Yes, there are changes afoot at Animal Dermatology NZ.
On the 1st of October 2017, I sold the Christchurch/ Canterbury/West Coast portion of ADNZ to Animal Dermatology Canterbury Ltd. NO, I am not retiring!  Just easing back a little, to focus on providing even better dermatology services to Wellington and Dunedin and the wider areas that those centres service.  I will still be working at Halifax Veterinary Centre in Nelson on a fortnightly rotation.
 Animal Dermatology Canterbury, the new dermatology referral service, will offer a weekly consultation service in two locations. Wednesday appointments will be available in Woodend, North Canterbury, at the Woodend Vet Clinic (not PAWS Vets, Woodend), and on Fridays at the Avonhead Veterinary Clinic in Christchurch just as I provided monthly.
Because these will be weekly services, the access to advanced dermatology will be greatly improved. Both clinicians taking the referral appointments, Sylvia McLean and Lee Williams, are well known and respected in the Canterbury region.  They have both had a career long interest in companion animal dermatology. All three of us went to the World Congress of Veterinary Dermatology last year, and through the Dermatology Interest Group NZ, we have been building a network of veterinarians with an interest in dermatology.  This network is invaluable when it comes to difficult cases.  Sylvia has hosted and worked alongside myself for many years and more recently has spent time with overseas dermatology specialists. She has been seeing referral dermatology cases in the Auckland area for the past year. Lee has studied Vet dermatology at Masters level and has worked predominately with skin cases at a Best Practice Hospital for the past 5 years.
I have been visiting Christchurch, seeing referral dermatology cases for over 20 years, first at St.Martins, then at At the Vets, and now, at Avonhead Veterinary Clinic. I would like to thank those hosting clinics for their support and kindness during this 20 year relationship. They made it possible to provide advanced dermatology services to Christchurch and the surrounding areas.
 I know I will miss my contact with Christchurch/ Canterbury referring veterinarians, their clients and their animals a lot.  Over the years, the willingness to refer problem cases has steadily increased.  I think the Canterbury region now needs, and will support, a full time service.  This change is coming at a very appropriate time.
Thank you, everyone, for the great support you have given me over the past twenty years.  I want the transition to Animal Dermatology Canterbury to be as smooth as possible so don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Don’t hesitate to refer to Sylvia and Lee. They are both excellent and dedicated practitioners of companion animal dermatology.  I am looking forward to a collegial relationship with both of them.  It has been a touch lonely at times with only Allan Bell initially, and latterly, Debbie Simpson, both in Auckland, to bounce ideas off.  The services and protocols will stay very much the same as they are in the short term, and in the longer term, they will improve.  I am sure of it.  We will always need dermatologists – see below.


 Animal Dermatology Canterbury contacts:
Phone: 0800 817 926
Email: info@animaldermatologycanterbury.co.nz
Website: www.animaldermatologycanterbury.co.nz

Dear Christchurch Colleagues
 
I am writing this letter with a mixture of nostalgic sadness and great excitement. No doubt there is a word for that feeling.  After approximately 20 years I am moving my monthly dermatology referral trips from the St. Martins / At the Vets site to Avonhead Vets, Address: 207 Withells Rd, Christchurch 8042, Phone:03-358 4407. 

For the last 20 years, I have enjoyed my collegial (and occasional glasses of wine) relationship with first Sylvia McLean, then Sylvia and Heather Remnant, and latterly Heather on her own.  Sylvia in particular started me down this particular path and I will always be in her debt. I know that both the collegial and wine drinking relationships with continue with both of them, especially in Bordeaux. However for some time, I have wanted to be closer to the airport so Peter McLean’s lovely clinic seems a great option.  I’ve already had 3 half days there and have really enjoyed it; the staff and Peter have been very welcoming and enthusiastic about my arrival.  Some of your clients will find it easier to get to, others will be disappointed especially those from Sumner and Lyttleton.

Because I am going to the 8th WORLD CONGRESS OF VETERINARY DERMATOLOGY in Bordeaux France May 31- June 4, and Anna has decided she might accompany me (how surprising is that?), my next clinic in Christchurch won’t be until July 5th and 6th but it will be at Avonhead Vets.  Olivia will be handling my bookings on 03 358 4407.  You will particularly need to warn revisits of the change. 
So thank you to Sylvia and Heather for the many happy dermatology visits and great social times, and Peter I am looking to the same great times at Avonhead. 

The only other change is that because of switching to ultra-fast broadband, I no longer have a fax number.

Welcome to my friend Debbie Simpson who has set up a new practice in Auckland.

Dr. Debbie Simpson MA (Hons) Cantab BVSc MANZCVS (Small Animal Medicine)
 
Debbie graduated from Massey University in New Zealand in 2008.  During her first year in practice she completed the Pfizer (Zoetis) Internship at the Veterinary Specialist Group in Auckland, New Zealand and also worked as a veterinarian at the Animal Emergency Centre.  In 2009 she moved to Australia to undertake a rotating internship at Veterinary Specialist Services in Brisbane.  A residency in Veterinary Dermatology followed at Melbourne Veterinary Specialist Centre from 2010-2013.  In May 2013 she undertook further training at Cornell University in New York State with two of the most respected and best known veterinary dermatologists in the world, Drs Danny Scott and Bill Miller.  She started a referral dermatology practice in Melbourne with Dr Fiona Bateman which ran for 2 years from Nov 2013 until Nov 2015.  In July 2014 she passed the Fellowship exams of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists and became a registered specialist in Veterinary Dermatology.
 
