05/29/2026
This sweet boy is Luka 🐶🤎, and he has been a "derm-ergency" since he was a puppy!
Luka is a labrador retriever and is now two-years-old... but when he was just a young pup, he presented to CCVS with juvenile cellulitis aka "puppy strangles". This is a rare, non-contagious immune-mediated skin disease in puppies (usually 3 weeks - 6 months old) that causes rapid muzzle/face swelling, pustules and a fever. It is serious and potentially fatal if untreated. Treatment involves immunosuppressive steroids (like prednisone) and often antibiotics, with a good prognosis if caught early. Thankfully we caught it in time and helped clear up his skin (see the last photo for what the poor little guy looked like before treatment).
Recently, Luka visited our dermatology team for intradermal allergy testing to check for environmental allergies. After testing, we discovered he's allergic to certain types of grasses, weeds, trees, mites, insects, and even his own cat sisters! 😲 After getting his first round of treatment he is feeling much better! Luka will have to continue with this treatment long-term, but he remains his happy, playful, silly self while being a little less itchy and uncomfortable!
Make sure to scroll through to not only see Dr. Emery performing allergy testing during his latest visit, but for some incredible before and after photos of Luka as a puppy vs now -- proving that a quick diagnosis and treatment can be life-changing.
👉For more information on what we offer for Dermatology Services, visit - https://capecodvetspecialists.com/pet-dermatology-buzzards-bay-ma/. You can also reach out to the dermatology team at [email protected] or give us a call at 508-759-5125.
