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| Allergy.
Most of
the allergic diseases that occur in dogs and cats affect the
skin. Cats also experience allergy of the respiratory tract
(asthma), but these cases are usually treated by internal medicine
specialists. Horses also express allergy through both the skin and
respiratory tract, in about equal proportions. The more common
types of allergy affecting the skin include: reactions to food
ingredients, air-borne substances (pollens, molds, dust mites), and the
bites of insects (fleas, mosquitoes, gnats). Most types of
allergies can be diagnosed and treated with hypoallergenic diet
trials and intradermal skin testing and hyposensitization vaccines. The dermatologist can
also provide help for respiratory allergy patients by offering
allergy testing services, which few internal medicine specialists
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| Parasites of the skin.
There are many diseases of the skin caused by parasites which may
include fleas, ticks, mites, biting flies, mosquitoes,
and juvenile forms of parasitic worms.
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| Infectious diseases of the
skin.
These include a wide range of bacterial,
fungal, viral, and protozoal diseases. Some of the most common
infectious diseases are
Staphylococcal bacterial infections in dogs and "ringworm" (a fungus) in
cats.
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| Chronic or recurrent ear
infections.
There are many causes of recurrent ear
infections, which are most common in dogs (less frequent in cats).
Evaluation and treatment of ear infections fall under the expertise of the
dermatologist, which is different from the situation in human
medicine.
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| Diseases of the feet,
footpads, and nails.
There are a wide variety
of causes for diseases of the feet, footpads, and nails including allergy, infection, parasites, tumors, and autoimmune
diseases.
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| Autoimmune skin diseases.
Autoimmune skin diseases are diseases in which the body’s own immune system attacks
the skin as if it were suddenly recognized as foreign.
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Endocrine (hormonal) and
internal diseases. There are many internal problems
that can cause skin disease, including diseases of the liver,
pancreas, hormone-producing glands, and gastro-intestinal tract.
The dermatologist may work in concert with the internal medicine
specialist to treat some of these conditions.
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Skin cancer.
Some types of skin cancer are treated by dermatologists. Others
are treated by the oncologist (cancer
specialist).
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