She has presented several times at the Science Week conference on the Gold Coast of Australia - in July 2010 on the topic of canine lymphoma and in July 2013 on the topic of feline pemphigus.  Publications include an original research paper on feline pemphigus and a case report on pyoderma gangrenosum for Veterinary Dermatology, a paper on hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the September and December 2009 issues of the Australian Veterinary Practitioner, which also won the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists medal and an undergraduate article on the subject of total ear canal ablation and bulla osteotomy in the newsletter of the Companion Animal Society of New Zealand. 
 
In January 2016 Debbie and her yellow Labrador Holly moved back to Auckland and have now started up a specialist referral clinic called The Skin Vet which is based from two hospitals, The Strand Vet in Parnell and Veterinary Specialists Auckland in Mt Wellington.  She works with a wonderful nurse called Ellie Clark.  The Skin Vet team can be contacted on 09 216 6222 or via e mail at theteam@theskinvet.co.nz

I have recently published two articles in the CAS Newsletter. 

The first article appeared in CAS Newsletter Volume No2 June 2014 and part 2 appeared in Volume 25 No3 September 2014. 

If you are interested in reading the articles please click on the article title below and it should bring up the article. 

Selected antifungals in small animal dermatology: Part 1

Selected systemic anti-fungal treatments for companion animals: Part 2
Systemic treatment of Malassezia dermatitis in dogs

Reprinted with kind permission from CAS Editor Sarah Fowler. 

Why oh Why has it taken me four months to get back to the blog.  The main reason is that i've never been able to decide what the purpose of the blog is. Is it to document Chico's growth?  Here he is at 26 weeks.  A very handsome and somewhat willful lad.  Is it to tell you about the exciting cases I've seen or been consulted on: for example the case of reactive cutaneous histiocytosis in a Siberian Husky e.g clown nose that you can see below or Is it to let you know what is happening in the world of companion animal
dermatology?  Should I post the articles I've recently written- one on ring worm and a report on the World Congress of veterinary dermatology.  Is it to tell you about the developments in Animal Dermatology NZ, for example, when Air New Zealand starts its daily flights from Nelson to Palmerston North, I will be able to go there much more easily and often.

Chico has arrived, 8 weeks today December 5th.  He is so cute and outgoing and really enjoying the pool of love that Jimmy has left behind, that deep reservoir of attachment that Jim spent 14 years building and sharing with our family.  I can see that this will be the summer of Chico.

My twin brother Doug (the handsome lad on the far right) is over from Toowoomba, Queensland to participate in the Source to Sea cycle race from Lake Rotoiti to Carters Beach, Westport, 160km.  The day of the race, Saturday November 3rd was cold and wet, nothing like his normal riding conditions.  Never the less, he came third in his age grade.  In fact, our team: Team Squeeze sponsored by Villa 10, luxury accomodation in Nelson - had 5 podium places out of the six riders entered. Even I achieved a podium finish (ssssh, in the 35 km section, very  embarrassing).  That's me next to Nathan Fa'avae with my mouth hanging open in excitement.  It was a fun day despite the rain and cold, especially for me since 1. i didnt do the 160 km and 2. the 35 km ride from Berlins to Carters Beach was dry, but with a nasty head wind.  Next year I am going to train, that's a promise, and improve my time by 10 minutes. You read that promise on the blog

Jimmy our very loved Border collie died on Sunday, October 28th 2012.  We are still struggling to get used to the idea.

Jimmy our very loved Border collie died on Sunday, October 28th 2012.  We are still struggling to get used to the idea.

T

The September and October report

The two months since the world congress have flown by: in addition to getting this website up and running (with most of the work being done by Web designs), my 17 year old daughter headed off to Ecuador for six months of volunteer work before she goes to Victoria University and I wrote a report on the congress for the Companion Animal Society newsletter.

The 7th world congress of veterinary dermatology in Vancouver was as jam packed as ever with information, new developments in dermatology and dermatologists from all over the world.   Vancouver makes a beautiful venue for a conference and the convention centre is right on sea.  During the breaks if you were feeling overwhelmed by information, you could wander along the wharf, watch super yachts, towering over the convention centre, pull in and dock or gaze at snow covered mountain over the sea.

There is a great deal of change in the world of animal dermatology, most obviously in the field of allergy, especially in canine atopic disease.  If recent research lives up to its promise, we are going to see some very exciting developments that may lead to radically new treatments.  In the meantime, veterinarians benefited from a series of presentations on canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) by Didier Carlotti, Richard Halliwell, Mona Boord and Crag Griffin that dealt with the clinical signs of CAD, current opinions on the diagnosis of CAD, and strategies for the management of CAD.

In September I used this information in a presentation on My approach to the Pruritic Dog.  The evening was hosted by Vet Specs, the veterinary referral centre in Christchurch, and sponsored by Hills and SVS.  The 30 plus veterinarians were very willing to enter into the discussion of how to make sense of the itchy canine.  It was a great evening.  I took the opportunity to ask them what dog I should give my 12 year old daughter for her 13th birthday.  The resounding answer was… a Border terrier.  By coincidence a good friend broke her leg badly on a walk on a local Nelson land mark called the Centre of New Zealand.  The frenzied barking of her Border terrier alerted other walkers and she was helicoptered out, avoiding a cold miserable night out.  Her story was featured in a recent NZ Woman’s Weekly.  Sadly I was not mentioned as the dermatologist to this canine hero.  On the whole Border terriers seem to have pretty good skin and unlike most terriers, aren’t prone to allergies.  Despite so much to recommend Borders for my daughter, I think we will stick with a Border collie.  For one thing, our old Border collie Jimmy is very fond of other members of his breed but finds young active dogs of other breeds very tiresome.