As you know, our newest "kid", Duncan has quite a lot on his plate. He has food allergies, environmental allergies (to what we don't yet know) and a yeast infection. After a couple of weeks on a special hypo-allergenic diet, baths with an anti-fungal shampoo and several medications, things were looking up for the little guy. On Saturday and Sunday, we noticed that Duncan wasn't licking, scratching and biting himself. We were elated. Then Sunday night it all started all over again. He was scratching behind his ears, biting his back by the base of his tail, licking his you know what and his paws, sneezing and rubbing his face in his beds. When we woke up Monday morning, he had chewed a spot on his back raw. We were at a loss for what to do for the poor little dog. What on earth went wrong? We were faithful about only feeding him his special food, making sure he got his medications and bathing him per the doctor's recommendations.
Off we went for yet another trip to the vets office. Something had to give for him and for us. Though the vet didn't find any signs of fleas on Duncan, it was clear that something had bitten him on his back, under his tail by his rectum and on the side of his neck. The vet's thinking that perhaps it was something at the Duck Pond, either some errant fleas or one of several other biting bugs. We have monthly pest control and our other dogs don't have fleas. While we were there, the vet took some skin scrapings and checked for other parasites that can burrow under the dogs skin (like scabies). Thankfully, there weren't any, but now there's something else he's allergic to...bug bites.
We were sent home with yet more stuff to treat him with. He has Frontline because it not only kills fleas, but also the other biting insects. He also has an ointment for his hot spots that have a three pronged approach: an antibiotic, an anti-histamine and a localized skin number. And lastly, he now has a hydrocortisone lotion that we use on his coat like a leave in conditioner twice a week.
Because there is no way we can fully protect Duncan from the environmental allergens, and it's clear from his sneezing, face rubbing and paw biting that he has environmental allergies, the vet is highly recommending that we have him blood tested to see just what he is allergic to. Once the results come back, he will have to have allergy shots specifically formulated for him.
Geeesss. I don't even dare ask what else!
More walks!
15 years ago
3 comments:
Poor littlt guy. My son's best friend, who just died last August, had horrible food allergies and ended up for the last few years of her life with much less grief with eating her meals consisting of salmon, green beans and chicken breast and all sorts of herbal medicines, etc. If you want to chat with them about that let me know. Aren't these puppies just so fortunate to have come into your home with all of the love and caring.
Good day to you.
Owl
Poor Duncan! Being itchy all of the time has to be torture, not to mention all of the wheezing and stuff. You guys are the one good thing in the poor pup's life...and in that he is SOOOO fortunate! We hope the "fix" comes soon and is easy for him...and his moms.
Poor little guy, and you two too! I know you didn't expect all of this when you rescued him! You are awesome Moms and I give you a lot of credit for haning in there with him and doing so much. I know it's not easy!
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