Immune Systems down yeast infection invading my entire body

It has been a while since I have been on dogsters. I have not been feeling up to par. I started out with red blotches which the vet contributed to allergies. One month later red blotches back and now my chest area, ears, tummy and legs have scaly bald spots all over. The vet is saying my immune systems is so low it is not fighting off the yeast infection. I have bald spots all over my body and am on a regimen of anti itch pills, antibiotics, steroids, omega 3 with fish oil, medicated baths twice a week and ear drops. My mom is so upset that she is fighting the tears from dropping on her laptop while she types this message. She wants to let me know that I am not her whole life because she does have to go to work, and she has beautiful children and grandchildren that she tries to in a sense take care of if only for support and encouragement, but she does tell me I make her life whole. The medicine makes me thirsty and since I have to wear the plastic cone around my neck so I dont lick or bite at myself, when ever I go to my water bowl and whine, she takes the cone off. She is worried that when she is at work even though she has put my water bowl on the floor she is worried that I wont try to drink it. She tells me that she doesnt want my quantity of life not to be quality of life. I worry about my mom thinking about me at work all day and struggling and maybe a little snapping at her fellow employees because she is wondering if I am alright. Please mom I know you love me and you know I love you. I will be alright given time I think. The vet told my mom it would not be an overnight cure for this, so jokingly mommy turns to me and says "well I guess I am going to have to keep working to pay for all these coming vet bills" she laughed and gave me a hug, and I hugged her back.

Amber

Allergies

All week long I have been wearing a plastic cone around my neck. Mom says I wake her up licking all night long. She has been giving me Benedryl like the vet recommended, but it doesn't seem to be working. So yesterday I woke up with my eyelids swollen shut. Mom rushed me to the vets. I received a cortisone shot, have to take antibiotics twice a day and eye cream twice a day. Today is Sunday and I am itch free so far. No more cone for me. The red cone thing was really hard to walk with, you can ask my mom, she has several bruises on her legs where I ran into her. I am so thankful I do not have to lick anymore. Not sure what caused the allergies. My moms friend Cindy did bring me by these cranberry apple treats her dog Ellie didn't like. I loved them, but they could have been something in those that caused my excessive itching and licking. All though the vet said that the dogs that usually get allergies have had a terrible time this year, and that dogs that do not normally have any allergies are coming in with problems. Mom went around the yard yesterday cutting down bushes and weeds to clear the yard in case it was something there. WOW my mom is such a awesome mom.

Any views???

Mom took me to the vets for my yearly check up. They had suggested I have (3) growths removed from my eyelids and (1) lipoma removed from the inside of my thigh. All for the mere cost of $575.00..... Mom does not know if she should or shouldnt have this done. Can anyone give my mom a reason to or not to do it.....

Love Amber

Christmas 2009 and New Year 2010

Christmas was a blast with Chris, Shane, Maggi, Renee, Melinda, Storm, Bradley, Brian, Brendan and of course my mom (Sandie). I had a ball with everyone. They didnt get annoyed with me for barking a tad when I smelt the ham. I got bones and purple play toy and lots of hugs from my family members.

New Years Eve, mom and I got into bed to watch the ball drop and woke up at 6:30am New Years Day. What happen?
We had the same crew over for the New Years Day good luck dinner. Black eyed peas w/ rice, collards, potatoes and carrots, pot roast, green bean casserole. For dessert mom made a chocolate cake and served it with Rocky Road Ice Cream. Got just as many hugs as I did at Christmas.


Happy New Year to all my dogster pals


Amber

Doggie play day for me

My brother was going to have to stay home, for a 15 hour haul, because his owner Dave had to go to work for a long extended time due to the snow. Well my mom called Dave and left a message saying he could bring Max over to spend the time with me, because she didnt want him to be left alone that long. Saturday morning around 1:30 am we heard a knock at the door. It was Max and Dave. So mom got all the instructions of when to feed him etc. Little did she know that she would be up at 1:30 am and stay up until Dave came to pick Max up at 3:30 pm. I had a ball, in the snow with Max and mom. Mom took some pictures, that she will post soon. It was a fun filled day. Max would not eat, because I think he thought that Dave had left him for good. When Dave took him home he didnt eat at all that night, so I think it just took time for him to calm down. Now when Max left I got like I usually get, a little down. I will say that Max taught me a trick that just rips my mom's heart out and she gives me anything., that would be wimpering. Max wimpered and mommy dropped to her knees with treats and hugs and kisses. What the heck I tried it and guess what same thing, mommy couldnt stand it and tried to console us with everything, cheese, biscuits, hugs, kisses etc. I miss Max and hope to see him real soon. Thanks mom for letting him come over.


