Freckles going to Vet this afternoon

Dukesdad

He's been scratchig for about ten days now and it's driving everyone crazy. Can't find a flea or tick anywhere so it must be air borne allergies. Vet will hopefully give him something so we can all sleep tonight.
Poor boy is just miserable right now.

charmedagain · Moderator Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 2223 Location: uk

HUGS for freckles, Poor guy i am not suprised he is miserable i think if i had a constant itch i would be aswell.

Let us know what the outcome from the vet visit is.

Mike

honeybears · Super Senior Member Plus Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 3625

sounds like it could be seasonal hayfever.

good luck!

MyPetTherapyDog · Senior Member Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 665

Sending happy thoughts and well wishes to Freckles and your family!
Hope everthing works out well!
Sue

coppersmom · Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:22 am Post subject:

Good luck! Brie has been scratching for a while now...I'm interested in knowing what your vet does. Please let us know. I've tried alot of things too.

hermann muenster · Member Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Posts: 304

My golden was sensative to a lot of allergens. I used the prescriptions from the vet for a while ---- I didn't like the steriods or different chemicals that I was putting in him so I started looking for alternative methods.

Two things that really helped itchy ears and skin was green tea! I would make a very strong cup of tea, cool it, dampen a cotton ball with the brew and swab out his ears. I would also wet a cloth with it and rub his itchy areas with it. I would use the cool tea bag directly on hot spots.
And I bought an aloe vera plant. I used the slimey goo on hot spots.

Both methods gave me excellent results - and I would not ever consider prescription drugs (unless absolutely necessary) again!

I hope Freckles is feeling better soon!

Dukesdad · Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:08 pm Post subject:

Vet gave Freckles a very through exam. Ears and eyes were clear so he started to hunt through that thick mass of fur and found two specks that he looked at under the microscope to confirm that it was flea "dirt". I had looked and looked but finding a needle in a haystack would be much easier that finding a flea on Freckles. Laughing

Freckles might have picked up that flea when we all went to Baton Rouge last weekend to visit. My brother has a small dog and a huge back yard and all three dogs had a great time. Also could have been at the dog park or even my own back yard as we have squirrels and dogs on both sides. Since I treat the house with FleaBuster powder I never see a flea inside.

Freckles got a cortesone shot to relieve the itching and a chewy tablet to kill any fleas that may still be lurking. This tablet is good for a one time kill. The Vet recommended that I might want to give him one every Sunday after we get back from the dog park. He also said I could give Freckles a 25 mg Benedril pill up to twice a day to relieve any future itching. Freckles weighs 57 pounds and I knew Benedril was OK but I was unsure of a proper dosage.
He slept well last night and seemed much improved this morning.
Of course I checked Duke out and could find no evidence of fleas. Spotting fleas or flea dirt on Duke is easy.
Thanks for all of you messages and concern.

Jamiya · Moderator Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 5593

Was the chewy tablet called Capstar?

Dukesdad · Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 3:21 pm Post subject:

Jamiya,
I didn't notice but I will check when I go home this evening. It was very soft as the Vet Tech actually tore off a small piece to give to Duke who was standing by in the exam room to give support. Freckles is a lot less affraid of things when Duke is with him.

honeybears · Super Senior Member Plus Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 3625

Dukesdad, my moms shitzu is on Benedryl by the vets recommendation, it has helped her.

regarding finding fleas. Do you have a flea comb? They are great for finding not only fleas but the flea dirt.

I have never heard of that one time kill pill. i may look into that. I have never had a flea problem, but since we take our dogs places I thought I would keep them on it. its the sentinal heartworm/flea, because I had a bad experience with fleas once a long time ago. I had a indoor cat and moved into an apt and could not get rid of the fleas that were there.

hermann muenster · Member Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Posts: 304

I have not heard of that flea pill either. I would like more info though.

Once (thank goodness) I had a flea problem.. I went nuts cleaning the house, and combing the entire golden retriever with the flea comb! I went to the vet and they (that is when I first used the product) gave me Frontiline. It killed the live fleas, eggs, and larvae that were on the dog. And would eventually get anything that may have been hiding in the house (although, after I was finished with my cleaning -- I don't think any type of bug wanted to be around!)

I have always brushed my dogs every, single, blessed day!!! I vaccum 5-7days a week (depending oh whether or not it is shedding season, and I swiffer several times a day. I should buy stock in the swiffer corporation! Please don't misunderstand me that I have an immaculate house -- this is what is necessary to keep the furballs off the floor and our clothes. And this is what it takes (I do a quick brush through) to keep my best buddies "lookin' good".
Since I stay ontop of the fur-thing, I use the Frontline only every 8 weeks during flea season - that translates to two or three doses per year.

I like the frontline because the fleas don't have to bite the dog first - but I don't really like the fact of having them walk around with pesticides on their skin. Maybe it is better than having them ingest the pesticides?

Dukesdad · Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:30 pm Post subject:

Jamiya,
The chewy tablet I have is Capstar. Do you know anything about it?
Here is a site about Capstar:
http://www.ah.novartis.com/products/en/cab/capstar.shtml