Had our first visit with Dermatologist today

[JennyBean]

After trying to battle allergies with food changes,shampoos and holistic/natural remedies. We had to break down and try steroids to keep him comfortable this year. Unfortunately, every time we wean off the steroids the uncontrollable itching comes back with a vengeance.

My veterinarian advised at the last visit that we really needed to see a dermatologist to try and get him comfortable. We decided that was the best things to do for him to have a good quality of life.

Today we saw the dermatologist and she was great. We had a long consultation and they seemed very thorough with our medical history of Farley and what his symptoms have been and what we have tried. Farley liked the veterinarian, she even sat on the floor with him the whole visit.*lol*
She did tell me that I have been taking great care of him. Which I should hope it would show, I work hard to keep him comfortable bathing him 3 times a week and cleaning wrinkles and his tail pocket. In the end we decided to do the blood testing for allergies. She said due to him being 5 years old he would have better results with the testing. She also doesn't like to do the skin testing as much and finds she gets the same results with the blood test. (Fine by me!! I don't want to put Farley under anesthesia) We are also going to try doing the allergy drops for him. Being that we live in the Houston area. Allergies are a nightmare here and this year has been a bad one.

I also mentioned to her that when he is on steroids he is grumpy and will attack my other dogs for no reason. She said that is a side effect that isn't common but can happen. She wanted to make him comfortable while he is starting allergy drops. So she hooked us up with some Apoquel~ I'm so happy she was able to get some for us to try. She has had great results with it and said we wont have to use it as much, once the allergy drops start to work. 6-12 months.

So tonight Farley had his first dose of Apoquel! I'm hoping that it will help him out while we wait for the blood test and allergy drops. I'll try and keep you all updated. Farley is exhausted from the whole vet visit, and I am excited and hope this will be a great outcome.

 

[1Chumly]

Just out of curiosity, who was the Dermatologist you saw? We use Southwest Veterinary Dermatology. Monty has had allergy problems this year too, lots of chewing and scratching which is unusual but hopefully we have got it under control now. I hope Farley gets some relief! It really has been an awful year for pollen.

 

[2BullyMama]

What a great visit that sounds like.... I so hope it all works out and he is on the road to feel much better without the nasty steroids

 

[TyTysmom]

Just out of curiosity, who was the Dermatologist you saw? We use Southwest Veterinary Dermatology. Monty has had allergy problems this year too, lots of chewing and scratching which is unusual but hopefully we have got it under control now. I hope Farley gets some relief! It really has been an awful year for pollen.

Hey, just side note: Since we've been at Brittmore twice this past week (grrr) - I noticed they have Apoquel in! Give em' a call if you were waiting for it? I don't know if you were or not.

 

[TyTysmom]

After trying to battle allergies with food changes,shampoos and holistic/natural remedies. We had to break down and try steroids to keep him comfortable this year. Unfortunately, every time we wean off the steroids the uncontrollable itching comes back with a vengeance.

My veterinarian advised at the last visit that we really needed to see a dermatologist to try and get him comfortable. We decided that was the best things to do for him to have a good quality of life.

Today we saw the dermatologist and she was great. We had a long consultation and they seemed very thorough with our medical history of Farley and what his symptoms have been and what we have tried. Farley liked the veterinarian, she even sat on the floor with him the whole visit.*lol*
She did tell me that I have been taking great care of him. Which I should hope it would show, I work hard to keep him comfortable bathing him 3 times a week and cleaning wrinkles and his tail pocket. In the end we decided to do the blood testing for allergies. She said due to him being 5 years old he would have better results with the testing. She also doesn't like to do the skin testing as much and finds she gets the same results with the blood test. (Fine by me!! I don't want to put Farley under anesthesia) We are also going to try doing the allergy drops for him. Being that we live in the Houston area. Allergies are a nightmare here and this year has been a bad one.

I also mentioned to her that when he is on steroids he is grumpy and will attack my other dogs for no reason. She said that is a side effect that isn't common but can happen. She wanted to make him comfortable while he is starting allergy drops. So she hooked us up with some Apoquel~ I'm so happy she was able to get some for us to try. She has had great results with it and said we wont have to use it as much, once the allergy drops start to work. 6-12 months.

So tonight Farley had his first dose of Apoquel! I'm hoping that it will help him out while we wait for the blood test and allergy drops. I'll try and keep you all updated. Farley is exhausted from the whole vet visit, and I am excited and hope this will be a great outcome.

This is WONDERFUL news!! I really hope the Apoquel is solution - please keep us posted esp since I was considering it too.

 

[1Chumly]

Hey, just side note: Since we've been at Brittmore twice this past week (grrr) - I noticed they have Apoquel in! Give em' a call if you were waiting for it? I don't know if you were or not.

Thanks for that info. We talked about it but decided that is plan B. He is doing much better so will see how it goes.

 

[TyTysmom]

Thanks for that info. We talked about it but decided that is plan B. He is doing much better so will see how it goes.

What are you feeding Mr.Chumly?


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[JennyBean]

[MENTION=13737]1Chumly[/MENTION] and [MENTION=13133]TyTysmom[/MENTION]

I hope I am tagging you both correctly. *lol* ( I forgot how to do it)

Farley is looking and feeling better already! Its only been 24 hrs on the Apoquel. No chewing of the feet today and the redness and swelling is going down in his toes. He even seems happier today.