Amber

Christmas cards from my dogster friends.

Getting Christmas cards is pretty cool. We never did this before. Mom gets the mail and brings it in the house when she gets off work. She opens it up, and with a higher pitched voice (one that gets me excited) she says its for you Amber. Look its one of your dogster friends. I look but if the card doesnt smell or taste like say chicken, beef, or liver, I just look. I may not know what the cards are all about, or the pictures of different dogs, but I do know that I am beginnning to like the way my mom carries on about it. It makes my day.

Happy Holidays
Amber

Thanksgiving Day

Mom decided to take me to her son and daughter n law's for Thanksgiving Day" dinner. I was very excited. I will say that everytime the family is at my house for dinner I become very annoying throughout the visit. After all it is my house, and it is everyone talking to my mom. I bark and bark and when they let me outside, I jump up on the storm door and scratch and bark till they let me in again. Going to my mom's son house was a different turn of events. I was (if I don't say so myself) perfect. I layed underneath the table at dinner. I barked only once. Probably if my mom and her daughter-n=law had not started feeding me I probably would have been barkless. Besides my mom (which is prejudice) everyone thought I was so wonderfully behaved. On our trip back home, I decided to get in the back seat. (Which is not like me at all) Concerned my mom turned on the interior light. She was shocked to see me (87 lbs) laying on my back with my feet straight up in the air. I was surely in a turkey coma. So much so that when we got home, mom had to wake me up to get me out of the car. It was truly a fun filled day... I want to take this time to count all my blessings. I am thankful for having such a wonderful and caring mom and for so so good health.


Amber

FALL FESTIVAL

Mom said last saturday I would have company....... I was so excited who could it be?, maybe "Ellie" from down the street, or maybe, "Snowy" or maybe someone I dont even know. Oh man oh man was I suprised it was mommy's three grandson's Bradley, Brian and Brendan................ Brendan saw me and screamed his head off. At the end of our visit together Brendan and I once again bonded for the time being. Mom was very watchful to make sure neither I or the kids did anything wrong..... Bradley and Brian chased me around, threw my bone for me to fetch, they were spitfires, which is not what I am use to but I must say it was fun and it actually wore me out. Mom started Brendan out with saying look at Amber's tail, look at it wag, Isnt that funny, than she proceeded to let Brendan touch my tail, and at the end Brendan gave me a big big hug. Bradley and Brian know me and I play nice with them, so that didnt worry mom too much, other than the boys picking up my bone and running with it. Mom explained that they had to let me win and give me my bone with this game. Sunday mom brought me home bone treats, vitamins and chewables for my hips, all yummy tasting....... She was all lovey dovey with me on Sunday saying I was such a good girl with the kids....... If thats all it takes to get these yummy treats lets do this every weekend............... Mom says three kids 6,4, and almost 2 wear her out too much to do it every weekend, but the gesture was awesome........................

PLAYING FETCH WITH MOM "WHAT DID I DO WRONG?"

Sunday evening I was outside with my Mom and we began playing fetch with the flatten soccer ball I love so much. Mom was throwing it to me and I was bringing it back. Mom was not throwing fast enough for me so I was barking alot to get her attention. (She was raking up the acorns in my back yard). So Mom threw my flat ball and it went up on the porch roof. I started barking and barking and barking. Mom got the ladder and got up to the roof, took her rake and knock my flatten ball down. I got so excited that I stood up on the ladder when she was comming down and my nails scratched mom all the way down her leg. She was a little upset, all she kept saying was "owwwwh Amber that hurt". So needless to say "game over" we went inside. Three hours later I can still hear mom saying " owwwwah Amber that hurt".

We will have another day of playing fetch I have no doubt and its my opinion that maybe mom shouldnt have thrown my ball up on roof in the first place.

Hypothyroidism in Dogs

Mom got the results of my blood work on friday. I have a underactive thyroid. My doctor says with medication I should be alright. She also suggested that I take a vitamin (much like Silver Centrum) because I am almist 7.5 years old. I figure I am probably the same age as my mom maybe a little older, how funny is that? I was acting a little weird on thursday when mom came home from work. I think I fear that when she wants me to go into the kitchen that she is leaving me for a while. Of course that isnt always the case, sometimes mom just wants me to go into the kitchen on my way through to going out the back door. At home it doesnt really seem like I am attached to my mom at the hip, but get out in public and I am attached by the hip the knee the ankle. everywhere. I dont usually go into any establishment unless mom leads me in. Mom sometimes forgets how attached I am to her and it seems really heartwarming to her when I do this.

Amber