German Shepherd Come Sharpei

[Erny]

... now I carry an epi-pen

Pardon my ignorance ...... what's an "epi-pen" ?

[luvinshep]

Bee sting for sure my GSD had the same reaction, her face was swollen just like your dog....her eyes were swollen & her breathing became laboured......it really frightened us.....she was only about 10months old....the vet said she is allergic to bees :cool: so we watch her all the time....if she snaps at something we are hoping it is not a bee....it sure does give you a fright.....

Jan

[sas]

An Epi-pen is used for people who have sevre allegeries that may cause death.

I would think it would be unlikely that a vet would give you one as I think sometimes it can cause more harm than good if given to an animal who didn't absolutely need it....someone may need to correct me on this.

Best to ask your vet what you can keep on hand incase of another sting, may just need to administer an anti-histimine if it's not a dyer situation.

However you mentioned your dogs breathing became labored so I would think that this is a more serious case.

[goldielover]

I'll vote for a bee sting as well. Best to have some oral anti-histamines at home in case it happens again. My girl goes into anaphylactic shock with bee stings... very scary as she is unresponsive within 10 minutes of a sting, so i have intra-muscular injections of Dexamethasone and anti-histamine on hand. I discussed epi-pens with my vet, but he is against the use of them as if the adrenaline is given intravenously instead of IM it could be fatal.

[zayda_asher]

An Epi-pen is used for people who have sevre allegeries that may cause death.

I would think it would be unlikely that a vet would give you one as I think sometimes it can cause more harm than good if given to an animal who didn't absolutely need it....someone may need to correct me on this.

They certainly are an option for dogs if they are really allergic and the reactions are or become more serious.

They can test the dog to see if it is a true allergy to Bees / wasps etc.

I went through all this earlier this year....

Dan

Edited July 9, 2006 by zayda_asher

[Griffo]

peibe, yes it is scary!! and i watch her like a hawk around bees & ants etc...so fingers crossed it is an allergy of the past.

Flames Daddy, yes it was pretty scary, saying goodnight to a shepherd and waking up to a sharpei...thought i must have been dreaming. And i hope you will never have to see flame turn into a rotty lol. he is handsome just the way he is!!

Hesapandabear...i was told by the vet to get some Vallergan Syrup and i also have some tablets which say "Delta cortef" i think that is the active ingredient. Haven't had to use either yet tho....

SparkyTansy...i have never heard of a dogs ears swelling up...would have been a sight!

Are reactions to "mother in laws tongue'' common in dogs? i might do a search and make sure she has none in her pen...!

Earnie, as sas said- epi pens are used for severe reactions...it is a device people can carry with them and often saves lives when the reaction is very severe. schools have to keep them in their first aid supplies now, i have never heard of them being used on dogs but i guess it would all work the same.

goldielover: that is really interesting about the epi pen. i didnt know they could be that dangerous. and i am sorry to hear about your girl. it is really scary stuff.

Dan- what was your dog allergy to in the end? and how did they conduct the tests? knowing exactly the cause, does it change they treatment?

Everyone: Thank you heaps for the replies..i am amazed how many people have dogs with severe allergies to things....!

Edited July 9, 2006 by Rachelle

[zayda_asher]

Ok - lol! That's actually a big question... I have two dogs with severe allergies... I've been going through the whole allergy deal for the last 4.5 years! What I actually meant is that my girl's reactions to bees and wasps got worse this year and we went through the whole "do we get an epi pen? etc."

Ok here's a list of my dogs allergies just so you can see:

Zayda:

Food:

Beef

Lamb

Corn

Tuna

Sardines

and an intolerance for eggs

Atopic:

Alternaria mould

Insect:

Wasps

Bees

Asher:

Atopic:

1) Dandelion

2) Melaleuca

3) Fleas

4) cocksfoot grass

5) Johnson grass

6) Yellow dock weed

7) Deer Flys

8) Dust mites

9) Fodder mites

Contact:

Proplyene glycol (used in shampoos, ear cleaners, spot ons, vaccinations, semi-moist foods)

Sensitivities:

Many chemicals and preservatives

There are different ways to test for each thing: food allergies are done through elimination diet, atopic (air born) and insect through intradermal testing and contact through a patch test (applying the stuff to the skin and seeing if it causes reaction). There is also a new blood test that is much more effective than the old blood test, currently you have to send the blood to the states for testing...

If any of these things are needed / appropriate a referal to a dermatologist should be arranged

Depending what the dog is allergic to there are a whole range of complimentary and standard medical therapies that are available.

Dan

[Lozzie]

I know it has been said enough, but yep, bee sting. Same thing happened to my girl a few months ago- ever seen a whippet come sharpei? Luckily it went down quickly, but it will be worse every time.