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Daphne Sep 2, 2008

Hi Sarah,
Just my two cents in regards to allergies and treatment....

My vet would NOT give my dogs steroids to treat their allergies as it would have to be long term and with some of Tucker's other health issues she was concerned of side effects that could actually kill him.

I'd spent three years trying to find a food that didn't bother either of my dogs. Trying various laundry detergents and dog shampoos, using bottled water.... the list goes on and on. As we didn't know EXACTLY what their allergies were so we could eliminate the sources and trying various foods/removing foods/that whole long game resulting in my making homemade diets that STILL bothered them both I gave in and had the allergy tests done.  They have to draw a fair amount of blood from the juglar vein (I left the room but both boys did just fine and came out with their tails wagging, no shaved necks) and in less than two weeks we had a complete panel of results and it was rather shocking and no wonder I couldn't get rid of their allergies!!!!

Between the two of them they are allergic to all the types of trees that grow naturally where we live (and we live in the woods surrounded by them!), many common varieties of grass and wild flowers/weeds as well as beef, chicken, lamb, duck, rice, corn, potato, peas, fleas, mold, dust mites and human dander! Yup - they are both allergic to Henry and I!!!!!

The vet and I agreed that the best treatment was allergy injections.... no steroids, no treating symptoms with drugs that caused more side-effects requiring more treatments and drugs. The allergy injections are injections of what they are most allergic to in effort to build up their immunity to those allergens. It requires giving shots at home and the needle is bigger than our insulin needles but I don't have a problem doing it because even though Tucker hates it, I know it's helping him and Riley and the best thing I can do in the end to relieve their itching, ear and eye infections, gastro upsets, etc.

The blood test was NOT cheap - far from it! But I wish I'd done it years ago because I've spent waaaay more on dog foods, cleaning products, never mind vet bills and medications and a TON of stress on me trying to work through this.

Now they are on a dog food that agrees with them both and we've gotten into a routine with the shots... it's been a month now and things are so much easier in this house and the boys are more comfortabe. (OK, with the exception of Tuck's new diagnosis of Lupus and MRSA but those aren't related to allergens). They still get an antihistamine pill when it's a bad allergy day as a result of something outside pollenating but its not every day. It takes the allergy shots about 4 months to really do their job, the vet thinks that once that's really working they won't even need the antihistamine. Eventually the shots become a once a month thing then just a booster every 6 months.

As for the vet who doesn't like small dogs and designer dogs.... I can understand..... and you'll all hate me for saying it... but these designer dogs aren't bred for the good of the breed/bloodlines or for healthy pets... they are bred for money because they are simply in demand and everyone wants one! (Tucker is such a dog - so, yes I own one too - though it wasn't intentional as I thought I buying from a reputable person!) No care is give by most (not all of course) backyard breeders for the dog's health. Only their wallets. But that vet needs to direct his dislike at the breeders and puppy mills, not the owners.. the jerk! The tiny little dogs..... have you done research on them? Read about the kinds of adults that are bred to result in such bitty things? You might find that info an eye opener. I'm sure Dr. Dishy was trying to discourage dog owners from buying thus supporting these irresponsible breeders but there are better and more effetive ways to do that and if he's preaching to someone who has already bought such a dog then he's too late anyway. Nope, looks aren't everything!!

Sarah - hugs to you and Pippin!!! :hug:

