My boys are sick :(

[Krystal_00]

Both of my dogs are sick....how sick? I dunno cause no one seems to want to friggen help me

It started with them itching...and now they are both itching so bad that they can't do anything except sit there and chew on their backs or feet. You cant even touch them or it sends them into a crazy scratch fest. I have taken both of them to the vet...where I got "Just switch the food" (which I did, and i think it made it worse) or "take these pills" (which they did and it helped, temporarily) And now Mack has started chewing QUARTER sized holes in his feet!!

The vet says they need a skin scrape and then he can make a vaccination for them....for 1000$ bucks. So I call the dog insurance that I have been paying 100 BUCKS A MONTH FOR and they wont cover it. Because the symptoms are not conclusive to suggest an allergy. Um, Im sorry...chewin g backs and feet isnt an allergy symptom.

I am so frustrated right now, I have no idea what to do, what to try. I feel like bursting into tears right now, my dogs are suffering so much and theres nothing i can do to help either of them. Its not that we can't afford the 1000 dollars, but it will take a few weeks to put aside and until then my dogs mught eat themselves beyond saving 

[London_Pyr_Lover]

Oh.  I'm so sorry that they're not feeling well, and although I have nothing constructive to add, I just want to send my condolences and say we're hoping for a quick diagnosis and speedy recovery.      Kisses to help them feel better soon.

[LibbyP]

Oh, poor babies!  It sounds like they're really having a rough time of it.

While you're trying to find the trigger, pick up some Solarcaine.  It has aloe and lidocaine in it, so it will help stop the itching.  It also tastes REALLY bad, so it will help with any chewing also.

Oh those poor boys and you!! Solarcaine was a awesome godsent by the powers that be at BPO when my 'old man' Hoover was chewing a bald raw spot...I noticed a difference in even a day, you might have to take out shares in the company cause a can doesn't last very long but it helped here. Good luck in your search to stop the itches.

[Krystal_00]

Thanks guys!!!


I have taken away EVERYTHING!! I dont clean with any products at all, I bought a steam cleaner and only clean everything with that. Well except my clothes, which i wash in the washer, with hot water (Im allergic to laundry soaps)I took away their beds, treats, bones, toys...they are living a real simple life now haha!!

 I called my breeder and she says what it sounds like to her is mites. So she suggested I take one dog in to be scraped for mites, and if hes got it, the other one has it. I just dont know what to do.

I will pick up some Benadryl ASAP, and at least make them comfy,

[Krystal_00]

yes!! there is!! on both of them! What is that??

[Krystal_00]

Thanks they have an appointment for next week

[maxsmom]

Just see what I learned today.  Never heard of using solarcane.  If you try the benadryl, try to get a capsule, not caplets.  Apparently the capsules disolve quicker and they get the full dose.  We gave Max 5 at a time 3 times a day for his allergies, before we got the blood work done and got him the allergy serum.  They helped with the itching but never even slowed him down.  Another thing to try, if they have raw spots is Listerine.  Just dab it on.  It will burn a little, but prevents infection and helps to dry it up.  It is great for sores and hot spots.  Also, the skin scraping is a great idea.  Our guys get staph skin infections, from chewing themselves.  The vet does a deep skin scraping to diagnose it.  We also found out that Cody gets localized demodectic sp? mange.  Not contagious, all dogs apparently carry the mites, so no big deal, just treat it with a cream twice a day.  However, he does not scratch at the spots or chew them at all.  I wouldn't think that is what is causing the itching and chew-o-rama.  The foot chewing sounds to me like it could be a contact type of dermatitis.  I have had dogs that suffered from athletes foot whenever the weather was changing and occasionally got the same type of rash on their backs from rolling in wet grass or when we had the lawn sprayed.  Good luck and kiss those boys for me.
Kathy

[Nina]

Hey Harley was doing that she had hotspots on all 4 paws top and bottom. We switched her to a raw diet and she is on a herbal powder which I add to her food and that has helped 100% She barley itches anymore. And for her hotspots we used a spray called derma cool. It cost $20 and her spots were gone in 2 weeks. She felt better right away though. I recommend getting the derma cool and spraying the itchy spots and their feet, that will help they so much!

Nina

[Krystal_00]

Thank you everyone.

Does anyone know what I can do for them in the meantime to make them more comfortable till they go for the test? Its not till next week and I hate them itching all the time Does Benadryl work? even if its mange/mites....and the more research i am doing its sounding more and more like mange/mites.

[2Criminals]

You could try topical hydrocortizone

[Krystal_00]

Thank you again guys.
I called and the soonest I can get them in is Saturday at 4. I would bring them to another vet but there are only 3 here, one isn't accepting new patients and the other one is a outright crook (he also once told me to put down Mack and cut my loses)

So I have to try and make them comfy till then. I sprayed them both with bitter spray on the bare spots so hopefully that gives them a break on the chewing.

[Krystal_00]

OMG!

I just had a brain storm!!!

My cousins dog (yellow lab,bout 2 yrs old) has ALL the same symptoms!! The itching, and for sure ther chewing (poor thing is covered in holes. I had Decker to play there about 2-3 weeks ago!! I bet he brought whatever the Lab has home with him!! Eureka!! I never thought anything of it, cause my cousin said that her vet said it was allergies (her vet is the crook one...grrrr) Now I feel bad for bringing Decker over there to play

[Krystal_00]

Yeah, I thought of that too....we live in a small town and the services are very limited....unf ortunately the highways here rarely get plowed and its pretty much cut off from the rest of the world till may....Otherwi se I would have them at a different vet in a heartbeat.


Also...we just bought a new pickup (we had a SUV before) and Mack and Decker are right mad about not being able to ride in the cab...lol so we are saving up to buy a canopy for it....silly pups.

[Krystal_00]

Well we (Just Decker and I) went to the vet yesterday (the vet told me to only bring one of them in....if ones got it the other one does too)


They did a skin scrape on his big big hotspot(right above one of his back paws) and didn't see anything, but all the sympotoms point to sarcoptic mange, so they treated decker with revolution and gave him some anti-biotics for his big spot. They also gave me some revolution to give to Mack. So we will see how this goes, god i hope it fixes them!!!


I am washing all their bedding, and mine today....i am SO glad hubby decided to be a sweetheart and buy me a new washer/dryer set last weekend....the one we got ads a charge to the water that is supposed to kill any mites/bugs/creepy crawlies.....s o thats good, cause i just bought 3 new beds for the boys and we can't afford to throw them out!!