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So Monday ambushed me this morning: the dog wet his bed, Jewel the cat was sick, and Destructo Boy spilled his juice over the floor. As if this wasn't enough, my MIL came for a visit, walked through the door, took one look at the dog and said ''Oh, look- fox-mange''.
I Googled it and discovered that fox-mange is sarcoptic mange. Sarcoptic mange is scabies. I freaked when I read that bit, because scabies is also a human affliction - I know because I had it as a young child, picked up from school. As a result, to this day I have an OCD fetish about not ever. ever. ever sharing towels.
Giving up my idea that he had a food allergy (he's been on a gluten-free diet for 3 weeks now) I called the vet for an appointment tootsweet. £180 ($295USD) later, blood has been taken for tests, steroid tablets prescribed for the itching, a drug called Stronghold on the offchance that it's mange, antibiotics for any secondary bacterial infection of the skin, and a medicated shampoo for the yeast skin infection on his skin ... shampoo for the 36kg/80lb. dog who is afraid of water.
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The vet didn't do a skin scrape for mange because he thinks it's an environmental allergy; perhaps the blood test will tell us exactly what to, but he thinks it's more likely it will come back as a generic allergy, for which Sebastian will need a £500/$820USD course of initial treatment which is not a cure, but will control the symptoms; then he will have to take this drug for the rest of his life. He is insured, but even so .... I kind of wish it had been mange: at least you know what you're dealing with, and it's straightforward to treat.
So rather than throw the dog's mangy carcass off the nearest bridge with my gin-sodden one, let's distract ourselves with a little more baby knitting - the last item for my neighbor's Bump. It will be a cabled sweater ...
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I'm sure the good people over at Tami's Amis will be far more cheerful than me today ....
Oh, sorry to hear about your poor dog :( Hope it's an easy (non-expensive) outcome rather than generic allergy.
ReplyDeleteBaby jumper is looking very cute at least!
Poor Sebastian, he looks such a sweetie, I hope he's feeling better soon.
ReplyDeleteOh poor dog, there's lots of homeopathic / diet stuff for allergies too that you may want to research.
ReplyDeleteLove the cables!!
I don't want to sound like Terry Pratchett's Death, but YOU DO KNOW THAT IF IT'S ENVIRONMENTAL IT WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT HIM AND THE BILL FOR HIS CARE WILL BE ASTRONOMICAL. *rustles the black bin bag dramatically*
ReplyDeleteAli x
Poor puppy. Hope he gets to feeling better soon!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful knitting! Expensive mangy dog! :-(.
ReplyDeleteAt least you've not got to give the cat regular baths as well.
{Laughing at comment above in sympathetic and supportive way}.
Oh no your poor sweet dog. I hope it's something they can treat him for.
ReplyDeleteThe cabled sweater is lovely.
poor dog and poor finances! hope he makes a speedy recovery... on another note I LOVE the yarn! Your cables are fab!
ReplyDeleteYou and your poor puppy. I hope it is a quick and no more expensive thing that is easily cared for.
ReplyDeleteHappy note, beautiful yarn!
Poor doggy - hope you get to the bottom of it all.
ReplyDeleteAnd the colour on that sweater is divine - I love it.
Chronic illnesses in doggies are no fun. =( I had a little terrier with a heart condition once and it seemed as though the trips to the vet never ended.
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking such good care of your puppers.
dang dogs. My husband and I are "discussing" what is to happen with our dogs as the new baby gets bigger within my belly. regardless of that insanity, I'm loving your baby stuffs! I'm in baby stuff making mode too. Have fun!
ReplyDeletePoor doggy! But the knitting is really lovely!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's a crazy morning! Sorry to hear about the pup, and I hope he's better soon. The sweater is beautiful and looks so so soft!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your bad day! I hope you can figure out what is causing your dog's allergies and alleviate his discomfort. I can definitely relate. We've had one medical problem after another with our animals this year that has cost us thousands of dollars. It's smart that you have insurance! In happier news, I love the color of the baby sweater!
ReplyDeletePoor dog, poor you, poor bank account.
ReplyDeleteThe sweater is very cute.
OH, my gosh, I'm so sorry to read about your doggie! :( :( Whatever it turns out being, I hope it's something that can be taken care of with the least amount of misery on everyone's behalf.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for distractions, right? The sweater looks so nice!!
I don't always read the labels on blog posts, so I'm glad yours caught my eye -- excellent tagging. I hope that today was a better day & that the dog is on the mend.
ReplyDeleteWhat a crap day! So sorry to hear about doggie dilemmas. Definitely keep us informed.
ReplyDeleteArtsy, is for Artsy Fartsy, a place, person, or thing who is pretentious in their "art". For me, in a yarn shop, this would be a place that is full of blitz, bling, or metallic yarns with samples of shapeless garments. Or a place with samples of bulky and shapeless garments. Those are just not my style. I like detailed garments in wool, or other natural fibers.
ReplyDeleteI demand an update - what's happening with teh dawgie?
ReplyDeleteAli x