Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Poor little Jasper Lily! She seems to be super itchy lately ... and I am not sure if it is from grabbing nips of grass on our walks (I try and discourage this) or her diet. I hate giving her allergy pills.
I've got her on a grain-free diet (Lotus) that is pure duck and sweet potatoes or rice. She also gets 1/2 a hard-boiled egg a day + a couple spoons of pure pumpkin + baby carrots and cucumbers and no-salt green beans. I suppose I should take EVERYTHING out of her diet (the extras) and add them back in to see if we can figure it out.
It isn't super dry here so I don't think it's that. She just seems to really itch and then gets licky. It bugs me.
I found some fish oil pills this weekend and think they should be safe to give her. Maybe it will help? Or maybe she needs a bath with a good scrubbing. She does not have fleas (she is on confortis and I do a flea check often). I just feel soooo bad for her. I cannot figure out why she is so itchy and allergy all the time. It must be awful and me telling her to 'stop' makes me feel like a horrible person but I cannot relax w/the constant licking/scratching. Any other thoughts? I want to treat as holistically as I can! Thank you!
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Now that's one fine huge bottle of fish oil! Should last years!!
Instead of food related, can you think of anything in your apartment.....rugs, bedding, soaps, detergents, etc. Anything at the daycare...any treats, chemicals, etc. she may be exppsed to? I'm sure you've thought of everything.
It seems that almost all my rescues over the years have skin or ear issues. Just so hard to say what their history was.
Yeah, I would think fish oils may help. Start with snmall doese first as they can make tummies a little queasy sometimes.
Love to y ou both!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
That IS a big bottle!
When she itches, where does she attack? Her paws? Belly? Legs?
Do you use anything in your home like carpet deodorizer? What about your laundry soap? Those can be irritants.
Wyatt was itchy when we had him on a sweet-potato based kibble. Hmmm.
Fish oil alone might not do it. Check out this article about balanced EFAs, which might help.
Just some thoughts for now, I know others will have great ideas too!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
jerry said
That IS a big bottle!When she itches, where does she attack? Her paws? Belly? Legs? She mostly licks her feet and then scratches her back w/her rear legs. But it's the non-stop licking of her paws that drives me bat crazy.
Do you use anything in your home like carpet deodorizer? What about your laundry soap? Those can be irritants. Ha ha! You think I clean?
I don't use anything specific. I have a cleaning lady but I don't think she uses carpet deodorizer on the rugs.
Wyatt was itchy when we had him on a sweet-potato based kibble. Hmmm. Interesting ... I might switch her to the fish.
Fish oil alone might not do it. Check out this article about balanced EFAs, which might help.
Just some thoughts for now, I know others will have great ideas too!
Thanks for the article and the info. It really isn't that big of a bottle - I bought a tiny one but found an image online so I could post it here. Even when we traveled to Seattle, she was itchy and licky... I think the licking might be an OCD thing since she likes to have something in her mouth and if I give her a toy, she will refocus. But she definitely itches and has allergies.
I'll keep giving her allergy pills till I can figure it out. I love our vet but I don't think he's taking this as seriously as I am, sadly. I want to get her to see an allergist (if they have those for vets). And no disrespect to the "raw" diet (I'm Paleo so I get it)... but I don't have the lifestyle that can provide Jasper will a raw diet. Sigh. this little rescue is becoming quite high maintenance...
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
I've been researching and trying apple cider vinegar. I know several pug parents who swear by it as an ear cleaner and to alleviate itchiness.
Obie is itchy like JL, and has licking behaviors that drive me crazy. Unfortunately for me most of his licking is definitely OCD and is not going to be cured. He gets up in the middle of the night sometimes and gets off the bed to scratch- he knows I will try and stop him. I believe he is allergic to grass- when ever he walks on it he spends time chewing on his feet.
Anyway- you can use it topically and internally, but I've only tried topical with mixed results. Ob has a really weird patch of skin under his chin that he is always scratching. I've used a 50% solution that I wipe on with a towel and let dry and it does seem to work. I tried cleaning his ears but that seemed to cause a reaction- I'm not sure about that yet.
