If your dog or cat is losing hair or coat thickness, it’s natural to be worried about the health of your pet. This condition, known as alopecia, is typically symptomatic of an underlying illness or medical disorder. The hair loss may involve the entire coat or only occur in patches on certain parts of your pet’s skin. At Animerge Veterinary Clinic in Raritan, our veterinary dermatology team can diagnose and treat your pet’s condition.

Raritan Animal Hospital Provides Specialized Vet Dermatology Services

Skin diseases, infections, allergies, nutrition deficiencies, hormones and parasites may all cause hair loss. Behavioral problems, such as separation anxiety, can also lead to hair loss. Because alopecia may be caused by a number of different problems, it is critical that you have your pet evaluated by a trained veterinary dermatologist at an animal hospital.

Hair loss that is caused by skin parasites, such as fleas, mites and lice, is typically limited to one portion of the body. The more your pet bites or chews at the infected area, the more hair loss may occur, leaving the skin moist and ripe for bacterial infections.

Foods, inhaled allergens or contact allergens can also cause hair loss. While humans react to allergies with watery eyes and runny noses, pets suffering from an allergy experience itchy skin. In response, pets scratch and chew at the hair. Cats may also groom or “over barber” themselves to the point that hairs appear broken or chewed off.

A hormone or organ imbalance may manifest itself through hair loss. For example, high levels of cortisol cause the hair to thin and leave a tuft of hair at the tip of the tail while low cortisol levels lead to hair loss all over the body. If your pet’s organs are not working properly, such as with kidney or liver disease, nutrients needed for hair growth are not properly regulated. Pets with kidney failure have a bedraggled coat while pets with cancer may have dull, thinning coats.

At our emergency vet clinic, our veterinary dermatologist, Dr. Ian B. Spiegel, has experience with the diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases, ear diseases and allergies. Dr. Spiegel can evaluate your cat or dog and determine the underlying cause for your pet’s hair loss. While our emergency veterinary clinic is open 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, Dr. Speigel receives patients by appointment only on Tuesdays from 8:30a.m. to 4:00p.m., Thursdays from 8:30a.m. to 7:30p.m. and one Saturday each month.

Is your pet losing hair or coat thickness? Do you suspect your pet may be chewing off his or her hair due to an allergy or parasite? 

Your dog must be getting older. His eyes have a milky, cloudy appearance, so you might assume that he has cataracts, right? But, cataracts do not cause pain, so why is Rover whining and pawing at his eye?

Eye diseases in dogs or cats can prove tricky to diagnose except by a veterinarian or emergency vet clinic. Common eye diseases include glaucoma, cataracts, keratitis, uveitis, tumors and problems with the pet’s “third eyelid” or nictitating membrane. Here are some symptoms to watch for.

Detecting Common Eye Diseases 

Sometimes, pain announces the presence of an eye problem. Your pet may express eye pain by crying, pawing, squinting or avoiding bright light. Red, irritated and teary eyes often indicate the presence of an irritant or infection. A clear or mucous-like discharge also signals infection requiring treatment at an animal hospital or emergency vet clinic.

Changes in eye color can point to infection or other disease as well. Cloudy eyes may be housing cataracts, a common condition in animals and humans alike. If your pet also seems to experience pain from this condition, however, fluid may have built up in the cornea, a condition called corneal edema. Glaucoma or keratitis can also cause cloudiness.

An eye that bulges unnaturally may indicate a tumor or glaucoma while a sunken eye can be caused by tetanus, dehydration or weight loss. But odd-looking eyes do not necessarily sound the alarm for eye issues. Some breeds, such as pugs and French bulldogs, have naturally bulging eyes. Look for deviations from the normal eye shape or position.

If you have a pet emergency involving your pet's eyes, come to AnimERge veterinary clinic in Raritan. Our 24-hour pet clinic will evaluate your pet’s eye and refer you to our board certified ophthalmologists, if needed, who can relieve pain, treat the ailment, prescribe medication and tell you how to nurse your pet back to health in the days to come.

Has your pet recently been treated for an eye issue or ocular disease? What were the symptoms that you  noticed?