Our Expertise

Skin Infections

Managing bacterial infections of the skin (pyoderma). The past 25 years have seen a rise in the rate of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections of the skin, especially in dogs. The most common bacteria behind these infections is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP). We often collect samples from skin lesions to microscopically evaluate pets for infection with bacteria or yeast. When your pet’s history and skin cytology findings suggest a resistant strain of bacteria, we recommend a bacterial culture to aid in the selection of an effective treatment, which may include antibiotics and/or topical therapy alone.

Topical therapy recommendations. We often recommend a shampoo, mousse, and/or spray to complement the overall treatment of your pet. Medicated shampoos can be very helpful in controlling pyoderma (bacterial skin infections), scaling and crusting (scaling and crusting (seborrhea), and yeast (Malassezia) dermatitis.

Ringworm diagnosis. We use a number of techniques to diagnose ringworm, a fungal infection of the skin and hair. Ringworm may be contagious to people and does not always produce the ring-like skin lesion from which it gets its common name. Tests that may help us confirm or rule our ringworm (dermatophytosis) may include Wood’s light examination, KOH trichogram, fungal culture (DTM), skin biopsy, or PCR detection.