For severe or chronic skin conditions, often refractory to treatment, we collect skin biopsies to obtain or confirm a diagnosis and/or to help guide a management plan for your pet.
Biopsies are a powerful tool in veterinary dermatology, indicated when the skin disease is acute and severe, unusual in appearance or not responding to treatment. Examples are immune mediated diseases, skin cancers and cases suffering with hair loss.
A skin biopsy is a minor surgical procedure to remove a sample of skin affected by disease. This will be done under sedation or a general anaesthetic depending on the area that needs to be sampled.
The sample is then sent away for analysis by a pathologist focussed on dermatology, who examines the skin in cross section under a microscope and analyses the disease process occurring in the deeper parts of the skin. Teamwork between us and our pathologist is essential. Our comprehensive clinical information will help the pathologist interpret the histologic results.
Many differential diagnosis lists can only be shortened via a skin biopsy. Even without a definitive diagnosis, the biopsy report can still guide us in our treatment or diagnostic decisions.
At Cheshire Veterinary Dermatology we carefully select the biopsy sites using the most appropriate biopsy technique to maximise the chance of obtaining the correct diagnosis.
Biopsies might sound daunting, but they are often the key to unlocking a clear diagnosis. Here are some frequently asked questions to help you understand how they work and why they are used.
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