Uncommon Skin Disorders
Unlike a traditional veterinary hospital, SkinVet Clinic specializes in veterinary dermatology and we are therefore able to diagnose and treat uncommon and obscure diseases of the skin, ear, and coat in pets.
Skin biopsy. Certain diseases can only be definitively differentiated from each other by having a tissue sample (biopsy) examined by a pathologist. Some skin biopsies can be taken with local anesthetic alone; others may require sedation or anesthesia. We work closely with a dermatopathologist to arrive at a diagnosis. In most cases, we can use a biopsy punch instrument that takes a small sample and only requires a few stitches at each site. Skin diseases that require a skin biopsy to be certain of the diagnosis include autoimmune disease (i.e. pemphigus foliaceus, discoid lupus erythematosus), inflammatory diseases (i.e. sebaceous adenitis), and skin cancer (i.e. squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma).