I don't think I have had a post totally devoted to Bo since his birthday, so I figured it was about time. Plus the little guy needs some get well wishes once again.
It was a year ago on Friday that I brought Bo home. It is hard to believe that he has been with me for a year already.
This is a picture of Bo on his first night home. It was the day before Halloween so of course he had to wear his UofM uniform. I can't believe how tiny he was. So cute!
These are a few pictures I took of Bo within the last few days. Usually around 9:00 at night he will curl up on the couch and crash until it is time to go to bed for the night. I took the other picture this morning. We had to get up early, and he was not happy that I woke him up. He loves to sleep in. I usually end up waking him up around 8:30 or 9:00. I'm so happy he is no longer in the lets get up at 6:00 a.m. lets play phase.
For those of you wondering, yes Bo still sleeps with me at night. He starts off the night in his crate and then usually around 1:00 he starts to whine and needs to come into bed with me. He curls right up into my side and usually stays there for the majority of the night. If he wants to get under the blankets he will paw at my shoulder until I lift the blankets up for him. Bo really likes to cuddle and snuggle during the night. In the morning when he wakes up he lays on his back and must have his tummy scratched before he gets out of bed.
The biggest issue Bo is facing right now is allergies. We have been to the vet every four to five weeks since May! I'm not even exaggerating when I say that. It has been horrible! (and expensive!) Bo's problems started in May and have gotten progressively worse all summer. First it just started out with little red bumps under his chin that would not go away. After a few days I took him to the vet and she said it was most likely seasonal allergies and that he was probably having a reaction to all the grass and flowers that were starting to bloom. He was given antibiotics and a steroid to keep him from itching his little chin off. That pattern continued all summer. He would get better for a few weeks then a few weeks later the spots would reappear.
By the end of August the vet and I began to wonder if Bo was having an allergic reaction to the rawhide bones he was chewing on. Uhm, did you all know that rawhide bones are made from the skim that comes off of cow bones after they take all the meat off of the bone. GROSS!! Apparently beef is a common allergy for dogs. So I took all of Bo's rawhides away and boy was he sad. He loved chewing on those nasty things. Again, his chin cleared up and I thought maybe things were getting better. I was wrong!
By the middle of September the poor little guy was covered in little red hives all over his tummy and under his chin. He also began itching almost none stop. He would itch and scratch so bad that he would even cry. I tried the Benadryl thing for a while, but it just wasn't helping all that much. So off the vet we went again. This time instead of oral steroids that I would give Bo he was given a shot that was to last four to six week and relieve the itching Bo was having. At that appointment the vet told me that typically dogs don't start experiencing allergies until later in life and that it was pretty unusual for a dog of Bo's age to have allergies, especially allergies as bad as he was having. Just my luck! The vet and I decided that Bo would need allergy testing to find out exactly what he was allergic to. Since the shot he was given was supposed to last four to six weeks we figured around the middle of November he would get the testing done. See, the catch is that Bo can not have any of the shot or other allergy medicine in his system at the time of testing because it will not give clear results.
Well that last shot was exactly four weeks ago yesterday. Any of you want to take a guess as to what Bo broke into over the weekend? If you guessed more hives and itching then you were right. Two days before the shot was even supposed to start wearing off Bo began itching and he itched all weekend long. There is no fur behind his ears, his tummy is all red and broke out, his chin looks like road rash, and he is also losing a little fur around his eyes. He also started chewing on his back legs like they are a piece of corn on the cob. I felt so bad for him Sunday night that I wanted to cry. I felt bad for him and I am starting to get very frustrated because I don't know what to do to help him. The only good thing is he is acting all right, it's not like it is knocking him down or anything but still I know it hurts him when he itches.
Yesterday morning we went back to the vet. He didn't see his usual vet, but another in the office. She said the same thing that he was way way to young to be having allergies this severe so young in life and said that we definitely need to get the allergy testing done. She had to give him another shot to help with all the inflammation so hopefully he can make it six weeks without a break out and then he can have the testing done. The vet also said Bo could be well on his way to prescription dog food. Yeah, you read that right prescription dog food. Dog food to the tune of $70-$90 a bag!!!!! YIKES!!! We left the vet yesterday with another bill around $100, more antibiotics, a pro biotic to help him digest the food, and fish oil to help calm down his itchy skin.
Just by guessing they are thinking that Bo does have environmental allergies, but they are also thinking he has sever food allergies. Most likely allergic to beef, wheat, and corn. Those seem to be the top allergies in dogs. Almost all the dog food on the market is made with corn, that is why she suggested prescription food. I however did some research yesterday on the internet and I found a recipe for home made dog food. It has either rice or oatmeal, two white potatoes, one sweet potato, carrots, and chicken. So starting tomorrow I'm going to start making Bo's food. He didn't have any of these problems when he was on puppy food. I'm thinking it has to be something in all the processed dog foods. I mean I was going to make my own baby food for the baby, so I guess why not do it for Bo right? Please tell me I'm not crazy for doing this. I just don't know what else to do for him, I thought it was worth a shot.
Other than Bo's allergy related drama he is doing really good. His behavior is getting better and better all the time. He goes to Puppy Camp one day a week and absolutely loves it. He loves playing and socializing with all the other dogs. I ask him in the morning if he wants to go to school and he will go and get his leach. His leach that he only wears at school. Yeah, he is that smart! He even knows when I'm having a bad day. On Sunday night when I went to bed, he curled up right next to me and laid his head on my chest and fell asleep that way. My brother is bringing his Boston Terrier home for Thanksgiving, Bo and Porter always have a great time playing together.
Well, by now I'm sure all of you are bored out of your minds reading about Bo's allergies. I still can't believe that he has been here for a year. I love the little guy so much and he really has helped me through the most difficult time of my life. Even the vet said the other day that she can tell that Bo and I have a very special relationship. I would say that we do.
Do any of you have any other tips or suggestions with dogs with severe allergies? I would greatly appreciate any help you may have.
It was a year ago on Friday that I brought Bo home. It is hard to believe that he has been with me for a year already.
This is a picture of Bo on his first night home. It was the day before Halloween so of course he had to wear his UofM uniform. I can't believe how tiny he was. So cute!
These are a few pictures I took of Bo within the last few days. Usually around 9:00 at night he will curl up on the couch and crash until it is time to go to bed for the night. I took the other picture this morning. We had to get up early, and he was not happy that I woke him up. He loves to sleep in. I usually end up waking him up around 8:30 or 9:00. I'm so happy he is no longer in the lets get up at 6:00 a.m. lets play phase.
For those of you wondering, yes Bo still sleeps with me at night. He starts off the night in his crate and then usually around 1:00 he starts to whine and needs to come into bed with me. He curls right up into my side and usually stays there for the majority of the night. If he wants to get under the blankets he will paw at my shoulder until I lift the blankets up for him. Bo really likes to cuddle and snuggle during the night. In the morning when he wakes up he lays on his back and must have his tummy scratched before he gets out of bed.The biggest issue Bo is facing right now is allergies. We have been to the vet every four to five weeks since May! I'm not even exaggerating when I say that. It has been horrible! (and expensive!) Bo's problems started in May and have gotten progressively worse all summer. First it just started out with little red bumps under his chin that would not go away. After a few days I took him to the vet and she said it was most likely seasonal allergies and that he was probably having a reaction to all the grass and flowers that were starting to bloom. He was given antibiotics and a steroid to keep him from itching his little chin off. That pattern continued all summer. He would get better for a few weeks then a few weeks later the spots would reappear.
By the end of August the vet and I began to wonder if Bo was having an allergic reaction to the rawhide bones he was chewing on. Uhm, did you all know that rawhide bones are made from the skim that comes off of cow bones after they take all the meat off of the bone. GROSS!! Apparently beef is a common allergy for dogs. So I took all of Bo's rawhides away and boy was he sad. He loved chewing on those nasty things. Again, his chin cleared up and I thought maybe things were getting better. I was wrong!
