Husky of the Month |
Congrats Nikita, Archer, and Cheyanne,our November HOTM Winners! Husky Cuddles!
Thanks to all for this month's entries!
|
Forum Rules | 1. Here we prefer clarity to agreement. Obviously not everyone is going to agree on a topic; here we prefer to talk out our differences in a respectful manner to ensure mutual understanding and respect. 2. Read the Stickies and Announcements. Each sub-forum may have specific rules which trump the Forum Rules in cases where there may be conflicting information. Read the rules of each board before you post so that you are clear on the expectations of the staff. 3. Respect ALL Staff and Admins. These people volunteer of their time and MUST be respected as well as their word adhered to. They are responsible for maintaining a free, open, clear and organized forum. Anyone found to be openly undermining any official ruling by a staff member will be warned. 4. Signatures: One picture only and no links. Images: To keep the forum looking neat and tidy, we ask that members insert just one picture only in their signatures. The picture should be no more than 200x500 pixels and should be of an appropriate subject, for example, your dogs and their names. Should you need assistance creating an appropriate signature, please PM an Admin and we would be happy to help! This is to ensure that signatures remain a welcome addition to our forum instead of a cumbersome distraction. Links: Hyperlinks in signatures--unless to a personal blog or photo stream of your dogs (like Flckr or Piscasa, for example)--are strictly prohibited. Please PM a staff member with any questions or concerns regarding this rule. |
Rescue Spotlight |
Our current rescue spotlight is: Delaware Valley Siberian Husky Rescue!
|
Top Dog Website Award Winner! | |
|
| Author | Message |
---|
SaberK Adult
Join date : 2012-07-11 Location : Berwyn, IL
| Subject: Itchy Face Tue Jan 08, 2013 12:47 pm | |
| I'm in desperate need of help to relieve Saber's itchy face. A little background info:
Summer of 2011 he started with the itchy face. It disappeared when winter came so I thought he had seasonal allergies. Then summer 2012 came and the itchy face started up again. It's now winter and he still has it. I've kept him from sticking his face in bushes and whatnot when I take him for walks. No difference. After every walk I wipe his face and feet with baby wipes. Doesn't help his face. My vet doesn't think it's allergies since the itching is only located on his face. Specifically, his forehead between his ears and eyes and underneath the eyes. He's started scratching some of the fur off under his right eye so now you can see the skin.
Also, in January 2011 it was discovered that Saber has an extremely low white blood cell count. My vet said his WBC should be 54,000 minimum. Saber's WBC is not even 1000. Anyway, at this point I'm thinking his itchy face may be because his immune system is compromised.
So, I'm asking if anyone knows of anything that would help his itchiness. Shampoos, sprays, creams, anything. I am desperate to help him. |
| | | Kellyb Canadian Sunrise
Join date : 2012-10-29 Location : Montreal, Canada
| Subject: Re: Itchy Face Thu Jan 17, 2013 7:19 pm | |
| Oh Beth that really sucks. My parents cat actually has a similar allergy in the summer. Her eyes get swollen and she develops sores from scratching all the time. My parents haven't been able to find any solutions.
Pets can take Benadryl, although I doubt it would be good for every day use, you might want to talk to your vet about whay dosage to try and see if it alleviates any itchiness. Tika needs some every time she gets a shot. Vets can give it in injection form, but you can give them pills or syrup if I am not mistaken. *No expert here* but maybe it will help. |
| | | SaberK Adult
Join date : 2012-07-11 Location : Berwyn, IL
| Subject: Re: Itchy Face Thu Jan 17, 2013 7:30 pm | |
| Yeah, I thought about the Benadryl but I'm not sure if there would be any interactions since Saber's on three different meds. My regular vet is out of town but I'll ask his assistant tomorrow and see if she knows.
I also bought hydrocortisone spray that I haven't tried yet. Maybe I'll use it on him tonight and see what happens. |
| | | hypers987 Senior
Join date : 2011-08-25 Location : Santa Cruz, California
| Subject: Re: Itchy Face Thu Jan 17, 2013 7:31 pm | |
| Benadryl, or diphenhydramine is the genaric name (cheaper at drug stores), dosage is 1 mg per pound of weight, usually twice a day. Before administering, always consult your vet. So sry to hear about the itchies. I hope they can figure out the cause. |
| | | SaberK Adult
Join date : 2012-07-11 Location : Berwyn, IL
| Subject: Re: Itchy Face Thu Feb 14, 2013 12:28 pm | |
| Just an update to this thread:
After trying several things that didn't work, Saber has been to the vet twice in the last five days. The shots he's been getting aren't lasting as long as the vet had hoped. They definitely help but only for about three days. Last night the vet shaved a little of Saber's fur below his eye to take a look at his skin. Since the skin looks fine, we've come to the conclusion the itchiness is caused by his low white blood cell count.
So, the last option right now is to put Saber on prednisone. I don't want to as I despise that drug and my vet is not a fan either. It would be a low dose of 10mg every 48-72 hours. If he does well on that, he might only need a maintenance dose once a week eventually. The vet gave me some pills and said it's completely up to me if I want to use them. I'm really torn for a few reasons:
1 - Prednisone can suppress the immune system and Saber's is already compromised. But since his WBC count is almost non-existent, is there anything left to compromise???
2 - Saber takes carprofen for his back pain. Your not supposed to mix prednisone and carprofen. So, do I relieve his back pain or his itchy face?
3 - Saber has been on prednisone a few times before. He had the usual side effects of drinking a ton, urinating ALL the time and leaking urine. What I didn't like was that he was very restless and seemed to have some anxiety when he was on it.
