stormie

Up until recently I've only ever really used the Pyohex to wash him, but I'm not going to use that every day. The goatsmilk soap is really mild and he doesn't have a reaction to it, so i'm happy with using that daily for his pollen rinse. With regards to Derm, I trust her completely. She's incredibly well respected in Australia. She basically gave us a run down of all the things they would eliminate with their clients first, like scabies, dermataphytes, food allergies etc etc. I have spoken to her about him at an Atopy seminar we went to through work. Both my derm and another were there speaking about atopy and giving advice for vets on how to run through the initial steps with clients etc. She told us to try the antihistamines but that she hasn't had much luck. The other dermatologist that was at the seminar had had more success with them, but they both agreed that they should be tried. I have done a food elimination and its not a food allergy. We have also ruled out parasites, infection and dermataphytes. We have done skin biopsies too just cause I can. We have discussed this whole process and outcomes with Derm and are now just waiting for a period by which we can reduce his cortisone enough to test. I'm still contemplating the Heska Allercept blood test over the intra dermal, due to the less time of cortisone with-holding needed, plus also the reduction of risk of creating more allergies to the injection of the different allergens. He's now on a raw diet now that we've trialled. We know he has atopy. We've trialled him by keeping him inside and his symptoms reduce. Plus the fact that his symptoms are worse throughout the typical pollen season is another indicator. It's just a matter of finding out which pollens specifically now. I'm happy with my vets current treatment. He is at work with me every day so he gets a check up every day and there are 3 of them who are able to see his progression/decline. They know everytime we try a new antihistamine and keep watch for changes and improvements. We do regular skin tapes as well to keep an eye on bacteria etc.

I didn't test the goatsmilk, but he's never had/touched it up till now and he doesn't react to it so I'm happy it's safe. I've only started using it in the last month or two since we've started on the daily rinses. I haven't been to the Dermatologist yet, but my vet is quite good friends with her and has been giving us the list of things we need to do/eliminate before we go ahead and test (bribed with wine ) . She's not a big user of antihistamines and hasn't had much success with them, but admits they're worth a try, so at the moment we're just going through them one by one. Admittedly my vets haven't really done much work with all the different ones out there as they've never really had any success with them, but they are keen to see how we go with Orbit. Not on salmon oil, just using an Omega 3, 6 and 9 supplement. When he was younger we tried him on a salmon and potato diet and he was quite bad on that - urticaria all over his back so I have been avoiding salmon! Tried the EPO too - didn't help. Will looks into the difference between the resichlor and pyohex - I mainly use it on pustules or between his toes and haven't had a problem with it - in fact it's been great for clearing them up. Will definately look into the other things you mentioned! Thanks!! Its such a sucky thing huh. At first we thought it was just going to be scabies seeing he came from a scrubby desert area and it just seemed more likely with his age. Plus we have not seen atopy in such a young dog before! I'm so lucky I get my tests/meds for cost price, I honestly don't know how I'd cope if I didn't! Mind you I've spent a tonne of money on buying all sorts of different things from here and there, but like you said, what else can you do.

For my daily rinse I'm actually using an all natural goatsmilk soap. It has no frangrances or anything like that added to it and it's really good on his skin. If/when his skin flares up then I'll give him a pyohex wash and use Alpha Kerry oil after to help with the dry skin. I've only tried the chlorpheniramine from that list - the rest have all been the non drowsys like claratyne, telfast, zyrtec etc. And i've just been using the recommended dose - will definately up them and see how we go! He mainly just gets staph infections and thankfully it's not too bad. This is only our second season (i got him in october) so it's going to be interesting to see how we go through this. He's a bit of a mess at the moment actually and has quite a few pustules so have got him on antibiotics to help with that. Have not tried the resichlor, but I think it's the same as the Pyohex lotion which I use and find it great for helping areas like in between toes when its humid. Not used lamisil - you used that in a similar way? Wow it sounds like you've been through some really tough times! Good on you for sticking it out!!

