My poor doggie

K

Kjs

Guest
Chloe, my 6 year old lab has had such a rough summer. Many trips to the vet with allergic reactions. Most of the summer she has been on antibiotic, prendisone, benadryl and her thyroid medication. Seems as if as soon as those run out something happens.

We have been doing ok just with benadryl (2 twice a day) for the past 3 or 4 weeks. (and her thyroid medication ofcourse)

Today I noticed some bald spots on her. She has such thick, long hair (think she may be mixed with husky or something even though the owners said all Lab)

She has 5 or 6 bald area's. Many other area's (including the balding area) that is all read like a rash. Has 3 open sores. Not infected yet though. She is not itching but don't know how it can't itch.

Called the Vet AGAIN. He gave her a prescription for antibiotic again. As well as amino 3 fatty vitamin. Said that would help fight off allergy. Increased the benadryl to 2 three times a day, and increased her thyroid medication to 1.5 pills twice a day.

This is a dog who hates taking pills. Spits them out. Will heat what ever you hid it in and spit out the pill. The antibiotic is in two pills because they don't make the correct dosage. So she takes 6.5 pills twice a day and 2 at noon.
Picked up the new medications. and the vitamin is HUGE. I am sure it is over an inch long and about .5 inches wide. It is a gel.

She is such a sweet dog, don't understand where these allergies have come from this year. Never had them before.

I told the vet we walk her in the woods and by the ponds and lake. Asked if I should be keeping her in the yard or in the house. He said no. Do not need to restrict where she goes, as he is quite certain it is an inhalent allergy which she would inhale even in the house. The time she was throwing up and all swelled up(had to stay in the hospital then) he thinks she was stung by a bee or bit by something.

Any suggestions on how to hide all these pills?? She is picky with her food, will leave her morning food until late in the evening. But LOVES people food.

Then....there is Kenzie, my pup. She is still on the wild side. Jumps a lot. She can spring about 3 feet straight up in the air from a stand still. Anyway, she is 6 months old and currently in heat. I bought the "fancy pants". Surprisingly she keeps them on and it doesn't seem to bother her. she lays down like I am diapering a baby. Just a PITA to take off and put on everytime she wants to go outside and come in. They say no need for a pad, just wash the pants???? well that would be gross, would have to wash several times a day. So..I took some of my old panty liners and am using those. Seem to do the trick. Now to get the boys to change the pad!!
difficult child let her out WITH her pants on. LOL. Had to remind him she cannot pee with the pants on.

Ok. Done whining about my dogs.
 

nvts

Active Member
I can't believe that you now have a difficult child DOG!! :grin:

I feel so bad for the poor thing. We have 2 dogs and 2 fish and it broke my heart to have them spayed let alone going through this!

Try taking canned dog food and scooping out handfuls and putting the pill in it and feeding it to her by hand. Also, you can check with the vet and see if you can open the pills or crush them and mix them with something (some sort of canned dog food or people food (we used vanilla pudding for their vitamins after the spaying).

I'm praying for her allergies (our black lab has hayfever and ear-mites right now - she's a real joy to be around!).

Good luck!
Beth
 
F

flutterbee

Guest
I coat the pills with butter and stick them far back in the dog's throat. Then hold the snout shut, blow in the face and gently rub the neck. Makes them swallow, otherwise, they'll just spit them out. And I always give her a treat after.

Our dog would spit them out, too, if we put them in food.
 

envisablepuppet

New Member
Your poor pup. We have four and have always had hunting dogs. Mainly Golden Retrievers. We had a couple in the past that had major skin problems. One had a major flea allergy. Removing all the bark dust around our house helped a lot. We didn't know fleas nest in it until we removed it.

I used to put any pills I had to give in a small piece of bread with either a small amount of peanut butter or butter on it. Depending on what they liked best. With as many pills as your having to give you'd need several pieces of food. If the pills aren't time released try melting them in a little warm water and using a pet medication dispenser or giving her her fav people food and try concealing it that way.

The dispenser is kind of like a syringe but has no needle of course. You can try crushing the pills and putting them in some kind of moist food your dog likes. That's works pretty well to. The jell pill can be opened and squeezed on the food.

That many pills would be difficult for any dog to have to deal with. Why hasn't your vet given her an allergy shot? It would probably cut down on a lot of those pills and only has to be given about once every six months.

You might also try putting Bag Balm on the sores. It works great for our dogs when stuff like that happens. It heals them up really fast.

Personally I think all the problems our pets have these days is because of stuff their putting in the food. I feel the same about some of the problems our kids seem to be plagued with :frown:

I hope your pup(their all pups to me) starts feeling better soon.

Good luck

Lea
 
K

Kjs

Guest
I'll have to try the butter thing. Chloe has a real attitude. She will go with the peanut butter for a while, then turn her nose at it. The last couple days I have been making myself oatmeal, then when I am almost done I mix in her pills and she has been cleaning out the bowl. Today she decided she didn't want to so I had to dig the pills out.
The one vitamin is so huge, and a gel capsule I can't hide it. So I tried just throwing it way back in her throat and holding her mouth shut...seemed like forever. Then she spit it out and it was half melted. Don't know how that tasted but she wouldn't eat anything after that.

I think I will call regarding allergy shot. Don't know if they would do it since they never tested her for any allergies. Vet is hoping it will go away once it freezes. That is a long time off. (and I hate the cold)

My pup is 6 months old half springer spaniel, half lab. She is so tiny. Very strong, pulls so hard on a walk I am all over the place. She chokes herself. Doesn't get it. Anyway she has a waist like a greyhound. Real thin back there. Her ribs show too. She weighed in at 30 pounds about a month ago, But I measured her waist to get her "fancy pants" and it is only 16". I had to get pants for a small dog.

lol - yesterday I walked them to the near by pond. I let the pup go because she loves to swim. She found a mother duck with two babies and went for them. She got within two feet and I thought she was going to get them...then the mother duck jumped on her head and was flapping her wings and squaking. It was so funny. Pup just kept swimming.

Well, off for my morning walk now.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Our dog Molly hates pills. And you couldn't trick her either. No matter what you hid it in.

So I did what Heather does. I had the vet show me how they give them. I place the pill at the back of her tongue, hold her snout closed and gently stroke her throat til I see her swallow. This is followed by a strip of cheese after every pill.

With that many pills for her to take, I'd give them to her 2 at a time. Gets the ordeal over with quicker.

Using the cheese as a reward, Molly now takes pills with no fuss whatsoever. lol

Hugs
 
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