Pittsburgh Veterinary Dermatology

08/28/2024

In the words of one of our client's this morning, "Ragw**d be Ragw**d-ing"! 🌾🤣

Wash, rinse, wipe off your body and face and you pet 🐶🐈 this week, especially Friday!

08/25/2024

Ragw**d and other w**d pollens are here, my friends! Levels have been creeping up and quite high over the last two-ish weeks. We have been getting TONS of calls and rechecks for flaring allergies- this is why!

Ragw**d is prolific and highly allergenic, and pollen can travel for miles on the wind. And yes, even if your pet (or you!) are indoors most of the day, these pollens can absolutely cause you trouble.

If your pet’s allergies are flaring, this is common and expected- give us a call so we can help get control of their flare before it escalates. We are here to help!

**d

07/28/2024

Soaking up all of the knowledge! Great lecture on Feline Otitis Media [middle ear disease] on Saturday afternoon presented by Dr. R Lucas from Brazil. Continued feline lectures this morning! 🐱

07/24/2024

Our page has been a bit quiet as our doctors prepare to head off to Boston for our annual meeting- this year (and every four years) is our WORLD Congress. Brilliant people from all over the world gather to share knowledge and have a fun.

Our clinic staff will still be here to take your phone calls and emails during regular business hours to help your pets.

Our doctors always come back from conference armed with new knowledge and excited to apply that knowledge to better help our patients! Wish them a fabulous trip!

07/16/2024

The last 2 weeks outside have been HOT.🌡☀️

You may think because the pollen counts are LOW that allergies should be better, BUT..... 🤧

GRASS pollen is still measurable despite the heat and dead-looking grass, and the pollen sits within the grass you and your pet walk on. In the past 2 weeks, the WEEDs have started pollinating, specifically Dock, Plantain, Pigw**d, and others. 🌾 *Ragw**d is next*

PLEASE RINSE OR WIPE YOUR PET'S FEET, ARMPITS AND BELLY after being outside. 🚿🧼 It will help reduce their exposure and their overall symptoms.

07/05/2024

Greetings from sunny☀️ St. Petersburg, FL! Louis, a patient of Dr. Sargent's, is beating the heat and lounging [inside] at his summer "beach house"! Sooooo cute!

SHARE photos of your pets from this holiday week and upcoming weekend! 🇺🇸📸

07/04/2024

Happy Independence Day! 🇺🇲

Safety reminders from Vet Tech Institute - Pittsburgh, PA for tonight's fireworks! 🎆

07/04/2024

This information from DVM360.com is great for tomorrow's 4th of July celebrations! 🧨

Some quick, but important, TIPS!
1. Keep pets indoors
2. Consider anti-anxiety medication
3. Play calming music or sounds
4. Have valuable treats for distraction
5. Keep pet's cage open to go in for rest

Have a wonderful holiday, but remember to keep your pet's safe as you celebrate! 🇺🇲

07/01/2024

It's the [2nd] time of the year for...FIREWORKS! New Years Eve and Independence Day can get loud for sensitive [but most] pets! 🧨🎉

July 4th comes with added heat 🌡and lots of yummy picnic foods! 🌭

Please check out this SAFETY list for your pets so everyone can have a wonderful holiday! 🇺🇲

Shared from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and Vet Tech Institute - Pittsburgh, PA! Thank you!

06/20/2024

This is Meach! Enough said! 🦴🐾

06/20/2024

On this 1st edition of "What's Your Derm Diagnosis" read further and swipe. 📸🤔
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Have you ever seen this on your pet or patient?? Has your pet or patient ever been so itchy they caused so much damage to the top of their muzzle? Do you know what an eosinophil is?? And what causes this condition??
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When a dog comes in with an acute [aka sudden] history of severe inflammation on the TOP of the haired nose/muzzle AND severe itching at the location, we look for certain clues. One main focus is cytology AND a skin biopsy to accompany if possible. Our goal is to find EOSINOPHILS, which are the white blood cell type associated with this inflammation! [See 5th 📸, red dots inside the cell].
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This skin condition is called Eosinophilic Folliculitis & Furunculosis, more specifically the EOSINOPHIL [pictured] overpopulates the skin of the nose after an insect bites the pet/patient, the bite incident is rarely observed but the severe itching and lesions occur soon after.
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Dr. Sargent took care of "Gingersnap" (pictured, before and after procedure) this Tuesday. After a biopsy procedure was performed to confirm the suspected diagnosis noted above, Gingersnap's heavy crust was cleaned off her muzzle, and a steroid-containing powder medication was applied. She was prescribed pain medication and oral steroids to help her symptoms quickly improve. Once the pathologist returns the final diagnosis AND we see Gingersnap's response to therapy, we will update here! 🤞

06/19/2024

If you haven't seen the pollen counts this week, visit www.pollen.com! Due to the HIGH heat🌡, the GRASS pollen 🌾 counts are lower. But not gone for the summer.

AND look what's pollinating...WEEDS! 🌱

Just when you think you know the pollen patterns, the WEEDS pollinate in June! 😲

You can also check the Weatherchannel for the daily and weekly pollen counts!

