Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine offers new dermatology service
With the addition of Dr. Sandra Diaz as an assistant professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, the Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) at Virginia Tech is again offering dermatological services for its clients.
Skin disorders are some of the most common problems that affect animals and they often manifest themselves in much the same for very different underlying reasons, according to Diaz. Allergic reactions are the most frequent cause for a dermatological reaction in pets. Animals can suffer from environmental allergies or even allergies to their food. Symptoms of an allergic reaction or other dermatological problems include year-round itching, consistent licking of feet and other parts of the body, and reoccurring skin and ear infections.
“While skin disorders are rarely life-threatening, we can dramatically improve the quality of life for the animal with proper diagnosis and treatment,” said Diaz.
Diaz will offer numerous dermatology procedures to VMRCVM patients including video otoscopy and deep ear flushes, formulation of short and long term diets for food allergies, punch, wedge and excisional biopsies and interpretation of dermatohistopathology, and therapeutic bathing. She will also offer treatment and management of a variety of disorders including food, flea and contact allergies, chronic ear infections, and skin tumors.
“We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Diaz,” said Dean Gerhardt Schurig. “Her knowledge and expertise in dermatology allows us to further expand the quality care and treatment we give to our patients.”
Diaz received her Bachelor in Veterinary Sciences degree in 1994 and her D.V.M. in 1996 from the Universidad Santo Tomas in Santiago, Chile. She received her Master of Science degree in 2006 from the University of Minnesota where she also completed her residency. Prior to joining the faculty of the VMRCVM, she was on staff at the NYC Veterinary Specialists and Cancer Center in New York, New York.
The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) is a two-state, three-campus professional school operated by the land-grant universities of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg and the University of Maryland at College Park. Its flagship facilities, based at Virginia Tech, include the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, which treats more than 40,000 animals annually. Other campuses include the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Va., and the Avrum Gudelsky Veterinary Center at College Park, home of the Center for Government and Corporate Veterinary Medicine. The VMRCVM annually enrolls approximately 500 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and graduate students, is a leading biomedical and clinical research center, and provides professional continuing education services for veterinarians practicing throughout the two states. Virginia Tech, the most comprehensive university in Virginia, is dedicated to quality, innovation, and results to the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.
