Skin & Allergy Care
Skin & Allergy Vet for Dogs and Cats in Chilliwack, BC
For dogs and cats with relentless itching, hot spots, skin infections and ear infections that keep coming back — we look for the cause, not just the itch, and give a written estimate before any treatment begins.
If your dog or cat is scratching, licking or chewing constantly, losing hair, or getting ear infections that keep returning, it is worth checking. Promontory Animal Hospital treats skin allergies and chronic itching in dogs and cats in Chilliwack, and we treat the underlying cause, not just the itch.
Stop the scratching at its source.
- Thomas Road, Chilliwack
- Open 8:00am–8:00pm, 7 days a week
Skin, ear and allergy care for dogs and cats, in one place
When a dog will not stop scratching or a cat licks a patch of fur bare, the hard part is not knowing why. At Promontory Animal Hospital, we treat skin allergies, chronic itching and recurring ear infections in dogs and cats across Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley.
- Environmental, food and flea allergies
- Hot spots and itchy, inflamed skin
- Recurring ear and skin infections
- Overgrooming and hair loss in cats
We look for the cause, not just the itch.
We examine the skin and ears, run the right tests here, and build the plan around what we find.
Dog allergy symptoms to watch for, in dogs and cats
The signs are easy to write off one at a time. Together they point to an allergy, in cats as much as dogs:
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Constant scratching, licking or chewing, especially at the paws
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Red, inflamed or broken skin
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Hot spots — raw, weepy patches that appear quickly
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Recurring ear infections, head-shaking, or a strong ear smell
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Hair loss, thinning, or bald patches
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In cats, overgrooming and licking fur off into bald patches
When these keep returning, a cat skin allergy or a dog’s allergy is usually behind it. If your pet’s skin or face swells suddenly, that is a job for our emergency and urgent care.
What causes skin allergies in dogs and cats
Almost all of it comes down to three things — what is in the air, what is in the bowl, or fleas. Cats get all three too, and cat allergies are easy to miss because a cat grooms the evidence away.
- Environmental (atopy). Environmental allergies, which vets call atopic dermatitis or atopy, react to pollen, grass and dust mites. In the Fraser Valley, pollen, grass and flea season can make skin flare at certain times of year, and this type tends to return.
- Food. A food allergy is a reaction to an ingredient, usually a protein eaten for a while. It shows as year-round itching and repeat ear infections rather than seasonal flares.
- Fleas. Flea allergy dermatitis is a reaction to flea bites, and a single bite can set off days of itching. Steady flea control is part of the fix, which is why we tie it in with flea allergy dermatitis and flea prevention.
Common dog allergies and skin conditions we treat
Allergies rarely stay in the skin. Left alone they turn into the problems we treat most — dog hot spots, ear infections and skin infections among them:
- Hot spots, the raw sore patches that flare up fast
- Ear and skin yeast infections
- Bacterial skin infections
- Chronically itchy, inflamed or thickened skin
- Overgrooming and hair loss in cats
We treat all of these in dogs and cats, and we treat the cause, not just the flare in front of us.
How we diagnose skin and allergy problems
Guessing is what makes allergies drag on. We use a short set of tests, run here, to narrow down what is going on.
To find what is behind your pet’s itching, we start with a physical exam, then take skin scrapings and read skin and ear samples under the microscope in-house. That reading is called cytology, and it shows whether mites, yeast or bacteria are involved. For a suspected food allergy, we can run a diet trial.
What we run in-house
We do the skin scraping and cytology in-house, so your pet is not sent away waiting on results.
- Skin scraping to check for mites and skin disease
- Cytology — skin and ear samples read under the microscope
- A diet trial for a suspected food allergy — a dog food allergy elimination diet, a single new protein to see if the signs settle
- A full skin and coat exam
When a case needs more
Both of our veterinarians are registered with the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia. Most skin and allergy cases are managed right here; if a case needs more than general practice can give, we will tell you plainly.
When is a skin or allergy problem urgent?
Most skin and allergy trouble can wait for a normal appointment, but a severe allergic reaction cannot. Contact us promptly, and emergency and urgent care runs inside our hours — we are open 8:00am to 8:00pm, seven days a week.
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Sudden swelling of the face, muzzle or eyes
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Hives or widespread welts on the skin
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Difficulty breathing, or a sudden collapse
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A reaction that comes on fast after a sting, an insect bite, a vaccine or a new food
Promontory Animal Hospital provides urgent care during our open hours — we are open 8:00am to 8:00pm, seven days a week. We are not a 24-hour hospital, so overnight a pet in real trouble needs an emergency hospital that is open then.
What happens, from the first exam to a plan
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A history and a full skin and ear check
We start by asking what you have noticed and when, then examine the skin, coat and ears closely. That tells us where to look and what to sample.
