Overview   The integumentary system is the largest organ system comprising skin, hair, nails, footpads as well as glands and their products.   The Dermatology Service provides referral services to veterinarians and their clients and specializes in the diagnosis, treatment or management of a variety of conditions affecting an animal’s integumentary system, including:   · Skin infections (bacterial such as pyoderma due to Staphylococci and other bacteria, fungal/yeast such as ringworm and Malassezia dermatitis, viral) · Allergic skin diseases (environmental allergies or atopy or allergy to pollens, molds and dust mites, food allergies, allergies due to the bites of insects such as fleas and mosquitoes) · Endocrine/ metabolic skin diseases (Cushings disease, Hypothyroidism)   Note: The dermatologist may work in concert with our Internal Medicine to treat some of these conditions   · Auto-immune skin diseases (pemphigus foliaceus and others) · Skin cancers and cutaneous paraneoplastic syndromes.   Note: The dermatologist may work in concert with our Internal Medicine to treat some of these conditions   We welcome referrals for all aspects of Veterinary Dermatology and Allergology. Our Dermatology Specialist is also skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of the following conditions:   · Chronic or recurrent ear canal and middle ear infections (otitis).   Note: Successful treatment of long-standing ear canal disease sometimes requires surgical intervention, in which case patients are referred to our Surgery service   · Hair loss (alopecia) · Foot and footpad diseases (pododermatitis) · Nail disorders · “Hot spots” (acute moist dermatitis) · Acral Lick Dermatitis · Cutaneous drug reactions · Genetic/congenital skin diseases   Dermatology referral services are currently limited to the following species: dogs, cats, ferrets, chinchillas, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, mice and rats.   Diagnostic tests and procedures   Listed below are some of the more common diagnostic tests or procedures we perform:   Skin and ear cytology Fine needle aspirate Skin and ear bacterial culture Skin fungal culture Acetate tape preparation Skin scraping Trichogram Flea combing Wood’s lamp examination Hormone level testing to evaluate hormonal causes of skin diseases Intradermal/skin allergy testing for atopic dermatitis Serologic allergy testing for atopic dermatitis Allergen specific immunotherapy (formulation and ordering of vaccine for the treatment of atopic dermatitis) Food elimination trials Skin biopsies (most biopsies will not require general anesthesia) Medicated bathing Skin mass removal   SERVICE UPDATES, MAY 2007   OTOLOGY SERVICE (EAR CLINIC) We are pleased to offer the following video-otoscopic procedures (Karl Storz Video Otoendoscope system): examination and evaluation of canine and feline ear canal and tympanum, myringotomy, middle ear culture and susceptibility pattern, deep ear flush under general anesthesia, biopsy of tumors, and foreign body removal.   RUSH IMMUNOTHERAPY PROTOCOLS Rush Immunotherapy is an accelerated de-sensitization schedule allowing the patient to reach the maintenance dose more quickly.  If a pet's level of discomfort is extreme, it could be beneficial to quicken the injection schedule.  In other circumstances, some pet owners may not be able to administer the injections themselves or it may be difficult for them to bring the pet to your clinic every other day for the first 2 months of treatment (i.e. traditional protocol for subcutaneous injections).  Rush Immunotherapy protocols have been studied in both dogs  and cats and have been shown to be safe and effective.  Please advise your  clients that Rush Immunotherapy protocols must be administered at Canada West Veterinary Specialists.  Dr. Defalque will welcome an opportunity to discuss with you any case that might benefit from this treatment regimen.