We were recommended to give Ivermectin orally and all vets we consulted confirmed this should be LAST RESORT because 1) the treatement is still sperimental and 2) it can cause long lasting neurological damages.
to the OP: hope all goes better soon and pls keep an eye on it as the tratement is usually very long.
I hope your dog gets better soon, with ours unfortunately it is indeed a matter of one little issue after the next... but we knew what we were in for when we got him (bulldogs are known for having all sorts of issues)
I always joke that I literally go more often to the Vet than to the Pediatrician... very expensive
Just to give you and update, I went for the monthly check this morning and apparently the demodex from the sample she took on the front leg is dead. Now, I do not see "visually" any improvement... the areas on her legs without hair are getting bigger and her smell is terrible. By the way, did your dog with demodex had also a really strong smell? The vet said that it could be because of demodex or another possible infection.
I have booked in Bern from the specialist. I cancelled the appointment last time but I want to try to see him now. I knew that the treatment was going to be long but I imagined that in one month we would have got some small improvements... and I dont have a positive feeling about that.
I'm glad to hear that you are seeing a specialist. From what you describe, you really need to be under the care of someone well versed in treating this disease.
Yes, demodex can be a b**** to treat - it took us 6 months before we got a clear scrape. But remember that my guy had the adult onset version, plus our drug options were limited by his MDR1 status. Juvenile democodosis has a better prognosis.
My guy didn't smell at all - but again, adult onset differs from juvenile. Make sure that you discuss the possibility of a secondary infection with the specialist, if only to put your mind at ease.
Is your dog still itching?
One thing I have learned (the hard way) in all my years of dog ownership: listen to that little voice in the back of your head! If something doesn't feel right to you, push for further investigation or a specialist referral - or seek a second opinion on your own - sooner rather than later. You are on the right track seeking specialist help .
We've got all our paws here firmly crossed for your pup. Hope things start to look up soon.
I couldn't agree more. My instincts are almost always right. This week I diagnosed a bladder infection in a very early stage. We are just waiting on the tests to see if the meds are the right ones but they seem to be working. If you know your dog, you know the signs to watch for.
It is not difficult here to seek second or third opinions. There are often different options and doctors take different approaches. The right one is the one that works. If you feel one approach is not working after giving it a fair trial, it's worth looking at the alternatives.
I am sure you must be frustrated. I certainly would be. This is not what you expect when you get a puppy.
Yes, I cancelled the specialist appointment last time because I wanted to give a try with the medications she was taking but now I want to know if I can go ahead with this or not. And then, I need to be sure that the smell issue is related to the demodex and not to something else too. She is not itching any longer (just a bit but I think is normal) but she is too often kind of shaking something off of her (like when they get a bath and they want to get dry shaking the water off). But the smell issue is really bad though... not only you can smell it but if you touch her you get this terrible smell on your hands...
I have to say that this is my first "real" dog so starting with a sick one was not a good start because for me everything is strange and it is difficult to understand if her behavior is normal or not.
Also, I am just out a really bad health issue myself - had strong treatment for the last six months - and I have to say that this situation with her was just not really what I needed now.
One thing to note, especially with a pet - they can't talk, they can't tell you things. I personally would have kept the appointment with the specialist.
One of my dogs appears to have this in the late-onset variation. She's nearly 16 We have had her scraped by the vet and have shampoo for her. I bath her around once a week with the shampoo and rinse very thoroughly.
I see your point but I went already to two different doctors in less than a few weeks and one of them said he had treated the same disease in the same way for my puppy's brothers/sisters and it worked...
As a dog breed - sharpei - we should not bathe her more than twice a year because she does not have the undercoat as most of the dogs have... so more you bathe her and the worse she stays. However, since we were not sure about the smell we have already bathed her three times in one month and the smell is always there, actually it seems to get worse after the bath. We got a shampoo for dogs with dermatological probs from the vet but it didn't help. Now, I was thinking to wash her again in these days but I am not sure she gets any benefit from that... so I will rather wait to see what the other doctor says. The other two could not agree on the fact it was better or not to bath her frequently...
Tahir, while in general it's good to keep informed of varying schools of thought in regards to treatment options, in this case I would strongly caution the OP against doing anything on her own without qualified veterinary support. The seriousness of her dog's condition speaks against self-diagnosis or self-treatment.
Moonlight, please keep us updated once you've seen the specialist.
she's permanently got a cold, eye issues and this skin issue. We just keep her comfortable with stuff from the vet - and homeopathic if possible - and she seems happy.
Happy's the main thing.
She does not scratch but has a hole in her coat the size of a 5-franc coin at the mo'. She's hard as nails.....so it's OK
The appointment is for next Friday so we I will continue with her treatment until I do not see the specialist and he tells me if there is something better I can do for her. Thanks to all
Sorry to hear your troubles but as shared Demodex is really long to cure, took us over 1 year
What is the smell llike? Our dog has allergies which cause him yeast infections which smell grossly sweet (sorry donno how else t describe it)
As already said by others, you really really need to see a specialist and personally, I am a bit annoyed that you did not after all the infos etc I took the time to share, call my vet to let you know etc. I understand you are trying and it is your first dogs, but skin conditions are serious and could become permanent if not treated so better to have 3 appointments in a week than 1 a month over the dog's lifetime no?
I would really not wash her unless it is special shampoo FOR THE SPECIFIC condition or it could get worse. From your description it seems like she could have another skin condition and I would really wait for the specialist to tell you.
Anyway... hope the specialist in Bern will be able to help you out so that your 4 legged friend can get better.
The smell she has is similar to dirty socks ...really strong when you get closer and it sticks on your hands when you touch her.
It's not because of the number of appointments in one week that I canceled with the specialist but because I didn't want to stress her even more because of my doubts. After all, the other vet told me he was sure that the treatment would work because it worked for the other puppies of the same breeder - so I though I could give it a try.
However, I will keep the treatment as it is until I see the other doctor and I will not bath her. I will just see what he says and do what he suggests. I just want to make sure there is no other probs with her other then demodex and that there is no a better way to treat her. If it will take time I will wait as far as I know she will get well one day.
Apart from that she is lovely and sweet She is putting on weight, she plays and loves walking in the snow!
I went this morning to the specialist and he told me that the treatment I am doing is not completely wrong. However, he said that it could also not work and he suggested another treatment that is extremely expensive but apparently it has a success rate of 95%. It is a capsule per day of interceptor (cost of 10CHF for capsule!). He said that it should take around two to three months for her to completely heal (he had only one case before when he took 6 months.... I would be bankrupted! . And then he gave me another shampoo and an external lotion. So I stopped today the other treatment and I will start the new one tomorrow.
He also gave me some different food for dogs with allergy because he wants to see if there is any food allergy too.
About the smell he said it is normal because of the skin sickness she produces a kind of oil and this is the reason for the smell.
I really hope it is going to work, finally! For sure he gave me a good impression but now we have to see how she reacts to the treatment.