Yeah we're rinsing daily which helps to some extent, but definately not enough to be able to with hold cortisone. I might try some chlorhex too - malaseb and pyohex dry him right out which ends up making him more itchy. Antihistamines don't seem to be doing anything which really sucks, got a couple more to try though. Which did you have the most success with? Thankfully he doesnt get ear infections which is so good, but I think he makes up for it with the rest of his body being insanely itchy. We've done the eliminations trials so now it's just a matter of being able to test. Sooo frustration!

Ugh Atopy sucks Zayder, your Zayder's case sounds similar to us. Orbit came home at 9 weeks and the scratching started straight away. We missed our window for testing in the off season and now with the pollens increasing he's a bit of a mess. Question for you, how did you get through the cortisone with-holding period for testing? Even in the off season the best we could get was about 10 days before he would be devouring himself.

You can never prove that desexing increases cancer. Unless you go back in time and leave the dogs who were desexed and got cancer entire, and show they never developed cancer, you can't prove it. Dogs are living longer these days because we have more improved vet technology. We can test for health conditions and breed them out. We can fix congenital problems through surgery and do things like knee reconstructions and hip replacements. They have to die of something eventually and fact is we are able to diagnose and treat many conditions that we weren't able to in the past, which they very likely could have died from at an earlier age, before developing cancer. I think we need to be more concerned about the diets we are feeding and the chemicals we are putting in them as more potential causes for cancer.

Our JRT has luxating patella's. She's had them all her life and thankfully never caused her pain or discomfort so surgery was never required.

I guess it depends how high the urea is and whether it continues to go up. I guess if it were me, I'd still be a bit concerned and want to know why. Sounds like things are under control though so all you can do is keep on with what you're doing and watch for any changes. Maybe taking in a urine sample monthly to make sure things are still ok wouldn't hurt either, and you should only have to pay for the test if you can get your own urine sample.

Our spey incisions are usually only a few cm long, depending on the size of the dog (and how good the vet is ). Your vet should provide you with detailed post op care instructions when you pick her up. Stitches usually are removed 7-10 days after and its recommended they stay quiet and the wound kept dry until then.

I'm not sure what exact test they did for pancreatitis, but lipase levels can also go up for kidney problems, as well as pancreatitis. They do specific canine pancreatic lipase tests now which is the best diagnosis for pancreatitis, and I'm not sure of whether this would go up with dehydration, like you might see lipase go up on a standard blood test. Just something to keep in mind, particularly if she has another episode. I'm not sure about the Vitamin E, sorry. I know it is sometimes used in people but I don't believe any studies have been done in dogs. I'd probably just keep to the diet the vet has given you for now, with no supplements. Let us know how she goes!!

The thing I think of is, is it fair to still keep those hormones if the dog is never going to be allowed to mate/breed? Surely the dogs can just be desexed later in life once they have matured, which enables them to grow properly? Having an entire male myself (and counting down the days till he's desexed!!) I can see how driven by his hormones he is - I don't want him to be constantly on the scent of a bitch, or feeling competitive to other entire males, when there's not going to be any point to it... JMO I was always under the impression that the cancers of the reproductive organs were more common in non breeding entire dogs, rather than those who did breed the occasional litter, which explains why all breeders dogs aren't rife with cancer..

I don't think so?? The first time she was sick and was admitted to hospital i know they gave her a couple of injections... i think that was just to stop vomiting though. Why do you ask? Only because Addisons disease can have similar symptoms your girl has shown. Cortisone has been used to treat pancreatitis and it is also the treatment for Addisons. Urea levels can also go up with Addisons and the urine be dilute. Just a thought Hmm i wonder whether they went have tested for that when she was sick. Do you know what exactly that is? By the way your pooch is just so cute. Puts a smile on my face! Thanks :rolleyes: It's not always an easy thing to diagnose. Most of the time you see changes in their electrolyte levels, but not always, I believe. Have a read of this link.

I don't think so?? The first time she was sick and was admitted to hospital i know they gave her a couple of injections... i think that was just to stop vomiting though. Why do you ask? Only because Addisons disease can have similar symptoms your girl has shown. Cortisone has been used to treat pancreatitis and it is also the treatment for Addisons. Urea levels can also go up with Addisons and the urine be dilute. Just a thought

Lizzy - since being unwell, has any of her treatment been cortisone?

