Dermatology

Dr. Melissa Eisenschenk is a board-certified veterinary dermatologist. She completed her Bachelor of Science with minors in Animal Science and Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin- River Falls and attended veterinary school at the University of Minnesota. After vet school, she was in private practice for 4 years in Rochester and Minneapolis, and then returned in 2006 to the University of Minnesota for a dermatology residency (3 year program) and Master’s degree. She passed dermatology board exams in 2009.

Dr. Eisenschenk worked out of the Oakdale Animal Emergency and Referral Center as a Veterinary Dermatologist for 3.5 years before starting Pet Dermatology Clinic.

Dr. Eisenschenk travels to Heritage Pet Hospital once monthly. Please call our office for more information or visit the Pet Dermatology Clinic website at www.petdermatologyclinic.com.

Appointment Preparation: Please fill out the New Client Form. Please email or fax this form to us prior to your appointment or bring it with you. Please do not feed your pet 3 hours prior to the appointment in case blood work or sedation is needed. Do not bathe your pet at least 24 hours prior to the visit.

What to bring: It is helpful to bring all the medications and shampoos your pet is or was on. Bring a list of foods that you have tried and the ingredients in your pet’s current food. If your dog feels more relaxed with a dog friend, feel free to bring them too.

Time: New appointments take 1 hour typically. If allergy testing is involved, allow 2 hours.

What to expect: For most skin diseases, there are no cures, only long term management. We will discuss options for management and develop a treatment plan tailored to your unique pet. Follow up is crucial, communication (email, phone calls) about how your pet is doing along with recheck exams help to make sure your pet is progressing appropriately. After each visit to our clinic your family veterinarian will receive a letter that details the dermatologic examination, results of tests, and treatments. Remember that we do not provide routine preventive care; your family veterinarian is responsible for vaccines, heartworm testing, and monthly preventives.

Allergy Skin Testing: There are many other options for the management of allergies other than allergy skin testing and shots, we can discuss these with you at your appointment. If you are strongly planning on having allergy testing performed, your pet will need to be off certain commonly used allergy medications. Discuss with your veterinarian the proper tapering schedules for these medications, as some can have serious problems if tapered too quickly. If you are not able to taper medications without your pet becoming too uncomfortable, please meet with us for an initial exam prior to allergy testing so we can discuss options.

Prices:

Please call for current prices.