MAYA'S SUCCESS STORY-August 23, 2018
Meet Maya!
Maya is a six-year-old, American Staffordshire Terrier Mix with a rambunctious, yet lazy side! It may not look like it from this picture, but from day one she has always been our “project dog.” We knew from the beginning that this girl would need some extra TLC and folks, were we ever right!
She came to us in October of 2017 with a skin infection, hair loss, pruritis(itching), and ear infections. On top of that, she had a large hematoma on her left ear. What’s a hematoma, you ask? Dr. Ernie Ward, DVM says, “ear(aural)hematomas occur when a blood vessel in the ear bursts and bleeds into the space between the ear cartilage and skin.” He also states that dogs with severe ear infections can cause damage due to shaking their head excessively. It was likely that Maya’s ear infections caused her so much discomfort that she hit her ear multiple times causing it to become damaged and fill with blood. We knew that getting this under control was one of our first goals to help Miss Maya. Her surgery went great and she will always have a quirky ear, but that’s what makes her special. Pictured below on the you can see an example of what an aural hematoma looks like on a Labrador. The right next two pictures were taken after Maya’s hematoma surgery and then after she healed, it was bath time! She looks sad now, but the end result is a complete transformation. We promise! Also, pay close attention to her other issues (Darker skin pigment, hair loss on her eyes, chest, and stomach, and also her swollen feet). These issues would prove to us that all great things come to those who wait. Patience was the key to Maya’s success.
During her stay at the clinic, she was treated for her skin infection. Maya was then prescribed a flea and tick preventative to make sure external parasites were not causing her pruritis. Pictured below are the problems we were still battling after a months’ worth of treatment (Swollen and sore feet, scratching, hair loss, and ear infections).
Soon it’s Christmas time. Maya is showing signs of improvement after her diet changes and multiple management treatments, but she is still not at the level of comfort we wanted for her. Allergy testing was now our best option to help narrow down the possibility of environmental or food allergies for her.
In January, allergy testing was performed to see if we could get her looking and feeling “perfect” once again! We did the blood test and received the results in about a week’s time. It was obvious that our Maya was allergic to most outdoor pollens, house dust, corn, soybeans, peas, sweet potatoes, and a multitude of other foods. These results helped determine a proper diet that suited her allergy needs as well. After another two months of the appropriate diet, her hair started growing back and her ear infections ceased! You can tell she loves her new food and the new hair! Look at that happy face!
Once the diet was addressed, only her environmental allergies were left to tackle. We treated her with a prescription medication that alters her immune system, which helped with Maya’s incessant scratching and rubbing. However, like with humans, allergy season will forever be her kryptonite. This medicine worked well in the beginning, but eventually slowed in its effectiveness after about 7 months. Maya’s rubbing was still at a tolerable rate, but we were looking for little to no scratching while on this medicine. So back to the drawing board we went. We decided to try an injection that lasts about 4-8 weeks and works as antibody therapy. She is currently doing great! While this medicine requires continued therapy, we are confident that Maya will live a comfortable and healthy life. She is back to being her sassy, lazy, and hairy self again! Ten months of hard work looks good on her.
Maya’s case is a prime example of how difficult allergies, ear infections, and scratching are to diagnose and treat. Dr. Pieper, a boarded veterinary dermatologist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital states, “The most important fact is that we will most likely never ‘cure’ allergies with any of our treatments, but we will manage them for the rest of the animal’s life. Our ultimate goal is to significantly decrease their itchiness and frequency of secondary infections.” It isn’t always a simple trip to the vet, getting some medicine and going on your way. It takes weeks, even months of cooperation with your veterinarian to come to a conclusion that will work for both you and your pet. While this sounds agonizing, we are dedicated to making your pet look and feel great! If this sounds like your pet, please give a us call to set up an appointment! We would love to help them live a more comfortable and relaxing life like Maya!
Our Sources:
TYPES OF ALLERGIES-June 27, 2018
We know that so many cats and dogs are dealing with the effects of allergies this time of the year. To shed light on the different types of allergens, we will discuss how they affect your pets, the process we take in treatment, and how difficult it can be to diagnose and treat these issues.