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Skin scrapings and cytology, read here
We take skin scrapings and read skin and ear samples under the microscope in-house. That shows whether mites, yeast or bacteria are part of the picture, without sending your pet away to wait on results.
- 03
Finding the cause
If a food allergy is likely, we can run a diet trial — a single new protein to see if the signs settle. If the pattern points to pollen, grass or fleas, we treat it as an environmental or flea allergy.
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A plan, with a written estimate first
Then we build a plan for the flare your pet is in now and the allergy underneath it, and where recurring ear infections are the problem, dog ear infection treatment aims at both. You get a written estimate to approve before any treatment begins.
Can you see my pet today?
8am–8pm
Open seven days a week
Promontory is not a 24-hour hospital; outside those hours a pet in trouble needs an emergency hospital.
Accepting new clients for dogs and cats
Searching for a skin & allergy vet near me from Sardis, Promontory, Vedder, Yarrow or the wider Fraser Valley? We are on Thomas Road in Chilliwack.
Dog skin allergy care in Chilliwack
Owners tell us the worst part is the uncertainty: what the treatment will be, what it will cost, and whether it will ever end.
Once we know what we are dealing with, treatment has two parts: settling the flare your pet is in now, and treating the underlying allergy so it happens less often. For allergies that come back, that means an ongoing plan you can keep up with.
At Promontory Animal Hospital in Chilliwack, you get a written estimate to approve before any treatment for your pet’s skin or allergy begins — so you know what it costs to find out what is wrong before you commit, and we talk through the options, not just the price.
A written estimate first
Before treatment starts, we go through the plan and give you a written estimate to approve. If we find more than expected, we explain it first.
We accept pet insurance
We provide the invoices and documentation you need to submit your claim.
Financing is available
Options may be available for eligible clients, including iFinance.
Skin & allergy care near you in Chilliwack
Promontory Animal Hospital is on Thomas Road in Chilliwack, and we see dogs and cats from Sardis, Promontory, Vedder, Yarrow and the wider Fraser Valley. We are open 8:00am to 8:00pm, seven days a week, and accepting new dog and cat clients.
- Chilliwack
- Sardis
- Promontory
- Vedder
- Yarrow
Explore more of our services
Pet dental care
Cleanings, dental X-rays and extractions for dogs and cats.
Dog and cat dental cleaningDiagnostics & imaging
Digital X-ray and in-house diagnostics to find what hurts.
Pet X-ray and diagnosticsPet vaccinations
Core and lifestyle vaccines for dogs and cats.
Dog and cat vaccinationsParasite prevention
Protection from fleas, ticks, heartworm and intestinal worms.
Flea, tick and worm preventionEmergency & urgent care
Same-day help for sick and injured pets during our open hours.
Urgent care for your petQuestions owners ask about itching and allergies
Call 604-991-2745Reviewed by our veterinarians, Dr Gurpreet Kaur, DVM, and Dr Ravinder Singh, DVM.
Why does my dog keep getting ear infections?
Most repeat ear infections in dogs come from an allergy, not the ear itself. The allergy inflames the canal and yeast or bacteria take hold, so drops clear it and it returns. We treat the ear and the allergy underneath, which is what stops it coming back.
What are the signs of a food allergy in dogs?
The most common signs of food allergy in dogs are itching all year rather than by season, recurring ear infections, and skin or tummy upset that does not settle. It usually comes from a protein eaten for a long time, and a diet trial can confirm it.
Do dogs get seasonal allergies, and when are they worst?
Yes. Dog seasonal allergies are common in the Fraser Valley, where pollen, grass and flea season make skin flare at certain times of year. If your dog is itchy in spring and summer but settles in winter, that points to an environmental allergy.
Is my pet’s itching a skin allergy or an infection?
It is often both, which is why guessing rarely works. An allergy inflames the skin and a yeast or bacterial infection sets up on top. We take skin scrapings and read a sample under the microscope in-house to tell them apart, then treat what is there.
Why is my cat overgrooming and losing hair in patches?
Overgrooming that leaves bald patches is usually your cat’s response to itchy, irritated skin — most often an allergy, sometimes fleas or stress. Owners often search cat overgrooming bald spots for exactly this, and it is worth checking rather than waiting it out.
What will it cost to find out what’s wrong?
You get a written estimate to approve before any treatment begins, so you know what it costs to find out what is wrong before you commit. The work-up depends on your pet — an exam, in-house tests, and sometimes a diet trial.
Book a skin and allergy assessment in Chilliwack
If your dog or cat is itching, losing hair, or getting ear infections that keep coming back, we can find out why and treat the cause. Call 604-991-2745 or use our contact form. We are at Unit 104 – 46193 Thomas Road, Chilliwack.
What you can count on
- A written estimate you approve before any treatment
- Skin scrapings and cytology read in-house
- Skin, allergy and ear care for dogs and cats
- Open 8:00am to 8:00pm, seven days a week
- Accepting new dog and cat clients