Dermatology Services

The Specialist Dermatology Service offers referral or second opinion consultations for skin disease and allergies in small, exotic, and large animals. Consultations are available three days per week at Camden (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday), in addition to a small animal service at the Sydney campus one day per week (Monday). We have a particular interest in long-term management of allergies, which are chronic, frustrating and debilitating in so many of our veterinary patients.

With only 10 registered Specialist Veterinary Dermatologists in Australia, it is fortunate to have this service in South Western Sydney, with ready access to Sydney and country NSW. This is the only Veterinary Dermatology service in NSW with on-site facilities for examination and hospitalisation of Equine Dermatology cases.

Investigation into a complete range of dermatological conditions is available, including allergies, immune-mediated diseases, chronic ear infections, and hair loss disorders. A range of diagnostic tests are regularly carried out on-site, including intradermal testing ("skin testing"), skin surface cytology sampling, skin biopsies, and video endoscope-guided ear flushing for chronic ear diseases. Formulation, supply, and on-going management of immunotherapy ("allergy “vaccines”) for the treatment of atopic dermatitis and atopic respiratory disease in dogs, cats and horses is also available.

The UVTHC Dermatology Service has the added advantage of other specialist services at the hospital. The specialist anaesthesia service performs any necessary anaesthesia, the on-site pathology laboratory enables fast processing of samples, the digital imaging service provides a wide range of imaging possibilities, especially valuable for ear diseses, and the expert equine and small animal medicine services are available for consultation with diseases extending beyond the skin.

A Dermatohistopathology ("Skin biopsy") service is also available to all external veterinarians. This service includes processing of skin biopsies and a full biopsy report including further diagnostic and/or treatment guidelines. Second opinion reports can also be provided for sections from previously processed biopsies. An external skin cytology service for veterinarians is also available, to aid with maximising diagnostic interpretation of skin samples.