What is an Animal Dermatologist?

PLEASE NOTE: As of June 30th, 2023, our dermatology service has closed. We are very sad to be losing Dr. Zabel’s talents within our hospital but are grateful that she is staying in the Portland Metro area. We will continue to send dermatology cases to her that come through our emergency or other specialty services.

You can reach her at sonjazabel@web.de if you wish to be added to an email list for updates on her new endeavors in Portland.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Just like humans, some animals need a dermatologist to help them care for their skin and ears. A veterinary dermatologist treats animals with allergies, skin infections, ear infections and more! 

What conditions does an animal dermatologist treat?

Veterinary dermatology is a broad and essential area of medicine. They are helpful for treating animal allergies, ear infections in dogs and cats (veterinary otology), skin infections, excessive licking in dogs and cats, tick and flea infections, and even skin cancer.

Common conditions in animals that a pet dermatologist could help, include:

• Itching
• Hair loss
• Food and environmental allergies
• Infections of the skin and nails including bacterial, yeast, and fungal (ringworm)
• Infections of the ear including the middle and inner ear
• Auto-immune diseases of the skin and nails
• External Parasites
• Inherited skin diseases
• Ear polyp removals
• Perianal and perivulvar diseases
• Hormonal diseases associated with the skin