Dermatology - Expertise You Can Trust

At Cave Specialist Referrals our expert Dermatology service is supported by a truly multidisciplinary team, comprising Diagnostic Imaging, Soft Tissue Surgeons and Neurological Specialists.

This is underpinned by state-of-the-art facilities and equipment such as MRI and CT scanning, which enables Cave to provide the highest level of diagnostics and standards of care for patients with skin and ear disease.

Skin and ear diseases are very common. Typical problems include chronic and recurrent itch, ear disease that keeps coming back and cats who pull their hair out.

Through early intervention, effective management, and bespoke care plans, Cave is committed to improving patient outcomes whilst reducing complications or the need for more invasive procedures for patients with skin and ear conditions.

What to expect if referred to the Dermatology service at Cave?

Each visit will start with a detailed consultation, providing time to review the patient history and discuss the detail of the condition.

This appointment will usually include several diagnostic tests, which often enable a diagnosis to be reached within the first consultation. In many cases, owners can observe the results of these tests in the consultation room where the image from the microscope is sent directly to a computer. For cases requiring further tests, a clear diagnostic plan is then formulated.

If patients require procedures under anaesthesia, Cave has a Specialist-led Anaesthesia team who ensure that these are safe and uneventful.

This multidisciplinary approach means that clinicans in other disciplines such as Internal Medicine or Soft Tissue Surgery can be involved in the care of Dermatology patients, providing a 360-degree approach to care.

Following initial consultation, and after all other appointments with Cave, our Dermatology Clinician will remain in close contact with the referring Vet to ensure that they are kept informed of the management plan at all times.

What are the most common skin and ear conditions?

Skin Disease

Many patients referred to the Dermatology service at Cave suffer from allergies and develop chronic skin disease as a result. Many of these cases also suffer from chronic ear disease. Our Dermatology Clinician can investigate these cases fully with the use of intradermal allergy testing (like skin prick testing in humans), which can provide some patients with a management option that avoids long-term medications. We also commonly see pets affected by chronic or recurrent itch, anal furunculosis and interdigital cysts chronic pododermatitis.

Skin conditions can also be common in cats, as a gold level cat friendly clinic our expert team see and treat feline problems such as hair loss and crusted skin lesions.

Ear Disease

Ear disease is a very common problem in dogs and cats as the ears are lined with skin. At Cave we diagnose and treat a wide range of ear problems including resistant bacterial infections, foreign bodies and ruptured tympanic membranes.

At Cave our expert team provide a comprehensive, one-stop solution to ear disease in dogs and cats and are in a unique position to work together with Specialists across a number of medical disciplines including:

Neurology

• Investigation of deafness-BAER testing of puppies or adults
• Managing Inner and middle ear disease-head tilt, or circling

Soft Tissue Surgery

• Total Ear Canal Ablation (TECA)
• Ventral Bulla Osteotomy (VBO)

Otological

• Ear flushing and cleaning to facilitate examination
• Video otoscopy examination of the external ear canal and tympanic membrane
• CT scanning of the middle ear

Dermatological

• Identifying and managing the underlying disease.

What Facilities are available at Cave?

At Cave we are proud to offer a state-of-the-art hospital with advanced imaging equipment including CT and MRI scanners. Diagnostic Imaging team will then interpret the images produced by the CT and MRI scanners allowing full investigation of patients with chronic ear disease.

Additionally, the advanced camera equipment at Cave allows for a patient’s ear canals to be examined in detail and enables delicate diagnostic procedures to be performed where necessary.

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