How do i know / find out what her renal function is like? I know they did so many blood tests. Yes she had a full blood count and biochemistry and everything was normal. Her Urine has since been 100% normal concentration. They think her urea must just sit a little higher for her and that i was feeding her kangaroo and that probably made it high due to the protein also because she doesn't drink much could also cause it to be high. They tested her pancreatitias and that came back absoultelty positive. Now that i have kept her on the low fat diet she seems to be going well. It has been almost 6-7 weeks now with know sickness etc. She is actually eating like a little piggy the last couple of days i think the enzymes really work. They were going to do an ultrasound on her kidneys but said they are sure they won't find anything wrong. They apparantly posted a few questions on a specialist vet website and all of the speciast said it doesn't sound like her kidneys due to her being able to concentrate her urine normally now and due to a few other factors... ie she seems good in herself and her createn (not sure how to spell it) level was normal If her kidneys were failing and they were wrong would she really pick back and and feel good again? i would have thought she would stay off color? Just that you said her urea did go back up after the fluids so that didn't sound like her kidney issue had resolved. I was replying to your initial posts which didn't sound like she was picking up. But if they've done more tests and are happy that it has since resolved, then it's probably not the problem. Just hearing her urine was so dilute and her urea was high, sounds like her kidneys weren't doing their job at that point, but if everything's been normal then hopefully was just a one off and nothing to worry about. Glad to hear that she's improved on the diet. Pancreatitis is a sucky illness... If it were me though, I'd probably still want to have an ultra sound just to see if they can see any cause for the pancreas to be inflamed. But I hate not knowing why

As others have said - no calcium supplements! And no regular puppy food either. Large/giant breeds have specific dietary needs. You need to feed a good quality LARGE breed puppy food.

I feed my veges in all differend forms. Sometimes I pulp them all up in a juicer, like carrots, apples, citris, pears, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach... I mix some of the juice in with the left over pulp. I cook up pumpkin occasionally too and put them into a food processor with other fruits and veges. I also give fruit and veges raw too. Apples and carrots are a favourite for chewing on.

Sorry, I'm a bit confused. What is her renal function like? You said her urine was dilute (clear) and her urea was high? This sounds like a kidney problem to me., particularly as her urea went back up after she came off the fluids. Dogs and cats often feel sick and go off their food when they're kidney's are failing. Did she have a full blood count and biochemistry to check the rest of her organs? How was her liver? I'd probably look into a referral for a specialist as it sounds like no one is sure what is going on...

Enzyplex could be another one to try - its often used to treat EPI.

Most often it's the C5 that gives a lump reaction.

Liver disease is the main side effect. Not all animals become polydipsic. We regularly check the phenobarbitone levels for animals to make sure the right amount is being given, as well as checking for liver damage. I assume the phenomav is for seizures? I would also assume the vet has deemed the phenomav necessary? Seizures can be fatal, so in many cases, the possible side effects of the drugs are better than the possibility of death.

What about another type of treat ball? One that he has to roll around to get the food and treats to fall out of? Can you hide treats around your backyard before you leave? Might be fun for him to try and find them?

Owning a pet shouldn't be a privilege of the wealthy, no, but people should be aware of and prepared for possible costs of veterinary treatment before they take on a pet. And there's also plenty of pet insurance companies out there who cover costs of medications. I don't see why vets should have to discount medications for people. It's like asking the vet to pay for your treatment. My loves cars, but he doesn't fix my car for free or cheap.

Reads more like horse feed ingredients!!! Wheat?? Pollard?? Bran?? Lucern?? Certainly not things I'd be feeding to my dog that's for sure!

We had a mini poodle at work boarding. Had not been running around. Had lunch (soft food) and about 10 mins later (still in its kennel being quiet), started bloating. Thankfully we saw it straight away and managed to get a tube down him and he was ok. But it can happen to smaller breeds too - maybe not as common, but it can happen.