I haven't blogged in a month. Over a month, actually...and I don't have a good reason. Honestly, I just hadn't felt like it. Things have been stressful off and on here at Rambling Shan's house and I just haven't had the energey to blog...much less come up with something witty to blog about.
So, to let you know, here is (part of) what is going on...
My dogs are in bad shape. They have each had bad allergies since they were about 3. We know that Gizmo is allergic to dust mites (we had him tested a long time ago), but we don't know about Loki. We have tried everything the vet can offer--medication, special shampoo, special food, restrictive diets (which means none of the treats they love because they can't have wheat, beef, chicken, rice, etc...all the normal stuff), expensive trips to the vet, topical treatments, you name it...we've tried it and nothing is working. Even the special diet--which means (thankfully) it isn't a food allergy...but it also means that we don't know what it is. The vet wants me to bring them back this week so we can determine if they need to see a dog dermatologist...can you believe it? I don't even have a dermatologist!
One problem that bother me more than anything is that they have been on Prednisone off and on for over three years...and that is not good for them at all. It actually stopped controlling their itchiness, so I took them off it about three weeks ago. They are still itchy, but I think they feel better (if that makes sense).
My yoga instructor suggested that I try fish oil supplements, so I am going to try that this week (after talking to the vet, of course) to see if that will help at all...at this point, we are willing to try almost anything because they deserve an itch free life--and it is our job to give it to them.
So, what else am I willing to do? Buy a Dyson vacuum. Why? Because we know that Gizmo is allergic to dust mites and Dyson vacuums are certified by the allergy association...which means they eliminate allergens from the home...and I am willing to try. I also figure that the $550 I spend on a Dyson may actually reduce the amount I have to spend on the vet.
If any of you have any natural remedies that I could try to alleviate some suffering, please let me know. We are at the end of our rope and we would really like to not have to medicate them if at all possible...they don't need to live doped up forever.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
A Month...
Rambled by Shan at 10:59 AM
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5 rambled with me...:
two things: 1) max takes fish oil pills every day. I dip them in peanut butter and he swallows them whole. we've done this for about 6 months and all of his skin irritaions have dissappeared.
2) jinx (mom and dad's dog) was on pred his whole life (he was allergic to grass among other things) he lived 6 years past the vets expectations. jinx was always irritated by his allergies but at least he could sleep a couple of hours at a time on pred.
i'm not saying keep your dogs on pred i'm just saying that sometimes not suffering is better than living longer. who's your vet? jinx went to dr. hastings he's great with allergies.
Thanks for the advice. We took them off pred mainly because it actually stopped working. They were on double the dosage the were supposed to have but it still wasn't working. It was crazy to keep them on it, so I stopped.
I bought the supplements yesterday. They are fish oil along with three other vitamins. The boys are so used to taking pills that they had to problem swallowing them yesterday, so we are hopeful. We are willing to try.
I totally get what you are saying. We have been back and forth about what to do because we don't want either one of them to suffer.
And we bought a Dyson Vacuum. :-)
Well, there are delicious dog foods without wheat & other allergic ingredients at www.EverythingNaturalPetFood.com. A lot of cheaper store bought foods have all kinds of toxins in them that cause skin allergies and other allergies. They also cause toxic reactions like liver failure, renal failue, cancer and other things. Try one of these: Innova EVO Red Meat Small Bite Dry Dog Food, Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Formula with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison, Natural Planet Organics Adult Dog Formula Dry Food. I have tried several natural, human grade, organic, and holistic dog foods for my dogs. These three are top brands with only healthy meats (dogs need high meat content), vegetables, fruits, and good grains like oats, barley, brown rice. This is what gives life to our pets. Try it and see. I particularly like Natural Planet Organics Adult Dog Formula. Look at the ingredients. My dogs dig right in and eat it up. They have beautiful coats and are very healthy. I wish that for your dog also. Food influences dogs just like it does humans. If we eat great nutrition, we are much healthier. If we eat junk food, we become fat, unhealthy, and yes - allergic. Let me know if you try these foods and if your doggie improves.It is wonderful that you care so much about your dog to keep trying to find the answer. I wish you much success in helping your dog with it's health.
Thank you so much Linda! I will look into these options immediately.
One of your posters mentioned Dr. Hastings...Dr. Schumann in that same practice is Scout's vet and she has bad food and pollen allergies. She was getting a cortisone shot every month at one point and Dr. Schumann said worst things could happen to her than that she had to be on a steroid the rest of her life.
Glad you got a Dyson. I still love mine. I don't know if it's made a huge difference in Ainsley's allergies or asthma, but I feel like my house is cleaner. It pulls an awful lot of crud out of our carpet every week.
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