chewing, or licking at the paws and skin. You may also notice hair loss, red sores, a strong skin odor, or recurring ear infections. If your pet is constantly “scooting” or rolling to find relief, it is a strong indication that an underlying allergy or skin condition needs professional attention.
How do you determine what is making my pet itchy?

Since many skin conditions look similar to the naked eye, we use our in-house laboratory to get definitive answers. Our veterinarians may perform skin scrapings to check for parasites, ear cytology to identify bacterial or yeast infections, or blood tests and biopsies for more complex cases like hormonal disorders or autoimmune diseases. Identifying the exact trigger—whether it’s food, environmental, or parasitic—is the first step toward a cure.

What are the treatment options for chronic pet allergies?
There is no “one-size-fits-all” cure for allergies, so we develop a customized plan tailored to your pet’s specific triggers. This may include simple lifestyle changes, such as a specialized hypoallergenic diet, or a combination of topical ointments and long-term medications to manage outbreaks. Our goal is to stop the “itch-scratch cycle” and restore your pet’s skin health and comfort.