moosepup

I'm certainly no expert cav but my 4.4kg dog gets 1 - 2 grams of Protexin which is 60 - 120 million CFU. IHP is 25 billion CFU per capsule so I'd hazard a guess and say no you're not under dosing. Certainly don't take my word for it though. :)

Thanks sheena. A quick google seems to tell me that grass ticks are the larvae of paralysis ticks? But we don't really have paralysis ticks here. Certainly fits the description though. These are super tiny, it wasn't until I removed a couple and they started moving around on the tissue did I realise they were alive. I've kept a couple in a jar to take to the vet.

I have a vet appt this afternoon to confirm but I think I found the culprit for the itching... ticks. :eek: I have never ever had a dog with ticks before (if that's what they are) so I didn't even suspect. I didn't know ticks could be so small though. I don't think they're fleas as I've never seen fleas just latch on to one spot and not move at all and it seems localised to his ears and a paw. I feel so bad, I'd felt the ones on the tip of Nacho's ear but just thought he'd scratched himself and it was a scab.

If you consider that what people call their dogs is a reflection of how they treat them, I think it matters. Erny's post suggests that this is the case. I think it's a stretch to correlate the two for a lot of dog owners. I call Nacho 'the bane of my existence' when he's being particularly tiresome, it doesn't mean I treat him accordingly. :laugh:

Oh no, I didn't know my little stalker FurPanto was unwell Thinking good healing thoughts for FurPanto and the Panto family. Hope she's feeling better this morning.

Nacho ate part of a decorative CERAMIC egg yesterday.

No big deal to me, it's just a term of endearment, I'm more interested in how they're treated then what they're called. :)

So sorry for the loss of gorgeous Kibah, just imagine the pain free zoomies she's doing right now.

I wouldn't think any policies would say it implicitly but I wonder what they'd say if you asked. Interested to know but scared to ask lol.

Sleeps in my bed. He has Interceptor ever 6 weeks, last dose being early Feb. Forgot to answer you before - his ears are perfect - clean, dry and no smell at all. I've just done a thorough inspection and none of his skin appears red or sore so really besides the itchiness and little hair loss patches on his ear tips and around the eye he's perfectly fine. No sign of fleas or flea dirt. I'm thinking now it could be a contact allergy as there has been no diet change and there was one day last week when we went for a walk and when we got home his paws were red and he was licking them like crazy. A colloidal oatmeal soak and some paw paw and they cleared up pretty much straight away. I really can't wait for the calendula to arrive so I can see if that soothes the itches. :)

Thanks for all the help Steve, I'll take him to the vet on Saturday for skin scrapings just to be sure as it's possible it could be an allergy. I will try as you suggest in the meantime and see if it helps soothe his itch. He gets Artemis dry with yogurt in the morning and BARF with mackerel, salmon or sardines in the evening. He also gets chicken necks or wings a couple of times a week.

No broken skin from what I can tell. He has very slight hair loss around one eye (which is why I suspect mites) and a very small amount of hair loss from the tips of his ears but I suspect this is from catching the tips when he's scratching his neck with his head bent over. Most of the scratching is just around his neck, his fur is still soft and shiny. I was hoping to try these alternatives before a vet visit but I'm not sure how imperative him seeing a vet is. Besides the scratching he's his normal happy self.

Thanks Steve! In regards to the ACV and calendula, would you advise using a diluted ACV spray for a few days (I presume no rinsing?) and then bathe in calendula? Or is using ACV spray followed by a calendula bath okay as well?

Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? ie. can I try ACV, calendula AND Protexin for an itchy dog with suspected mites or just try one at a time?

My vet still pushes for annual vaccs but I got Moose and Zoe titred. Zoe hadn't been vacc'd for YEARS and her levels were pretty high. This is an extract of what you get from Vetpath for those interested. This one was for Moose 3 years post vacc.

Zoe had IMT several years ago and was on pred for quite awhile but her platelet count steadily rose, no issues since. Be very careful with him as knocks could cause internal bleeding.

Just placed my order. :) Nacho has been quite itchy lately and gets itchy paws after a walk so looking forward to trying it out.

The only problem with him on the bed is that he's like a little kid and flops around all over the place. :laugh: Although it is hot so I don't blame him. I have a queen so naturally I get that little strip of mattress on the edge of the bed with a scrap of sheet and Moose and Nacho get the rest.

It's a wire one. :) I don't think the temp has changed much in my room and taking the cover off didn't make any difference. Nacho wins, I went and got a baby gate so I can leave the bedroom door open but he can't roam. Who's the boss around here?

You guys are so helpful!! He's pretty clever but I'm surprised he could so suddenly decide his crate was the work of the devil, without so much as a hint of a build up. :laugh: I had to give in because he started in with high pitched yelps and I didn't want him waking everyone up. I did tell him to shoosh and only let him out after he was quiet for 5 minutes. Oh well, it was a bit sooner than I hoped but I guess he's a bed dog now, hopefully Moose copes! FF he's nearly 11 months.

I caved, he got on the bed and immediately went to sleep. Moosey got a butt pillow out of the deal. This was always the long term plan, right? RIGHT?!??!? :drink:

Nacho has slept in a crate next to my bed every night since the day I got him. When we go to bed he runs straight in there, gets a couple of treats and then goes straight to sleep (door closed). Both last night and tonight he's sooked and carried on, whining, chewing the bars a bit and pulling on the crate cover. Nothing about the crate has changed since earlier in the week, the bedding is the same. He's completely normal during the day and otherwise his usual self. Last night out of sheer desperation I gave in and let him sleep on the bed (bad move giving in I know) and after being mental for a bit he happily went to sleep. I'm ignoring him tonight and he's finally laying down (not sleeping) but he isn't happy about it. He's also lying on his teddy giving me doe eyes which he never does. It's a bit sad. Why would he suddenly not want to sleep in there?

Anxiety is not "bad behaviour" - its very real to the dog. Many vet behaviourists do not agree with the notion that comforting a distressed dog is reinforcing the anxiety - there seems to be differing opinions on that. Completely agree Rosetta. Ditto. Being at the vet makes Moose anxious (not overly but a bit :) ) so he sits on my lap and I just give him a few pats, nothing over the top. I wouldn't consider that reinforcing his anxiety, just a bit of reassurance. I don't have an issue with dogs on seats but don't see it very often, most of the time dogs are on the floor or lap if they're small.

Hope she's ok and the vet can make some suggestions. Zoe is 14.5 and occasionally acts a bit odd. The other day I caught her trying to eat a sockette. This is a dog who has never shown an interest in chewing or toys or anything. I think her vision has deteriorated quite a lot, the vet thinks she's almost completely blind but she still follows your hand and gets around fine. She gets pretty regular checks as she's on cartrophen. I also put Young At Heart supplement in her food which I think has made a bit of a difference, she's still fairly spritely. :)

hankdog, it's usually much cheaper to just buy the fairy floss attachment at time of purchase rather than separately. Have you seen the price of those on ebay?? Ridic!