The search for just the right veterinary specialist is a time-intensive project. It involves trying out different doctors and asking fellow dog-lovers until you find a vet who inspires glowing recommendations; a doctor who combines an old-fashioned bedside manner with up-to-the-minute knowledge of the latest developments in her specialized field of veterinary medicine.
Dr. Peikes has all of that, and more besides. She’s put in extra years of scholarship to become board-certified, adding the prestigious letters ACVIM to her title. That means she’s not just a veterinarian; she’s one of approximately 2 percent of vets in the entire country who’s a veterinary specialist. Dr. Peikes’ specialty is animal allergies and dermatology – hence the name of her Manhattan practice, Animal Allergy & Dermatology.
One recent, life-changing day, I noticed my pit bull Pepper chewing on the tip of her tail and biting at her paw-pads: classic signs of an allergic reaction, as were the quarter-dollar-sized hives that covered her body from neck to flank, like a special effect in a horror movie. I raced Pepper to the emergency room, where she was injected with a life-saving antihistamine and steroid. When this terrifying scenario repeated itself three weeks later, it was time to consult the expert: Dr. Peikes.
Many people still find it hard to believe that pets can suffer from allergies just as humans can. A vet on a mission, Dr. Peikes has dedicated herself to treating four-footed allergy sufferers and raising awareness of animal allergies.
"During my training, I saw first-hand what a major quality-of-life issue allergies were," she explains. "Pets itching and scratching, unable to sleep, feeling miserable – and their owners losing sleep from worry. When allergies went undiagnosed, patients were given treatments for the allergy’s various symptoms – but those treatments wouldn’t help." Treating just the symptoms rather than the cause only led to more suffering and frustration for dogs and their guardians. "Some dogs suffered for as long as ten years," Peikes adds. "People would want to put those dogs to sleep."
Thankfully, with correct diagnosis and treatment, that’s no longer necessary. Sometimes, the cure is as simple as a hypoallergenic prescription diet; sometimes, it’s a lot more complicated. Either way, "Treatment can make a huge difference, turning these dogs into happy, energetic animals again," Dr. Peikes says.
One important qualification for a great vet is empathy. Dr. Peikes knows how it feels to itch so much you want to crawl out of your own skin. "I had hives once," she recalls. "They were very painful, and we never did figure out what caused them!" She can, however, do her best to figure out what ails an allergic pet – even if the source of a dog’s itching and discomfort has remained an elusive mystery for several years. And once she gets to the root of an allergic pet’s problem, she proceeds to solve it, capably and cheerfully.
It’s not always easy to pinpoint the exact culprit of a dog’s allergies. With the tape she uses to take skin and hair samples, which are transferred to glass slides and stained for microscopic examination, Dr. Peikes is like Hercule Poirot in a white lab coat. "It is like being a detective," she explains. "But I love the challenge. And I especially love seeing dramatic improvements in my patients’ quality of life."
But what distinguishes Dr. Peikes – or any great vet – isn’t all the fancy stuff. It’s her good, old-fashioned way with animals and people. Clearly, she loves dogs, and they love her right back (another sign of veterinary greatness). Upon meeting Dr. Peikes, my Pepper fogged up her new vet’s eyeglasses with kisses. When Dr. Peikes makes a house call at our place – yes, she makes house calls – Pepper is thrilled to see her, and my other dogs are magnetically drawn to her too.
Restaurateur Penny Glazier of The Glazier Group adores her bull mastiff, Truman, another one of Dr. Peikes’ grateful patients. Both owner and dog are big fans of their veterinary dermatologist. Just how much does Truman love his skin specialist? "When she got married, it broke Truman’s heart," Glazier says with a smile.
Caring for an allergic pet can be a challenge for the pet’s guardian, who must administer antihistamine and steroid pills on schedule; bathe a dog three times weekly with prescription shampoo; take care that a hungry pooch doesn’t cheat on his prescribed diet; and patiently conduct food trials to eliminate possible dietary allergy culprits.
Through it all, Dr. Peikes keeps you on course, gently and encouragingly. She follows up on her patients’ progress, checking in regularly by phone; if a medication she prescribes involves a pill-and-a-half dosage, she dispenses those pills pre-halved. She’s extraordinarily generous in extending herself to dogs and their people, following through not only for the four-footed, but for their two-legged companions too.
