Veterinary Specialist

Until just very recently, I was unaware that veterinary specialists existed, specifically veterinary dermatologists. As I've previously posted, my golden retriever has terrible skin allergies. I have found a veterinary dermatologist who is a professor at Auburn University, College of Veterinary Medicine, but who also has a practice with other specialists here in Birmingham. He will examine your dog, and I very much hope, find out what in the world is causing her terrible skin issues. Getting an appointment with him isn't easy and mine is 5 weeks away, but I am so happy just to find him and have some hope that we can fix or atleast help my dog's allergies. There are, apparently, also veterinarians for opthalmology, gastro, cardiac, etc. Now, why didn't my regular vet recommend him when I first went in with my dog and her issues? That I can not answer because I found out my vet knows the vet derm guy and the girl at his office is the one who told me about the vet derm practice in town so I wouldn't have to drive to Auburn. I guess my vet thought I should just keep my dog on prednisone forever. That I will not do. It changes her personality, makes her fight over food and generally not act like a golden retriever. I've also noticed an increased respiratory rate, which can't be a good sign though I haven't found it listed as a side effect. No, she won't remain on prednisone unless it is the ONLY option. First, she will be allergy tested so we can see what we may be able to do to help her. That makes much more sense!

following Microsoft's instructions actually worked

I have a Windows Vista machine with Office 2007 installed. Oddly, in PowerPoint, I can click an email icon and directly email the open file, without having to make it an attachment, but I can not do this in Word or Excel. Or rather, I couldn't. The icon was there but nothing happened when I clicked on it. I, bravely, followed Microsoft's instructions to edit the registry keys. Scary thing to do, but I figured if I was careful, I could revert it back. Plus, I have a complete system backup on DVD. After following the instructions and rebooting, the email icon works in both Word and Excel. Woohoo!

Finally got the allergies figured out--sort of

My little girl now seems to be on a good regimen to ease her allergy symptoms. As posted earlier, prednisone changed her personality. We tried hydroxazine, better known as Atarax, with increasing doses until we got it right. Now, along with a super high quality vet-prescribed diet, she is doing pretty well. She still has a few itchies, but nothing like before. She is ~45 lbs and take 35 mg of Atarax twice a day. Atarax is a anti-histamine, like Benadryl but better, that also has some anxiety reducing properties. It has very few side effects and nothing like prednisone has...no liver failure possibilities and such. Next year, now that we have something that works, we will start Atarax much earlier, pre-allergy season, so she doesn't get to the point of scratching herself raw. Crossing the fingers and toes that this works!

UPDATE: She had another flare up that caused her to bite and scratch several sores on her back in one night. She is going to a specialist, see other post.

What is wrong with people?

What is wrong with people and with our world when defenseless dogs are tied to a tree and left to starve? Dogs threw their towel in our ring thousands of years ago. They've aided us in the hunt, in protecting our homes and families, in companionship and how do we repay that undying loyalty? People tie the dog to a tree so it can't get away and then leave it to starve. Those kind of people have no place in a civilized society and should be removed. Send them to the moon, a deserted island, or shoot them, I don't care, but don't let them have animals ever again. Better yet, treat them as they treated these animals. The strong in this world are charged with the responsibility to care for and aid those weaker than us. This includes children, elderly, and animals...even adults that are unable to care for themselves. What kind of monster hurts and tries to destroy those weaker than themselves? There is a blackness, a hole, in those kinds of people that no amount of "therapy" or "rehabilitation" will fill or cure.
In working with a dog rescue group, you see all sorts of terrible human behavior. The worst part is we can't even file charges against the person because the authorities will take the dog as "evidence". For the dog's sake, especially after it has been through such tragedy, we must try to find it a new, better home and can only wish ill on the terrible person who hurt it. I hope that person rots in hell.