I have some good news tonite. I think we are winning the war on itchies! The war is being waged on many fronts, and today for the first time I have not been feeling itchy, have not been scratching. Only occasionally, I will lick my paw, but just for a short time. So thankfully, no more socks!
First, I guess the pills the vet gave me have finally kicked in. I am on Temaril P which contains antihistamines and cortesone; and an anti-biotic 'cos some of the self infliced bites were infected. I also take Skin Formula 3V capsules:
Mom has also made changes to my food. I used to eat regular Natural Balance kibble for adult dogs - Mom now switched me to the Duck and Sweet Potato flavor which is the so-called Allergy recipe. She also dropped from one cup at night to 1/2 - so it's official, I am on diet! God help me!
Mom also took our esteemed pals, Mackie and Finn's advice, and switched to a healthier, grain free vegetarian snack called Wellness Wellbar. Let me tell you, I usually hate these organic sort of treats - they usually taste like shit (excuse me, but it's true. Well partly, I do like some shit - duck for eg. - and trust me, it doesn't taste as good as THAT!). But I digress. So Mom gave me a wellbar, and I must admit, they are delish! I can taste that crunchy granola, apples, yoghurt, bananas. It's yummy. Mom found it at Whole Foods (aka Whole Paycheck). The 20lb box was $5.99.
Unfortunately, the less healthy treats have been relegated to the closet until further notice. Mom is threatening to just trash them...but I convinced her that a spell on death row was only fair pending total elimination.
As I explained, I haven't been biting my paws too much - but Mom was in Petco today to get my Natural Balance food, when she spotted something on sale. She stood a while pondering whether to purchase the item or not. She knew I would bite her if she ever tried to use this item on me...but she still bought it! She tried to explain that she would have got a more manly color had there been any alternative and that she was just thinking of my best interests should my paws flair up again, especially while they were in Africa...
Can you believe this? Pink booties!!! If ever there was an incentive NOT to bite my paws, this is IT! I would rather smooch with Blanche the Cat then don those things!
So all in all, if we ignore the booties, I am feeling better. The only negatives really are that my meds make me ravenous and tired. And it doesn't help that Mom has cut down on my meals, deprived me of table scraps and decreased my treat intake. When I am feeling especially desperate, I stand over my empty food bowl and cry. This is usually after midnight when Dad is up and Mom is not. Dad is usually sympathetic and gives me some kibble. When I stare at Mom for more food, she offers me green beans from a can or carrots!! The woman has lost her head!
Here I am snoozing on the couch...it's very hot, the meds make me tired...so I have been sleeping a lot more than usual...Now that the folks are tapering down on the Temaril, hopefully I'll get my energy back.
AGC
