Rebecca, DVM

Biography

I am a small animal veterinarian with a lifetime of working in the field. I started as an animal assistant in a vet hospital when I was 15 years old and proceeded to graduate from vet school in 2003. I primarily treat dog and cats in practice but have a wider patient base at home. I have my own menagerie of rescued dogs, cats, turtles, parrots, chickens, goats and horses.

Questions Answered by Rebecca, DVM

My cat recently started getting little dry spots that dried and kinda flaked off but today I noticed this spot on her forehead that wasn’t there the day prior. I’m pretty good with feeling around for lumps and bumps. Any idea what this is? I’ve put on antimicrobial solution from the pet store to help heal it a little.

It looks like Orien has a small abrasion or insect bite that may be irritated. I would prevent her from scratching and it should heal on its own. If she has multiple sores or areas of hair loss the. I recommend a vet visit to make sure it’s not parasites or fungal infection (ringworm).

My kitten’s nose suddenly has this rough crust after I got him neutered and kept him in the bathroom to heal, what could it be?

I would recommend a vet visit. The picture is a little blurry but it may be infected. It could possibly be due to ringworm. The vet may want to do a skin scraping or fungal culture to determine what it is in the best course of treatment.

Hi. Our cat has a growing black spot in his eye. Our vet doesn’t seem overly concerned by I’m not sure. All thoughts gratefully received. Thanks

Thanks for using Petcoach. While this may be normal pigmentation cats can develop tumors in the eye. I would recommend getting a second opinion from a veterinary ophthalmologist, especially if it is changing/growing.

Hello, my dog Raven has been itching for awhile. I have been giving her Zyrtec allergy medicine for 2 months but I’m not sure if that’s been helping. Just the past 4 days I have started giving her Salmon Fish Oil Omega 3 with Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil from Zesty Paws. I have given her those supplements before but stopped months ago. I noticed today she has these red bumpy spots under her belly and some other spots she has flaky skin. All these spots are near her back side under/top. Thank you.

Thank you for using Petcoach. From your picture it appears that Raven has a skin infection. This usually occurs secondary to allergies as they lick and scratch leaving the skin more susceptible to yeast and bacteria. I would recommend a vet visit to get her on appropriate antibiotics and possible a medication for allergies. There are many treatment options to try for an itchy dog.

My cat has a small bald, flaky spot just above his eye. I noticed it about 24 hours ago. It doesn't seem to be bothering him. I am wondering if this is something that will require an in person vet visit or medication. What may have caused it? Does it appear contagious?

I would recommend a vet visit. There is a possibility that this could be ringworm which is a contagious fungal infection. It may just be a scratch or abrasion but the vet can look at it and determine if further testing or treatment is needed.