First, let’s clarify exactly what an allergy is. An allergy is a condition in which the immune system reacts abnormally to a foreign substance. There are three main allergens that our patients can be affected by: environmental, food, and flea allergies.
Let’s start with environmental allergies, also referred to by veterinarians as atopy or atopic dermatitis. Dr. Karen Campbell, DVM at University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital states, “…atopic dermatitis is a condition in which the immune system reacts too strongly or inappropriately to common environmental allergens that are absorbed through the skin.” She also states that the first symptoms start to develop between the ages of 6 months and 3 years of age. Breeds that have a higher likelihood of having environmental allergies are terriers, beagles, Irish and English setters, Lhasa Apsos, pugs, English bulldogs, miniature schnauzers, Labradors, and Golden Retrievers.
Dr. Jason Pieper, a boarded veterinary dermatologist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital says the most common environmental allergens that affect our pets are house dust, house dust mites, storage mites, grasses, trees, weeds, fungus, insects, and even wool, cat skin, corn pollen, and tobacco. The worst time of the year for atopy is typically during the Spring and Fall seasons because many allergens are airborne. This makes it extremely hard to avoid and/or treat. If you notice your dog or cat with frequent pruritis (the medical term for scratching), hair loss, redness of the skin, sores, skin that is thick and leathery due to scratching, and skin that is flaky, this could be clear signs of atopy (Dr. Karen Campbell). Also according the Merck Veterinary Manual, “Scratching can lead to secondary signs of wounds, scabbing, infection, hair loss, and scaling.” If these severe symptoms start to appear, contacting your veterinarian is the best option to address these issues. There is nothing worse than seeing your pet go through the effects of allergies.
Let’s address food allergies. While they are less commonly recognized than atopy, they can still be highly frustrating for owners and veterinarians and hard to pinpoint the cause of your pet’s food allergy. According to Cummings Veterinary Medical Center, “Food allergies occur when an animal’s immune system misidentifies a protein from a food as an invader rather than a food item and mounts an immune response. The end result of this response can be itchy skin or ear and skin infections in some pets, while it may cause vomiting or diarrhea in others. Some unlucky pets will have both skin and gastrointestinal symptoms.” Since the symptoms of atopy and food allergies have many similarities, the main way that veterinarians can distinguish between the two are by food elimination trials. Please give your veterinarian a call for an allergy consultation to learn how they can help identify possible causes of allergies.
Our third and largest source of allergies are the dreaded and annoying fleas. Have you ever wondered what about the flea is making your pet scratch? It’s saliva! The main symptom that your pet will experience if they have fleas, would be extreme scratching(pruritis). They can also experience hair loss and scabbing. Typically, your pet will scratch at its hind legs and tail if fleas are present, but like ‘Where’s Waldo,’ the flea can be anywhere. If you are concerned about fleas, contact your veterinarian to establish a treatment plan for you pet.
Now that you have a better understanding of the types of allergies, we will take you through the process of what to expect when going to your veterinarian for generalized scratching. Discussing your pet’s full history, current medications, and diet is very important. Here are some typical questions to expect from your veterinarian:
-How long or how often does your pet scratch?
-Does your pet scratch all year around?
-Where is your pet scratching/ or showing the most irritation?
-What medications is your pet currently taking?
-Is your pet currently on any flea and tick prevention?
-Is the prevention from the store or through your veterinarian?
-How often do you bathe your pet?
-What does your pet’s diet consist of?
-What is the brand of food and ingredients?
-What treats or human food does your pet eat?
Allergies are a highly trial and error-based situation. There are cases in which a simple change in diet or medication can improve a pet, but more than likely it will take months of time and dedication on your part to improve the pet. Stay tuned for a real case that dealt with severe allergies and how it took us 7 months of hard work to help this spunky, 6-year-old dog! Spoiler alert, she’s back to her normal self!
Our Sources:
http://vetmed.illinois.edu/pet_column/dogs-itchiness-may-indicate-atopic-dermatitis/
http://vetmed.illinois.edu/pet_column/itchy-pets-may-have-flea-allergy/
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/skin-disorders-of-dogs/allergies-in-dogs
http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2017/01/food-allergies/
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/17_15/features/Will-Your-Allergic-Dog-Benefit-From-a-Food-Elimination-Trial_21165-1.html
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