Right now I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't want him to suffer from his face itching, but I also don't want to make any conditions he has right now worse by putting him on it. I feel like I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't. I'll have to put some more thought into it. |
| | | Super Nova Teenager
Join date : 2013-01-18 Location : Northern Virginia
| Subject: Re: Itchy Face Mon Feb 18, 2013 4:22 am | |
| Most baby wipes contain alcohol of some kind which can lead to the drying of skin and actually cause the itchyness you describe. It actually dehydrates and draws moisture away from the skin. I actually think that could possibly be the problem, although i don't know if it started before or after you started using the wipes. |
| | | SaberK Adult
Join date : 2012-07-11 Location : Berwyn, IL
| Subject: Re: Itchy Face Mon Feb 18, 2013 9:46 am | |
| The itching started long before I was using the baby wipes. And the wipes I use are unscented, alcohol free and hypoallergenic. |
| | | Kodasmom Puppy
Join date : 2013-02-13 Location : Macomb, Michigan
| Subject: Re: Itchy Face Mon Feb 18, 2013 1:28 pm | |
| - SaberK wrote:
- Just an update to this thread:
After trying several things that didn't work, Saber has been to the vet twice in the last five days. The shots he's been getting aren't lasting as long as the vet had hoped. They definitely help but only for about three days. Last night the vet shaved a little of Saber's fur below his eye to take a look at his skin. Since the skin looks fine, we've come to the conclusion the itchiness is caused by his low white blood cell count.
So, the last option right now is to put Saber on prednisone. I don't want to as I despise that drug and my vet is not a fan either. It would be a low dose of 10mg every 48-72 hours. If he does well on that, he might only need a maintenance dose once a week eventually. The vet gave me some pills and said it's completely up to me if I want to use them. I'm really torn for a few reasons:
1 - Prednisone can suppress the immune system and Saber's is already compromised. But since his WBC count is almost non-existent, is there anything left to compromise???
2 - Saber takes carprofen for his back pain. Your not supposed to mix prednisone and carprofen. So, do I relieve his back pain or his itchy face?
3 - Saber has been on prednisone a few times before. He had the usual side effects of drinking a ton, urinating ALL the time and leaking urine. What I didn't like was that he was very restless and seemed to have some anxiety when he was on it.
Right now I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't want him to suffer from his face itching, but I also don't want to make any conditions he has right now worse by putting him on it. I feel like I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't. I'll have to put some more thought into it. Just a question what is saber's back pain caused from? Is there anyway you could just use the prednisone because it is an anti-inflamatory also? My akita/shepherd mix has been on prednisone for 6 years 10mg tablet once a day for multiple allergies and has had no side effect-incuding kidney and liver checks-clear. My vet also stated that 10 mg is not alot each day because it would be subscribed to a poodle and Nanuk-akita is 121 lbs. |
| | | SaberK Adult
Join date : 2012-07-11 Location : Berwyn, IL
| Subject: Re: Itchy Face Mon Feb 18, 2013 1:54 pm | |
| Saber has spondylosis (bone growth on the vertebraes) that have fused some of his spine together. That's why he's taking carprofen. Since prednisone can suppress the immune system, my vet and I don't want to use it every day since Saber hardly has an immune system to fight off infections.
I'll probably end up at least trying the prednisone when his itching acts up. Since I've updated this thread, he's only had one minor itching incident. |
| | | Sponsored content
| Subject: Re: Itchy Face | |
| |
| | | |
Similar topics | |
|
| Permissions in this forum: | You cannot reply to topics in this forum
| |
| |
| Latest topics | » Hi new here by stephalie Today at 3:35 pm
» In search of my Cody’s bloodline by Cody sabastian Yesterday at 8:53 pm
» My Old Girl is having trouble moving around… by aljones Mon Nov 18, 2024 3:23 pm
» A day in the life by amymeme Mon Nov 18, 2024 3:11 pm
» Summer Time and the .... by Lostmaniac Fri Nov 15, 2024 12:30 am
» Squirt mystery illness and xrays by Lostmaniac Tue Nov 12, 2024 11:53 pm
» The Desert Pack by Lostmaniac Thu Oct 31, 2024 2:19 am
» Dasuquin for the win! by Lostmaniac Mon Oct 28, 2024 9:09 pm
» Dog Attacked and Killed at Apex Park, Golden, CO by Lostmaniac Tue Sep 24, 2024 1:19 pm
» Recall Information by aljones Tue Sep 24, 2024 11:20 am
» Whining after anesthesia by Lostmaniac Wed Sep 18, 2024 10:20 pm
» Hello from Hiro by Lostmaniac Sat Sep 07, 2024 12:58 am
» Eye change help by amymeme Wed Sep 04, 2024 4:33 am
» 2 year old Husky has mouth sores and patch on leg by Bigdog2 Sat Aug 10, 2024 12:48 pm
» Why do other dog's dislike my husky? by Bigdog2 Fri Aug 09, 2024 10:38 pm
» Need advice on best way to introduce new puppy to our 8 year old male husky by aljones Fri Aug 09, 2024 3:08 pm
» Pending renewal or deletion by jbealer Thu Aug 01, 2024 1:35 pm
» Inflammatory Bowel Disease? by amymeme Wed Jul 31, 2024 3:34 pm
» URL Expiring. Do we renew? by ddvora Tue Jul 23, 2024 8:06 pm
» Hypothyrodism? by TwisterII Mon Jul 22, 2024 10:35 am
|
|