By the middle of September the poor little guy was covered in little red hives all over his tummy and under his chin. He also began itching almost none stop. He would itch and scratch so bad that he would even cry. I tried the Benadryl thing for a while, but it just wasn't helping all that much. So off the vet we went again. This time instead of oral steroids that I would give Bo he was given a shot that was to last four to six week and relieve the itching Bo was having. At that appointment the vet told me that typically dogs don't start experiencing allergies until later in life and that it was pretty unusual for a dog of Bo's age to have allergies, especially allergies as bad as he was having. Just my luck! The vet and I decided that Bo would need allergy testing to find out exactly what he was allergic to. Since the shot he was given was supposed to last four to six weeks we figured around the middle of November he would get the testing done. See, the catch is that Bo can not have any of the shot or other allergy medicine in his system at the time of testing because it will not give clear results.
Well that last shot was exactly four weeks ago yesterday. Any of you want to take a guess as to what Bo broke into over the weekend? If you guessed more hives and itching then you were right. Two days before the shot was even supposed to start wearing off Bo began itching and he itched all weekend long. There is no fur behind his ears, his tummy is all red and broke out, his chin looks like road rash, and he is also losing a little fur around his eyes. He also started chewing on his back legs like they are a piece of corn on the cob. I felt so bad for him Sunday night that I wanted to cry. I felt bad for him and I am starting to get very frustrated because I don't know what to do to help him. The only good thing is he is acting all right, it's not like it is knocking him down or anything but still I know it hurts him when he itches.
Yesterday morning we went back to the vet. He didn't see his usual vet, but another in the office. She said the same thing that he was way way to young to be having allergies this severe so young in life and said that we definitely need to get the allergy testing done. She had to give him another shot to help with all the inflammation so hopefully he can make it six weeks without a break out and then he can have the testing done. The vet also said Bo could be well on his way to prescription dog food. Yeah, you read that right prescription dog food. Dog food to the tune of $70-$90 a bag!!!!! YIKES!!! We left the vet yesterday with another bill around $100, more antibiotics, a pro biotic to help him digest the food, and fish oil to help calm down his itchy skin.
Just by guessing they are thinking that Bo does have environmental allergies, but they are also thinking he has sever food allergies. Most likely allergic to beef, wheat, and corn. Those seem to be the top allergies in dogs. Almost all the dog food on the market is made with corn, that is why she suggested prescription food. I however did some research yesterday on the internet and I found a recipe for home made dog food. It has either rice or oatmeal, two white potatoes, one sweet potato, carrots, and chicken. So starting tomorrow I'm going to start making Bo's food. He didn't have any of these problems when he was on puppy food. I'm thinking it has to be something in all the processed dog foods. I mean I was going to make my own baby food for the baby, so I guess why not do it for Bo right? Please tell me I'm not crazy for doing this. I just don't know what else to do for him, I thought it was worth a shot.
Other than Bo's allergy related drama he is doing really good. His behavior is getting better and better all the time. He goes to Puppy Camp one day a week and absolutely loves it. He loves playing and socializing with all the other dogs. I ask him in the morning if he wants to go to school and he will go and get his leach. His leach that he only wears at school. Yeah, he is that smart! He even knows when I'm having a bad day. On Sunday night when I went to bed, he curled up right next to me and laid his head on my chest and fell asleep that way. My brother is bringing his Boston Terrier home for Thanksgiving, Bo and Porter always have a great time playing together.
Well, by now I'm sure all of you are bored out of your minds reading about Bo's allergies. I still can't believe that he has been here for a year. I love the little guy so much and he really has helped me through the most difficult time of my life. Even the vet said the other day that she can tell that Bo and I have a very special relationship. I would say that we do.
Do any of you have any other tips or suggestions with dogs with severe allergies? I would greatly appreciate any help you may have.
19 comments:
You should get in touch with my best friend Melanie. She's an animal (and dog) expert and would know the best way to make food for Bo. She'd also have tips about the allergies I'm sure. Her blog is: http://trinity-tervuren.blogspot.com/
I read your blog but very rarely comment. I just wanted to tell you that I am taking your challenge to post everyday in November..... It's actually kind of fun!!!! Have a great day....
Hearts and Hugs
Marie
Aw, I'm sorry Bo is having such a rough time. I don't think it's weird to make your dog's food. Any time people show their love for a pet is just fine by me. You hear so many bad stories, it's nice to know there are people out there who love their pets as much as I love mine.