I really want to get him off daily pills. I'm going to do some more reading before trying it internally though. He tends to have a sensitive tummy, and with Tani around also with IBD I was hesitant to change their diet. Now that Tani is wreaking havoc over the bridge I am going to experiment some with his food.
If you try it let me know how it works.
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Alison - Our Gus used to go Animal Dermatology and Allergy in Rocklin, Calif. I know that is a loooong way from you, but they might be able to refer you to someone in your area. Gus loved Dr Cannon. She was always down on the floor with him, so her exams seemed like rubdown sessions to him. She has clinics in Rocklin (Sacramento area), Boise, and somewhere around the Fresno area, if I remember correctly. Just a thought.
Kathi and Murphy
Murphy is a five year old Lab/Chessie cross. He was hit by a car on 10/29/12 and became a Tripawd on 11/24/12. On 2/5/13, he had a total hip replacement on his remaining back leg. He has absolutely no idea that he has only three legs!
UPDATE: Murphy lived his life to the fullest, right up until an aggressive bone lesion took him across the Rainbow Bridge on April 9, 2015 and he gained his membership in the April Angels. Run free, my love. You deserve it!
Are the allergy pills helping? I have a cat who has really bad allergies (hair starts falling out, etc). One little thing will set her skin off into a tizzy. I keep her on allergy meds constantly and I bathe her in the Earthbath for cats, then spray her with the Earthbath skin repair...that seems to soothe her skin. I love their products, they are all natural and great for itchy skin.
Mom to Tripawd Angels Jake (2001-2014) and Rosco (2012-2015) and Tripawd Tanner. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it”
Alison, does she have any red patches on her skin? Chandler has terrible allergies, but he will get a Staph infection( probably from the chewing and scratching) about twice a year. I now can recognize it, but the first time I took him in and that was the diagnosis, I was surprised. He cannot eat chicken, corn or wheat. I am supposed to give him Benedryl. He is worse Spring and Fall. I am also thinking he drags stuff in on his paws. Maybe try wiping her paws when you bring her inside? Might help. I am told Fish oils are good. That is what my vet told me to use. Hope she feels some relief soon. Lori, Ty, Chan, Lucy & Daryl
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
Alison,
Sorry poor Jasper has allergies, I know they can be miserable.....I have always used fish oil for my girls that seem to have a little allergy thing going, and an occasional Benedryl, and that seems to work very well for them. Labs are a breed that has trouble with allergies, too.
The bottle of fish oil you have seems like a large amount of mg per pill, I always use Welactin from my vet because it is formulated for the size of a pet. I would double check with your vet to make sure Jasper gets the proper dosage, especially since she is a little girl. I think too much fish oil can increase their risk of vomiting and/or diarrhea.
Now that I have Zuzu and she has her severe heart valve defect, her cardiologist put her on Welactin as well.
Hope you find relief for her soon, there are so many helpful ideas from everyone here.
Love,
Bonnie & Angel Polly, and new crew
Hi everyone ....
Thank you SO much for your comments and suggestions. Yes, her allergy meds from the vet do work ... I just hate giving her pills. I guess I was hoping I could treat this holistically but then again, I take a daily Allegra to deal w/allergies so I guess it isn't any different.
Kathi - I will call them and see if they can recommend anyone in LA. I would like to see if I can get her tested for allergies so I could figure out what they are. If they are grass, then that just sucks for her since she walks on grass. I will try and wipe up her paws when she comes inside more.
Sometimes I do think it is manic though. Last night in bed, I gave her a toy to chew on and she would start nipping at her legs and I would re-direct the focus to the toy and boom - nipping stopped. So I don't know if she gets bored, (how that is possible with all her toys) or just does it out of habit.
Thankfully she has NO hot spots but I'll try the soothing spray/bath that you suggested, Elizabeth. She does look a good scratch/rub down.
Bonnie - I gave her a pill this a.m. w/her breakfast ... oops. I hope that doesn't upset her belly. She is only 18 pounds! Cr@p. Well we'll see when we get home... let's hope one pill doesn't have any adverse affects.
Thank you everyone!!! I love this site!
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
mom2shelby said
Hi everyone ....
Thank you SO much for your comments and suggestions. Yes, her allergy meds from the vet do work ... I just hate giving her pills. I guess I was hoping I could treat this holistically but then again, I take a daily Allegra to deal w/allergies so I guess it isn't any different.