We are going to North Houston Veterinary Specialist in Spring location. Valerie Fadok, DVM, DACVD is the dermatologist. She told me that this Apoquel has been working almost like a miracle drug in her bulldog patients. Once the manufacturer gets more Apoquel produced and shipped to general vets. Then I can get refills from my regular vet closer to home.

Another good news is that my pet insurance Healthy Paws already processed my claim. And I finally met the deductible! They are reimbursing the blood testing and the prescription meds! I guess the insurance is worth it after all. We are doing the 90% reimbursement plan, and had to meet a $500 deductible for the year.

So far so good with the Apoquel. I'm impressed and thinking it could really help our bullies during those high pollen/ mold seasons.

 

[1Chumly]

We took Chumly to NHVS in Spring when it was thought he had Hemangiosarcoma and had to have his spleen removed immediately. Terrified was not the word! Against all the odds, he did not have cancer but the spleen had to be removed because of the large mass and he could have bled out at anytime. I honestly did not think he would make it as he was 11 and after being on all kinds of drugs for severe allergies for years, he was not in the best of health. We also found out later he had congestive heart failure. But, after a tough couple of days, he pulled through and did well. They were great at NHVS. I had heard from a friend (after) that she didn't have a high opinion of them but I have nothing but good things to say about them and wouldn't hesitate to take a pet of mine back to them. Of course, it cost an arm and a leg but I would have gladly thrown in the other two as well for my boy!

I am glad you have health insurance! I did have it on Barney but cancelled it after deciding it wasn't worth it for him and now my boys have their own savings account for emergencies such as the above.

If Monty's allergies flare up again I will certainly talk to the Dermatologist again about the Apoquel. She is on 249 by the way and if you should ever have a problem with yours, I recommend her. She made a huge difference in Chumly's life.

 

[1Chumly]

What are you feeding Mr.Chumly?


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He is on Avoderm Revolving Menu. I started him on the Duck and Pea, then rotated to the Trout, now he is back on the Duck. He had no itching or chewing while on the duck the first time so perhaps it was the trout that started him off. We just started the new bag of duck about a week ago. His tear stains are much better. I will see how it goes and if the itching returns and the pollen etc. is low will start the dreaded hunt (again) for a good food for him. What are you feeding TyTy now that Stella & Chewy's is out the window?

 

[TyTysmom]

He is on Avoderm Revolving Menu. I started him on the Duck and Pea, then rotated to the Trout, now he is back on the Duck. He had no itching or chewing while on the duck the first time so perhaps it was the trout that started him off. We just started the new bag of duck about a week ago. His tear stains are much better. I will see how it goes and if the itching returns and the pollen etc. is low will start the dreaded hunt (again) for a good food for him. What are you feeding TyTy now that Stella & Chewy's is out the window?

Well, I'm going out today to pickup something & start to slowing introduce it. He's been on bland for his belly to settle. I was contemplating still raw but through Natures Variety. But my husband wants him back on Fromms... So we shall see. Ugh back to the food big food debate!


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[JennyBean]

We took Chumly to NHVS in Spring when it was thought he had Hemangiosarcoma and had to have his spleen removed immediately. Terrified was not the word! Against all the odds, he did not have cancer but the spleen had to be removed because of the large mass and he could have bled out at anytime. I honestly did not think he would make it as he was 11 and after being on all kinds of drugs for severe allergies for years, he was not in the best of health. We also found out later he had congestive heart failure. But, after a tough couple of days, he pulled through and did well. They were great at NHVS. I had heard from a friend (after) that she didn't have a high opinion of them but I have nothing but good things to say about them and wouldn't hesitate to take a pet of mine back to them. Of course, it cost an arm and a leg but I would have gladly thrown in the other two as well for my boy!

I am glad you have health insurance! I did have it on Barney but cancelled it after deciding it wasn't worth it for him and now my boys have their own savings account for emergencies such as the above.

If Monty's allergies flare up again I will certainly talk to the Dermatologist again about the Apoquel. She is on 249 by the way and if you should ever have a problem with yours, I recommend her. She made a huge difference in Chumly's life.

Oh my goodness!! How scary that must have been for you and your Chumly! I didn't have a problem with my first visit at NHVS, I hope I never have to go for a real emergency. I'm glad they took care of your baby and that you have a great dermatologist. What is your vets name? Never hurts to have another one in my pocket.*lol*

 

[1Chumly]

I take Monty to Dr. Dikeman at Brittmore Animal hospital near the Beltway and I-10 for all things bulldog. All of the vets there are good and see lots of bulldogs. The Dermatologist is Southwest Veterinary Dermatology (249, just north of Willowbrook Mall) and her name is Dr. Osborn. She was fantastic with Chumly so I took Monty at the first sign of trouble! Veterinary Dermatology Specialists | Southwest Veterinary Dermatology, Houston, Texas
I hope Farley is still doing well.

 

[JennyBean]

I take Monty to Dr. Dikeman at Brittmore Animal hospital near the Beltway and I-10 for all things bulldog. All of the vets there are good and see lots of bulldogs. The Dermatologist is Southwest Veterinary Dermatology (249, just north of Willowbrook Mall) and her name is Dr. Osborn. She was fantastic with Chumly so I took Monty at the first sign of trouble! Veterinary Dermatology Specialists | Southwest Veterinary Dermatology, Houston, Texas
I hope Farley is still doing well.

Thank you so very much! Never know when you need Vet info on hand!!
Farley is doing very well still. Thursday he starts going down to 1 pill of Apoquel per day. I'm hoping his itchies stay away, still waiting on allergy test results. Probably will know something in another week or more. Then I will get his drops to start.