Member Since
01/28/2013 |
 | | Barked: Wed Jan 30, '13 1:54pm PST |  | |  | | Here is why I think it would be beneficial for him to have a full work up at the same vet. When we first got him, he had the biopsy, and urinalysis at vet A. After he healed from everything, is when we started noticing the itching. This is when he did blood testing (I do not believe this was a complete panel) with vet A (this is all in the beginning of '10) from that they said thyroid problems. insert soloxine. the problems did not, get better. This is when they rechecked his thyroid, adjusted meds as his thyroid was super high. rechecked later (there was also a panel done about this point) still high, he was taken off soloxine, thyroid levels were normal (liver enzymes elevated). Itching was still there. Vet A had another vet in his practice who I also saw that said that his issues did not seem indicitive of food allergy. Also had skin scraping, they checked for mites (none). He was on steroids for most of 2010.
We moved to central california, he was checked out by the military veterinarian (VET B) who without testing told us, skin infection (another scraping for mites as well) he was put on antiobiotics, when the antibotics didnt work she decided to call a vet (I am assuming it was the vet out in town, he is known to be familiar with shar pei's. I'll get to him later) Who apparently instructed her to put him on steroids AGAIN as well as an allergy med (i BELIEVE it was something like tamerol-p)As soon as the steroid round wore off, he went straight back to chewing. the allergy meds were not working, even after being kept on for a while. She then told us she could not help any further and we needed to see a dermatologist. Not something we can afford in our area, the consult is $160 alone they told me. (this was fallish of '11)
While not taking him the the vet, he had the fever/shaking bout again (first was with Vet A-no treatment or testing as he acted fine in office, he was only slightly warm by the time I got him in) I took him to the Shar Pei vet. Well, he was SO caught up with Jack's skin that he did not even address the shaking/not wanting to walk OR his enormous hocks (they are not always huge) he was SO preoccupied with his skin. Anyway, ordered a blood panel. Again, I was told only issue that showed was elevated liver enzymes. He gave me simplicef (I believe thats what it was called, it was a spray for "hot spots") and an antibiotic.
Fast forward to vet C after having an extremely negative experience with the Shar Pei vet (which I cant rightly blame him entirely, there is a huge language barrier and it very well could be that he just did not understand my concerns, his assistants did relay what I was saying but perhaps it was not well enough) I went to a very well recommended vet that is an hour away. She did a scraping (for mites) and an exam, said infection, and allergies. Insert Atopica, Steroid injection and Keflex. as soon as the injection wore off he was back to scratching, he was on Atopica from APR until JULY with no improvement. She then looked at the Labs from my previous vets to see what else it could be, she also looked at his biopsy from '10 (btw this was all in '12) Said she couldnt see anything that would explain his symptoms. She then started mentioning the area here and how many dogs do this and cant cope and need to be put to sleep, this is assuming he has allergies. I know I am missing more, but to me since my current vet has never run any tests on him, herself I think it would be beneficial for her to have all current labs in front of her to try and piece something together. This vet hospital will also scrap for allergies (I think they test for 40 different kinds) she didnt want to do it before because she says whatever their scraping would come up with the Atopica should have taken care of, and it didnt. There are two or three other vets in that office that have also consulted trying to help.
As far as diet, as of right now they are on Canidae. He is on Omega-3's right now also.
He is bathed every 7-10 days. If he goes TOO long without a bath the itching gets even worse. We use a non-soap based dog cleanser as every other soap we tried caused irritation. He also itches intensly the day after a bath but it subsides to normal after that. We've also tried an antibactieral/anti fungal soap. Didnt help.
We have a collar that prevents him from chewing, and he goes insane with it on. We only use it when he will not stop itching and is causing massive bleeds. Otherwise we tell him to quit, and he stops. or he goes to his kennel and tries to do it in secret.
As far as we can tell it is not environmental, we've moved areas, and it didnt change (worsened when we first moved to this area, but it relieved after we settled) We went out and bought a hypoallergenic carpet shampoo, an air sanitizer and switched all his blankets to natural fibers. They are all also watched in hypoallergenic detergents (I have human children with skin sisues too, go figure) Oh, he is not outside for extended periods of time. Other than walks, his time out back in the grass is limited to as long as it takes him to use the bathroom.
The only chewing that is done is on his back and hind ish area as well as on his hocks. He rarely chews anywhere else. He has been known to chew his feet on occassion but we figured out that has to do with him being a turd. He only does it when we make him walk in dirty stuff (damp dirt, sand, etc)
Yes, I know they have many problems. The vet I go to is an animal hospital, there are a few different vets in the facility ( I have seen two regularly, and prefer one over the other) The other hospital I mentioned above, I do not like at all and they were the least helpful with him, they also turned away my boxer when he was dying (got into something, it blocked his intestines). As far as other experts, as in specialists we simply cannot afford that. Like I said, our hands are tied with the vets that are available in our area.
I have not spoke with Dr. Vidt but I have conversed back and forth with Dr. Tintle, briefly in September. I waited for her to get back to me as she said she would let me know what I needed to ask my vet to do (she said she would work with my current vet to get him treatment) and never heard back from her, I tried a few times after to contact her and didnt receive a response. I understand she is extremely busy so I cant rightly blame her for not being able to get back after a few emails.
I honeslty would not consider the raw diet, I researched it briefly before and have researched it more over the last few days and that just does not seem like a good option without me thoroughly talking it out with my vet. and that is IF we could afford it, as it were I think it would up our feed bill quite a bit (I only did calculations based on the meat cost for both our dogs, I didnt factor in the vegeatbles). Which is also, something we cannot afford with me not being able to work now.
Thank you for all of the advice, it would really be nice to not have to see him be put to sleep or rehomed. He's such a sweetie, i'd just like for him to be healthy. Whether that be with us, if we can find a solution that isnt too costly. Or with someone who has enough resources to get him to the specialists he needs. |  |  | |  |
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That's how it seems. Ones who have been in the breed forever, in amongst their mentors or other peers, can just read rhythms (as in progressions, life histories, etc.), symptoms, even have a special looking glass into what the outcomes will be. Just because you directly or vicariously experience every turn the breed has to offer. I have a few like that in my life. Here on Dogster, we have Toto 
