Winston's allergy test is done: He is allergic to...

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

...Kitties, Dust mites, feathers (my duvet) and the yeast that grows between his paws and in his ears when they get infected from all the chewing/scratching (viscious circle).***Update - forgot to Add Pigweed ?!?! What the heck is pigweed???

Here are some pics of his test patch and him in his Bluesfestival Volunteer t-shirt :o) He may not look happy, but he does look super cute and it keeps him from licking his 'patch'.

He's quite irritable from the testing and is snapping at Sophie a bit. I really wish the vet would have sedated him or at least given him some valium. Anyway, what's done is done, and we have a plan for treatment. His bacterial infections (ears, paws and skin) haven't improved despite the two week course of antibiotics he was on earlier this month. She suspects he's become immune to the antibiotics he's been getting. She's doing cultures to learn more about the bacteria. I'm not quite sure I understand this part but she says the cultures she's taken will tell her what kind of antibiotics are going to be most effective for him. She did send me home with drops for his ears and instructions to clean them out with a vinegar and water solution before putting in the drops. On the car ride home I was thinking about how when I went on a yeast free diet I was told to avoid vinegar as it is fermented with yeast. I am thinking that washing his yeasty infected ears with vinegar might not be so great....

I'm to take photos of the patch where the skin test was done in case there are any delayed reactions. That way we can be 100% sure to cover everything in the immunotherapy treatment, which will cost about $700 and she says is 75% affective. So basically, it better work!!

The visit cost me $850 plus a $200 speeding ticket :( but I'm so glad to have taken this step and can now move forward with treating him. Could have done without that darn ticket though.

One more thing, the vet remarked on how well informed I am and was surprised by some of the questions I was asking-I even stumped her once. I have only Karen and the rest of DK to thank for that! Thanks everyone for all your support, and mostly thank you Karen for guiding me through this process! I don't know what I would have done without you!!!

Ok, I'm going to take Sophie to the park, she needs to burn some energy and Winston needs a rest.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Phew Sherri, I'm not surprised you're headed to the park after all that.  Great that you are starting to get some answers to the minefield that are allergies.  I'm not an expert on all this but you are in touch with those who are and I love that you stumped the Doc with your questions!  Enjoy the walk and hopefully Winston is having that well earned rest.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Sherri, Winston sure ended up with the right person. I hope this starts Winston down the right road of treatment and he starts feeling better. I HATE speeding tickets and I'm sorry you ended up with one. What a bummer. Please take care of Winston and good job being so well informed!!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks Laurie! I feel good that we are on theright track. Stupid speeding ticket. At least the police officer was handsome. I should have flirted more, but so wasn't in the mood :-)

[Kim/Mark and Sierra]

Hi...I'm just throwing this out there.  But with humans most anti biotics kill off the good bacteria along with the bad.  Then the good needs to be reestablished with pro biotics.  I know this can create an environment for candida (yeast) to really take hold after a round. Like in females (human), the aggravating yeast infection that will tend to always follow an antibiotic regime.  Just a thought.  My puppy had a reaction to her spay suture and the vet gave her anti biotic....then agreed the probiotic follow up would be a good idea.  Also another thought...in humans...candida overgrowth will actually create sensitivities (allergies) to other things.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

thank you. I do have probiotic but haven't been using it. i don't see why I shouldn't reintroduce it, unless it will mess with the food trial. I forgot to add that the vet recommended I keep him on the kangaroo and red lentil food trial he's been on just to be sure there are no food issues.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The probiotics are fine to restore good bacteria in the gut if he's been on antibiotics, but none of that has anything to do with his inhalant allergies.

Check first before using them, because they can interfere with the food trial.

[Kim/Mark and Sierra]

Your welcome....just the thought that popped in my head when I read your post.  But my experience is helping humans with this sort of thing....don't really know how it transfers over to the doggie world.  In humans though, it does absolutely create inhalant allergies and sensitivities also.  Apparently it's very different for our canine friends.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Atopy (inhalant allergies) in dogs is genetic. Not caused by yeasts, foods, drugs, germs, etc. Some of those things may provoke an allergic reaction, but do not cause the allergies themselves. In fact the Atopy causes the yeasts to proliferate, in some cases.

Sensitivities are different from allergies. True allergies are diseases of the immune system.

[F, Calla & Luca]

There is a lot of hokum about Candida on the web.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Amen.

[Kim/Mark and Sierra]

I don't know why the two of you would be so ****  honestly can't even think of the right word.  I am new on this site and was offering some advice based on things I know quite a bit about.  And I also made it very clear I work with humans and have no knowledge of how this would transfer to the dog world.  There is apparently alot of hokum on here....not very nice and quite snobby!  I have lost my taste for this forum if this is how people are treated!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I don't think this was directed at you Kim/Mark.  If you are new, you don't realize that some comments are posted after one but is actually directed at an earlier one.