Jellybelly Bears Sep 3, 2008

Thanks again girls, took my little guy to the park yesterday to eliminate the walk excitement and the grass allergy (the vet said that short grass was okay to test him on), and all clear, he had so much fun, he was scared of the ducks of course lol, but came home, cleaned him up really well and wiped his eyes and ears well, and he has had no allergy, no fits....so...Ellen...what you say rings true I am pretty sure.  Its the steroids.  And thinking about my own dealings with steroids, I react really badly when they give me a large dose in the hospital, around 2 days later, just like Pippin did with after his injection, 2 days later he had his attacks.  Maybe the body doesn't cope well with the big dose and then drop of levels in the blood stream....I'm going to try and wean him off the steroid now and just keep up with the antihistamine, and fingers crossed his allergies will stay under control...spring is coming up tho! If all else fails he didn't seem to have any problems on the low dose so I guess its just keeping it at a minimal dose like you do with Caya.
All I have to try still is the carpet shampooer, but with the combo of the eye drops, injection, increase in steroid pills....seems like a reaction...too much of a good thing...or bad thing? (door mat x havanese?    lol) 
Daphne, I've asked the vet (the good one lol) about the allergy shots ($400 here for the test alone) and he said that we can do it if we want, but he thinks its a waste of money, that each time he's done it the results are always similar to what you describe in your boys (many) and if he repeats the test in 6 mths time the results are different again.  I suppose I'll wait to do something like that if he gets bad..you're little boys seem to have been hit hard with the allergies    human dander?  Yikes!!!  I don't suppose I'd be able to do the shots either....my dog is little with sharp penetrating teeth, and fiesty when he is against something being done to him LOL, bite marks to prove it hahaha    yes, even garden gloves don't stop my Pippin when he is very against a nail clip LOL  He can be on the low dose of steroid without any trouble, so I suppose I'm lucky to be able to treat him this way and hopefully won't have to go into the allergy shots, poor Tucker 

Isn't that funny, the name designer dog over here refers to mixed breeds, like cocker spaniel X poodle is a spoodle.  They are often more expensive than their pure breed friends.  The big debate over them over here is that places like puppy mills experiment with crossings until they get something good..and because they are the in thing, new breeds with trendy names, they sell well, and peopel support the whole puppy mill industry a lot of the time unaware as the dogs are sold to pet shops...and you know how hard those pups are to resisit ...but the breeds themselves are to be praised because they tend to bypass a lot of the pure breed problems..and you can combine two dogs, say one with fur that doesn't give humans allergies, with another breed...opening up a world of dog breeds to people with allergies.  My sister is very allergic to animals, yet has a cavoodle, a cavalier x poodle, hes gorgeous, tho a little nutty tehe
Papillons can be traced back to the 15th century where they appear in paintings of the Spanish, French and Belgian aristocracy.  I got my little boy from a registered breeder who I thoroughly investigated and visited first.  Hopefully he will be okay, and these are just teething problems...hopefully!!!  I don't think its so much of a breeding thing with Pap's anyway, (they are a breed with good structure etc) as the inbreeding problem you can get with pure breeds...but you know, that can happen with mix breeds too, you just never know do you....
One thing you said reminded me of the movie "over the hedge" where a cat with one of the smooshed faces is explaining about his family line and goes on to say that he is so well bred that he can barely breathe lol, so cute.

Daphne Sep 3, 2008

Isn't that funny, the name designer dog over here refers to mixed breeds, like cocker spaniel X poodle is a spoodle.  They are often more expensive than their pure breed friends.  The big debate over them over here is that places like puppy mills experiment with crossings until they get something good..and because they are the in thing, new breeds with trendy names, they sell well, and peopel support the whole puppy mill industry a lot of the time unaware as the dogs are sold to pet shops...and you know how hard those pups are to resisit  ...but the breeds themselves are to be praised because they tend to bypass a lot of the pure breed problems..and you can combine two dogs, say one with fur that doesn't give humans allergies, with another breed...opening up a world of dog breeds to people with allergies.

Designer dogs are x-breeds here too... and those "in" breeds as well, pure-bred or not.

Most pet store puppies are from puppymills. I wish more people realized this. They supply the pet stores almost exclusively. And those puppymills may create crosses that produce dogs for people with allergies or who desire really tiny dogs but that doesn't mean that the dogs themselves are healthy because of the irresponsibility of puppymills breeding cheap, unhealthy dogs just to make money. I learned a lot about puppymills after getting Tucker on a whim and falling prey to the cute factor and having so many problems with him. As a result I spent 3 months researching breeders before getting Riley. Wheatens are highly prone to allergies so it's not surprising they have the troubles they do. They are also the only breed aside from pure-bred poodles that don't bother my husband's allergies so we don't have much of a choice if we want a dog! Those designer crosses still aren't the answer for all allergy sufferes... I wish they were, some are so CUTE!

I'm glad Pip is doing better and the answer seems to be a simple one. Give him time and I bet he'll be chasing after those ducks!!