Kathi - I will call them and see if they can recommend anyone in LA. I would like to see if I can get her tested for allergies so I could figure out what they are. If they are grass, then that just sucks for her since she walks on grass. I will try and wipe up her paws when she comes inside more.
Sometimes I do think it is manic though. Last night in bed, I gave her a toy to chew on and she would start nipping at her legs and I would re-direct the focus to the toy and boom - nipping stopped. So I don't know if she gets bored, (how that is possible with all her toys) or just does it out of habit.
Thankfully she has NO hot spots but I'll try the soothing spray/bath that you suggested, Elizabeth. She does look a good scratch/rub down.
Bonnie - I gave her a pill this a.m. w/her breakfast ... oops. I hope that doesn't upset her belly. She is only 18 pounds! Cr@p. Well we'll see when we get home... let's hope one pill doesn't have any adverse affects.
Thank you everyone!!! I love this site!
Alison, these fish oil supplements are pretty harmless, and I am sure one pill is what Jasper would probably get, so don't over-worry too much. I am not the best at explaining, and choosing my words correctly so I am sorry if I upset you.....I am not good at this sometimes. I guess all I was saying, was to just check with your vet for the proper dosage for her size. Please forgive me, this is why I sometimes hesitate to comment on these forums, I just sometimes get my wording wrong and it may come out differently than I intended.
Much Love,
Bonnie and A.P. and crew
I can so totally relate to all the itchiness. Both my girls scratch constantly. Plus, I think Meesha may have a food intolerance because that girl smells sooooooooooooooooo bad after she eats.
Mel scratches a lot during spring and fall. It's mostly around her eyes. She has actually opened up wounds on her face she itches so bad. Our vet told us he thought she had seasonal mange.
Any-hoo, I use Benadryl on occasion for both of them and fish oil daily. I also throw in a little bit of vitamin C.
Trying to find the source is next to impossible.
Also, since Harmony's cancer (MCT) was basically histamines that were out of control, I'm very concerned when they start uncontrollable itching.
Harmony became a Tripawd on 10/21/14 (MCT). She left us way too soon on 11/1/14.
"We miss you so much; our love, our heart, our Harmony."
- Pam, Ron and Melody, Meesha, Doublestuff and Mariah Carey
bcullom said
Alison, these fish oil supplements are pretty harmless, and I am sure one pill is what Jasper would probably get, so don't over-worry too much. I am not the best at explaining, and choosing my words correctly so I am sorry if I upset you.....I am not good at this sometimes. I guess all I was saying, was to just check with your vet for the proper dosage for her size. Please forgive me, this is why I sometimes hesitate to comment on these forums, I just sometimes get my wording wrong and it may come out differently than I intended.
Much Love,
Bonnie and A.P. and crew
Oh Bonnie ... do NOT worry! I wasn't that worried about little JL! I didn't think she was going to get uuber sick from one little pill her first time and even if she does, she loves to clean up her own vomit (vile beast that she is).
@ Pam - I didn't know that MCT was caused by histamines out of control! Eek!!! I am sure I'll never discover the real root of Jasper's allergies but it is definitely enough itching to cause me some concern and keep a closer eye on her. I'll ask her daycare to watch if she scratches a lot when she's there tomorrow. I don't seem to notice her doing it on the weekends during the days until after dark. Which is why I thought it was food based since she eats a lot of her veggies w/her supper.
I'll keep an eye on it for sure. And it is HOT and dry here today so I am even itching!
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
PS - Has anyone heard of this website? http://packdog.com/home (here is Jasper's - http://packdog......asper-lily)
It appears to be "Facebook" for dogs.... I love posting photos of JL but I fear that people get sick of seeing her on my Facebook or Instagram and voila... an outlet for my madness.... Even though it goes through my Instagram, it's less obnoxious (I hope). She just photographs SO well.
And they even have a page for Miss Shelby Lynne with an "in memory" tagline. FUN!
Also known as another way for me to waste time! Cheers!
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
POST PICTURES HERE 24/7!!! We LOVE pics of Jasper Lily and Shelby ALWAYS!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
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