Hope Bo feels better soon - and that the allergy tests come back with something definitive. He is one lucky little guy to have such a great, caring mom. :-)
My father is a retired veterinarian and we have had Boston Terriers my entire life. One thing that we always had to be careful with was their bedding. They are very sensitive to anything with any type of wool in it. Also, you may want to try washing anything that he sleeps on (including your sheets) in a hypoallergenic laundry detergent.
Hope this helps.
I love hearing about Bo. Alyce loved the pictures. Come by today and enter my giveaway...
Hey Jen..
I used to work at a pet store and we had a lot of dogs come in with allergies. We used to recommend a dog food called Wellness and also another (which I can't remember the name of) which both work very well for dogs with allergies..they're slightly expensive, but no where near the prescription dog food. The pet store is Soldans, in the plaza on the corner of Eastman and Saginaw. If you're interested, go in and ask Jeremy (the manager) about Wellness and the other food, which is in a silver bag and is made in Bay City...they are very knowledgeable and there is also a vet in the store if you have questions.
Hope Bo feels better soon!!
Can't help you out with ideas about the allergies, poor thing, but I was talking with a friend recently and she said she makes all of her dogs' food. When you use rice or any type of pasta, make sure you cook it until it is quite mushy as dogs do not have the proper enzymes in their tummies to break down the pasta, thus the reason for cooking it to mushiness.
I bet if you go online, you will find lots of home-made dog food recipes. I hope Bo gets to feeling better.
Bo is so cute! I heart Boston Terrier's!!! You might want to have demodectic mange/red mange ruled out. I've had several boston's and I have had 2 with it. It is an auto-immune problem in the skin that lets the demodectic mites cause skin irritation. It also makes the skin sensitive to other things... frequent bathing usually make the break-outs worse. Not a big deal, even though the word mange has negative connotation...
Good luck helping the cutie out!!
I have 2 dogs with food allergies and we recently switched to Natural Balance dog food. They have a fish and sweet potato formula that does not contain any wheat product and it seems to be working well for them. I hope Bo gets better!
http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/allergy.html
awwww poor Bo!! We have an english bulldog who also suffers from major allergies! We found that Mason is allergic to wheat and chicken. We figured it out by process of elimination with his foods- we have tried almost every single food on the market!
Mason also has environmental allergies that flare up at different seasons! He itches and naws at his limps like Bo does......Benadryl does almost nothing but we did try Claritin (a bit expensive) and it seemed to work a bit better! We also bathe him with a special prescription shampoo and an oatmeal shampoo. I hope they can give you some answers soon!
I really hope the home made dog food works for him and it totally makes sense. Maybe you'll finally find out what he's allergic to.
I know how hard it is to watch your pup itch and itch like crazy. Roxy has just finally stopped itching and her hair is finally growing back.
Poor little Bo! :( My heart breaks for him...I know he must be miserable feeling! I'm just glad he has a wonderful mommy like yourself to take care of him and tend to his needs! :)
Poor baby, my dog's eyes water and run when they cut the grass! But that's pretty easy to deal with. I hope he gets to feeling better soon.
Poor baby! He is so adorable though- I hope the food does the trick- and we give our dog Chase rice & eggs & chicken all the time!
Wellness makes a "simple" line - here is a link
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog_wellness_simple_food_solutions_index.html
Good Luck!
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog_wellness_simple_food_solutions_index.html
Sorry - the link was cut off on my previous post.
I don't really know much about dog allergies, but I had come across this article earlier this week and thought I would pass it on. I hope you get something figured out for Bo...poor thing!!
http://www.westonaprice.org/healthissues/feeding_pets.html
Alicia
My beagle has severe allergies, too. We tried many things and finally settled on a daily prednisone pill. The vet said it may shorten his life a little, but he is not suffering anymore, so we decided it was the best choice. Good luck, I know how frustrating it can be!
Oh, and about the homemade food-our vet called it the Elimination Diet and suggested starting with ONLY rice for 2 weeks, then adding one food at a time every few days to see what the allergy could be.
I feel so bad for Bo!
(And no I didn't get sick of reading about him!!)
I don't have any advice but it's not crazy of you to make his food! If I was running out of options I would try it too!
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