06/17/2024

Please don't forget the ground is very hot, for your feet 🦶 and especially your pet's feet [& footpads]! 🐾

06/12/2024

Just a few examples of kitty-cat bliss in our new "cat's ONLY room"! 😍🐱

The Feli-Way Diffuser also helps their experience! ❤️ Ceva Animal Health USA

06/11/2024

Please SHARE your sweet pets with us for ! ❤️

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)

Today is - a day of remembrance for pets who forever changed our lives and will never be forgotten. Honor your loved pet's memory by sharing a photo of them with us in the comments.

06/08/2024

BEFORE & AFTER 📸 comin' at ya! 🐈

"Puck" is a kitty patient of Dr. Sargent, who had SEVERE facial itching [aka "pruritus"]. He has been a TOUGH case to manage. Puck receives Dexamethasone for itching and allergen-specific immunotherapy 💉 for his allergies. 🌾 As you can see, he is on the right track and looking GOOOOOOOD! 👀

Let's celebrate Puck's BEFORE & AFTER! 🎉

06/07/2024

I feel like someone is "watching" us! 👀🤣
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"Dusty" a 2 year old German Shepherd and "Nami" a 2 year old English Bulldog came in today for their ongoing year-round 🏠 or seasonal allergy 🌾 symptoms, respectively!
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They both had allergy testing done today! We are eager to review their results and help them feel better as soon as possible! 🩵🧡
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06/05/2024

Thank you to our wonderful clients today who thought we needed a little SNACKY-SNACK! 🧁🍫
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05/30/2024

🎉 GAME TIME! 🎉

Can you guess the 14 [fourteen] dog 🐕 breeds listed in the first photo? 📸

Answer all 14, IF YOU CAN 🤔, in the comments!

And we couldn't resist including some cute dog patient photos for inspiration! 🧡🐾🩵

05/29/2024

Announcement - we have done our 1st patient CT! 🎉
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Bridget, a lovely Cocker Spaniel [with a lovely owner], who has chronic allergic ear disease, needed a deep ear flush to provide a better assessment of severity and allowing a deep cleaning of the canals not possible at home.
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We performed a CT scan prior to the ear flush, which helped to differentiate Bridget's TWO ears from each other [see last pic]. One ear had a small MASS we removed but open canals and the opposite ear was VERY swollen and filled with discharge. BUT......her CT scan showed us BOTH middle ear cavities were EMPTY & NORMAL, which cannot be seen with our otoscopy unit. 😲
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Here's to more and more information gathered for our patients with ear disease! CALL our office to discuss this option for your pet or patient!
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05/28/2024

🌳 UPDATE: we use www.pollen.com for our daily and weekly pollen counts! 🌾

We hope everyone had a restful and honorable Memorial Day weekend! 🇺🇲 Our crew has been so busy with the move-in over the past few weeks that we definitely needed the break.
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But we are back in the office and the pollen...hasn't stopped! 🌳🌾 Thursday, Friday and Saturday are the same, HIGH!

05/25/2024

"Don't stop me [us] now... cause I'm havin' a good time"!
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The last few weeks at our new office/clinic have been great! Of course, we are seeing all types of patients and levels of cases, some tough with severe skin or ear issues, many itchy due to allergies and all with supportive and committed families!
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Thank you for supporting our transition thus far as we are still getting completely set up and settled in. If you have come by the office with your pet, every day there is a new plant 🌱🪴 and a change in the exam room or process to improve efficiency!
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No matter the dermatologic issue, severity or difficulty, simplicity, length of time or smell level 👃😉, we are here to support you and your pet(s)! Check out just a few of the cute mugshots from this week's exam rooms! 🐾

05/24/2024

A green addition 💚 in honor of our new clinic and to help celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month!
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This [huge] Monstera Deliciosa has been living at Dr. Detwiler's house for a few years, waiting for the moment to make another space happy!
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Scroll through pics 📸 of our new, lovely, plant's trip from Dr. Detwiler's front room to her garage, into the truck [video evidence not shared due to embarassment], onto the clinic back patio, during the "chop and prop session" with Dr. McAuliffe’s guidance and finally into our front lobby!
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Breathe (In The Air)! 🎶💚

05/22/2024

🎼 "You're my best friend...!" 🎶
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Last week, we were trained by to use our NEW CT scanner, so we brought in our "best friends" to help us learn! 🩻
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First up, Dr. Sargent's Brittany - Belle. Next, Rachael's Labrador - Sophie. Then, Ashley's Shih Tzu - Scarlet. And, Betsy's American Bully - Tater. For fun, Danielle's tortoise [in a 📦] - Tomato 🐢. Lastly, Dr. Detwiler's boa constrictor snake 🐍 - Rusty!
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If your pet needs a CT scan, recommended by your veterinarian or one of our Dermatologists, then give us a call with questions or we will see you soon!

05/22/2024

Please share a big shout and thank you to Montague Design for making this space our forever home! 🏥 Come visit us at our location if you haven't yet!

We love the colors, the light, the energy. Our patients are less stressed, our clients are more relaxed and enjoy the atmosphere, and our staff feels so much happier at work! Thank you!! 🩵🧡

Did you know that our pets are sensitive to colors, light, and texture?

Our customer-experience-minded design approach was put to the test while working with Pittsburgh Veterinary Dermatology to relocate their offices in Warrendale. Our color scheme includes soft green walls and flooring with grip to prevent our four-legged friends from sliding.

Stay tuned to see the finished space.