Mason_Gibbs

Yes i did i had insurance when he was a few months old :) i got lucky.

Lol Mirawee i remember carrying Gibbs to the loo all too well ;) he was heavy!!

What time????

I always wait around 3 months for a payout no idea what I'm doing wrong

If it's atopic then there is a genetic component. Most dogs are in pet homes and most pet homes don't have regular contact with Breeders, allergies have become so common that most dog owners wouldn''t even think to report it to a breeder. It only has to be one dog related by blood somewhere who for example used to itch on a certain grass to have a family connection. Yes it's definitely in the genes, my boys sister who went to Guide Dogs also has allergies but not as severe.

What does the drug do ? What's it called? It's a clinical drug trial where you have a 50/50 chance of the control drug or the experimental drug if your dog is eligible (ie itchy enough). Because of the nature of the trial I shouldnt discuss online except to say I suggest you discuss with you vet if youre interested - most of them know about it I think. :) I don't think we would be eligible as he has been on desensitization injections for almost 20 months so it would throw the study out. Where is the study being held and through which uni? I guess when the drugs available to the general public I will have a look at it as I would be interested.

I do obedience with my lab ( or did I'm giving it a break at the moment) and we got our CCD title and then our CD title. I don't do guilty but that's coz I'm not interested if I really wanted to do it my dog would be find physically doing it as he is a lighter build. The great thing with a lab is that they have a natural retrieve instinct ;)

I'm a VAN fan here

What does the drug do ? What's it called?

Poor him! So far my girl is ok on it (even though I hate myself for feeding her this processed crap), and she never had stomach upsets on her previous diet (when I thought dogs with allergies tended to have upset tummies etc as well as itchiness) Sorry if that sounds like a dumb question, but can a regular vet test for atopic dermatitis, or is that something only a dermatologist can do? I know what you mean re vets jumping to conclusions. I almost had the impression mine was going through an often repeated speech, ending up with the compulsory low allergen food Only the dermatologists do proper allergy testing

Hills ZD made my boy have such an upset stomach he cant handle kibble. Vets are quick to jump to conclusions regarding food allergies but its really hard to say its food only if they havent been tested for atopic dermatitis

Pitt there isnt one closer to you our dermatologist saved my dogs life he was so bad and so uncomfortable i considered putting him to sleep before i got help from the derm

What antihistamines do you use and do you find them effective? My vet told me that they really didn't work in dogs Lots of vets like to think they know about allergies but the dermatologists are really specialists. The lady we sees goes to all the conferences in USA where all the latest research is presented. We use Zyrtec ( I get the generis it's cheaper) and my 32kg dog takes 4 a day. I believe antihistamines do work but you have to find the one that works for your dog. We tried another one ( can't remember the name but it was an older one) and it did nothing. The blood tests for allergies are usually sent to USA and are used in conjunction with the skin prick tests. Food emilination has to be done properly 6 weeks a novel protein and a carb like pumpkin or sweet potato NOTHING ELSE AT ALL!! Then add one thing back in at a time for a week and see.

Oh and how we are treating it, desensitization injections I administer every 21 days, antihistamines, weekly bathes and ear cleaning, pred when he is very itchy. I dd food trials and know what my boy cannot have, he basically gets roo lamb or goat with vets all natural mix to eat. I use cheese or polony as training treats.

Dermatologist seem expensive but if you add up all the vets visits compared to the visits to the derm it's not actually expensive. Allergies are incredibly complex and vets do not avethe experience or knowledge dermatologists have. How did your vet diagnose your dog? You cannot diagnose atopic dermatitis without performing food trials to rule out food allergies and skin prick tests as well as blood tests. Stabbing in the dark with allergies and trying this and trying that does not work. Try and get a loan and see a derm, I was in the same position and couldn't afford it at the time and thank dog I did because my boy has severe allergies, food and atopic dermatitis..

I found raw food helps my dog with hotspots, keep him off anything with wheat in too. I spray my boy with chlorehexidine solution daily to prevent hotspots. Mine comes in a spray from the USA that our dermatologist imports

My allergy dog is on it, he only takes 2,5mg a day which is a tiny amount for a 33kg dog. His fur growth cycle has been interrupted by the pred but all blood tests are normal I get him checked 1x a year.

Congrats !!!

Would be interested in the foundation day weekend but think it will be too cold to camp :)

Oh and I have used the fish one, it was good too

Yes I have used the Puppy Vantage, no complaints

Yes Sunday is good for us ;)

Same as above or if i forget to take the forms the day of the consult i send it as soon as i can ;)

Then he is safe Mas is really good with smaller dogs wont hump them or be rough

I send my claims in as I pay the bills as you wait forever for payouts anyway it just means the vet has a bit more to do but it can't be helped.