February 8, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Veterinary Skin & Ear: Specialized Care to Serve Pets With Skin or Ear Diseases

New specialty pet clinic opens at 11335 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Los Angeles.

By Toi Creel

67 percent of U.S. households, or about 85 million families, own a pet, according to the 2019-2020 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA).

While pet care always comes with challenges, it can be extremely frustrating and anxiety-provoking if your pet has severe allergies or recurrent skin and ear issues. A new veterinary dermatology clinic, opening in West LA, wants to help to ease those worries.

“Since the age of five I wanted to be a veterinarian, but I wanted to do my version of it,” said Dr. Austin Richman, owner of the new Veterinary Skin & Ear clinic.

Dr. Richman was inspired to pursue advanced specialty training after his own experience with his Shar-pei, Sandy.

“My own dog, Sandy, had horrible skin and ear problems throughout her life. I went to a veterinary dermatologist right before starting veterinary school and they really helped me turn her around. My own personal experience led me down this path and has allowed me a deeper connection with my clients as I educate them on managing their own dog’s issues,” Richman said.

Unlike most traditional veterinarians who go to veterinary school for four years, a veterinary dermatologist is a veterinarian who completes an additional four years of advanced clinical training and studying all of the details of any diseases that pertain to an animal’s ears, skin, hair and nails. There are only 300 practicing board-certified dermatologists in the country and Dr. Richman is one of them.

“I spent years in a very busy dermatology practice working and studying a lot and I saw many cases over that time to add experience to my years of study. I have worked with some of the best dermatology specialists around the world and taken multiple certifying exams. I worked hard to be board certified. All I do is veterinary skin and ear diseases. I love it. I diagnose, manage, treat and really try to help people and their pets using my knowledge and experience,” Richman said. “I’ve put in the time to know I am giving each patient my best.”

One of the most common issues pets will go to Veterinary Skin & Ear for, will be allergies. Dr. Richman says pets with allergies have immune systems that react hyperactively to allergens like trees, grasses, weeds, dust mites or flea bites. Normal pets can get bitten by a flea and have no reaction or a mild issue. For a pet that has an allergy to fleas, they can get rashes, experience severe itching, or even severe skin reactions.

In addition, the clinic also specializes in ear disease, this is a particular area of expertise for Dr. Richman. Proper control of ear disease is very important; a practice which Dr. Richman says can prevent amputation of the ear.

“At Veterinary Skin & Ear we have latest specialized videoscope with HDMI cameras to go inside of the ear and clean impactions, infections or remove polyps or growths to help a pet get past their ear issue and in some cases save an ear from complete surgical removal,” Richman said.

On top of their expertise and equipment, what makes the clinic different is a personal approach. They spend more personal time with clients getting to know the details of the individual pet and developing a custom health treatment plan specific to each pet and owner.

“If a pet has something a little bit harder to treat or a rarer specific condition, a lot of the times they’ll [clients+pets] be bouncing around to different primary veterinarians. [With us] we’ll talk and do a detailed ear and skin exam, then come up with a plan based on the issue or most likely issue. We make the people’s lives less stressful because they’re not worrying about their pet and their animal’s life is more comfortable.”

The Veterinary Skin & Ear clinic will open in early Fall 2020

For more information visit their website at veterinaryskinandear.com

Related Posts

Student Protest Over Immigration Policies Leads to Walkouts Across the Westside

February 7, 2025

February 7, 2025

Walkout Turns Tense as Counter-Protester Confronts Teen in Video From Venice Students from Santa Monica High School (SAMOHI), Culver City...

Open Arms Art Show Runs Through Mar. 22 in Burbank

February 6, 2025

February 6, 2025

Opening Exhibition Saturday Feb. 8 from 12 to 8p.m. More than an art show, the Open Arms Exhibition is an...

Quiet Luxury: What’s Inside the New Regent Boutique and Sweet July

February 6, 2025

February 6, 2025

The Regent Santa Monica Beach, known for its perfect Santa Monica getaways, or local dining at its Mediterranean-based restaurant Orla...

Two Injured in West Adams Shooting After Struggle for the Possession of a Gun

February 6, 2025

February 6, 2025

Man and Woman Hospitalized in Stable Condition After Gun Discharges Twice The West Adams neighborhood was the site of a...

Serial Predator David Pearce Convicted of Murders, Rape in Shocking Fentanyl Overdose Case in West LA

February 6, 2025

February 6, 2025

“Dead Girls Don’t Talk,” Fake Producer Abandoned Women’s Bodies Like Garbage A jury convicted David Brian Pearce of two counts...

Best Spots to Celebrate Valentines, Galentines, or Have a Super Bowl Party on the Westside

February 5, 2025

February 5, 2025

Cocktails, Game Day Grub, Valentine’s Pasta, and a Lonely Heart’s Tea Service You will find many excellent ways to celebrate...

FDA Issues High-Risk Recall for Pre-Packaged Broccoli Florets Sold at Walmart

February 5, 2025

February 5, 2025

Recall Is Now Classified as Class I Due to Seriousness Of Contamination The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has classified...

Matū Kai Brings Its Signature Wagyu and Famous Cheesesteak to Brentwood

February 5, 2025

February 5, 2025

Team Behind Beverly Hills’ Acclaimed Matū Is Opening a Second Location One of Beverly Hills’s newest and most popular restaurants,...

Pan African Film and Arts Festival Returns for 2025 with Global Black Storytelling

February 4, 2025

February 4, 2025

Largest Black Film Festival in the U.S. Expands to Culver City With Over 150 Films The Pan African Film and...

Influencer Florence Mirsky Responds After Her Racist Rant Is Caught in Video Footage

February 4, 2025

February 4, 2025

Viral Footage Shows Mirsky Using Slurs and Berating Valet Workers in Beverly Hills Influencer and cannabis entrepreneur Florence Mirsky, who...

 State Farm Seeks Emergency Rate Hike, Citing Wildfire Losses—Consumer Advocates Push Back

February 4, 2025

February 4, 2025

Insurer Requests up to a 38% Rate Increase, but Critics Call It an Unjustified Cash Grab In a press release...

(Video) Los Angeles Marathon Returns For 40th Anniversary

February 4, 2025

February 4, 2025

Register at mccourtfoundation.org Register at https://t.co/fkBPxh7q8K pic.twitter.com/cQKU97fWjF — Westside Today (@WestsideLAToday) February 4, 2025

Los Angeles County Ramps Up Storm Protections in Fire Burn Areas As Two Storms Approach

February 3, 2025

February 3, 2025

Officials Install Flood Barriers and Urge Residents To Prepare As a storm system approaches California this week, Los Angeles County...

Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar Make History at the 2025 GRAMMY Awards

February 3, 2025

February 3, 2025

Beyoncé Wins Album of the Year, Kendrick Lamar Sweeps Five Categories The 2025 GRAMMY Awards delivered a night of historic...

High-End Beverly Hills Watch Dealer Sentenced to Over 5 Years for $5.6M Fraud

February 3, 2025

February 3, 2025

“The Timepiece Gentleman” Ran Luxury Watch Scheme, Defrauded Clients “The Timepiece Gentleman” was sentenced Wednesday to 70 months in federal...