Preparing for Your Appointment
To help us best assess your pet’s skin condition, we ask that you follow these guidelines:
- Please do not bathe your pet or apply other topical therapies for at least seven days before the appointment.
- Please do not clean ears or apply medications to the ears for at least two days prior to the appointment.
- Please do not feed your pet the morning of the appointment in case blood work or sedation is needed.
- Follow your primary veterinarian’s recommendations regarding continued therapy until you are seen in our office.
- If intradermal allergy testing (skin testing) is desired for your allergic pet, several drugs must be stopped prior to testing to obtain an accurate test. Learn which drugs must be stopped and for how long.
New clients will need to fill out a complete history of the skin condition to assist the doctor in making a diagnosis. (Download history form.)
Please bring pertinent medical records to your appointment, or have your regular veterinarian fax (573-884-7563) or email (mucvmcommpractice@missouri.edu) them to us in advance. Also bring all medications your pet is receiving.
What to Expect at Your Dermatology Appointment
Your appointment with the Dermatology Service at the University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center starts with checking in at the reception desk. After you have finished the needed paperwork, our service will be notified and you will be greeted by one of our dermatology students. The student will guide you and your pet to an examination room, ask questions about your pet’s history and conduct a full physical examination.
The initial appointment may take one to two hours due to student involvement, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and help educating the next generation of veterinarians.
After the student has completed an examination, they will take your pet and present the case to our dermatology clinicians. The dermatologist will then repeat the physical examination to confirm the student’s assessment. They will discuss the history and physical examination findings and make recommendations for the management of your pet’s condition.
In some cases, you will be asked to leave your pet with us over the next few hours for further work-up and tests. Your pet will be discharged in early to mid-afternoon.
During the discharge we will discuss all test results and make recommendations for medications and follow-up appointments. We understand that so much information can be overwhelming, so we will provide you with detailed written discharge notes. Your veterinarian will also receive a copy of the discharge notes.
If you have any questions regarding your pet’s condition and care, feel free to ask them. After we have answered your questions the student will help you pick up any prescribed medications and check out.
