My vet made me cry
 

I have so had it with my vets office.

First off this is the office that spayed Lexi and left an ovary in her. (different Dr. though) I have been battleing allergies for a couple months. Lexi has been on Benadryl and they wanted to put her on a steroroid, but I said not yet (to many horror stories). Well tonight I took Lexi back because she has chewed one of her little ninnies til it bled and I noticed some very tiny spots on her that almost looked like bites. This vet says I would like to do a skin scrape test on her and rule out any sort of mange. :eek: OK, will it hurt her and what is it? She said "I just scrape a small spot of skin and then test it, it will leave a small scratch" ok lets do it. She then starts scraping a spot on her chest and Lexi just laid there being so good, then let out a tiny whimper and there was blood all over the vets hand and she says (it's a kind deep scratch but she'll be fine. I started crying :cry: then when I saw the spot I really started crying it is bigger than a quarter. She didn't even clean it off, I had to ask for a clean damp rag. :mad: She comes back in the room and says the test came back neg. YEAH, nope she then tells me that some times you can do this test over and over and may possiably never get a positive and the dog still have something, and that she would still like to treat her for mange/parasites(sp). :eek: What did you do it for then? I also told her Lexi's hair and skin is really dry could she give me a moisturizing shampoo, and she said well I don't think we should treat her for several things at once because then we may never know what was wrong. I said wait a minute, we are giving her Benadryl, have her on a duck and potatoe diet, treating her for mange or other parasites, and you don't want to give me a shampoo that could relieve some of the itching? Now I'm angry. I told her look I am her every 2 weeks for you all to do your follow up crap and she is getting worse, I wanted to do the allergy test and you all say lets wait til spring, I have been very patient and now I'm telling you that I'm going to treat her coat and skin and for your sake you all better hope that this whole allergy thing is an allergy and that she isn't scratching just because of dry skin (that I have pointed out atleast 5 times in the last 3 months when this all started). I am spending a min of $75 every other week. This visit was $107. I then asked for her meds and said I'm leaving this visit is over.
I have also pointed out that Tori has started itching (not nearly as bad as Lexi)and her hair is breaking in the same places as Lexi's. I think it would be a bit odd to have 2 different yorkies from 2 different not at all related bloodlines that have allergies and loosing hair in the same places. I don't think they are really listening though. :mad:
I am going to be spending the next week or 2 visiting new vets til I find one that I really like. My gut told me not to go back to that office after Lexi's whole heat thing but I thought this place knows her and this other Dr. is supose to be a great Dr. HA...

Sorry this is so long. I am just so upset. :cry: I am really worried about my baby and just wanted a little sympathy from the vet. :( I just want her better.

Im so sorry that you are having this trouble with your babies. I hope you find a good vet and they find out what the problem is. Good Luck. Keep us updated.

I'm so sorry that this happened to you and poor Lexi. It's best that you shop around till you find one that can give you the answers you deserve without experimenting on her.

When we first got Riley he would scratch all the time and he felt different than Jo. I really couldn't explain it but his skin felt tight, he didn't have a shine to his coat and he would just sit and scratch. My vet said it was simple...he had dry skin and he gave me a bottle of Derm Caps for him. I'm supposed to give him 1 cap a day but it makes his stool too soft so I give him 1/2 and Jo the other 1/2 with their soft food for breakfast. Within a few days he had stopped scratching, he feels softer and he has just as much shine to his coat as Jo does. We went through the mange testing and treatments with our first Yorkie and I can tell you this...if they have mange you know it, you don't have to treat them 'just in case'. Good luck with your babies...I hope you find relief for them soon.

Thanks, I appreciate you all listening to me vent. I really don't know what to do. I have just assumed she had allergies, but now I'm not so sure. I am going to try doing oatmeal shampoos and I am going to go read more about tea tree oil.

It's definitely time to find a new vet! Obviously this one
has no compassion for either your babies or your feelings
so I wouldn't be lining his pockets with my money while
he does experiment after experiment and there are no
real results.

im very sorry! i know its got to be hard when the person whos supposed to fix your baby doesnt know what they're doing and isnt helping. i hope you find the right vet soon, and both lexi and tori feel great :p


btw, i think your 2 yorkies are some of the cutest ive ever seen! i looked at lexis photo album and the pictures of her on your computer desk are so sweet! thought i'd let you know, i was so in love with the pictures lol

Thank you so much you are so sweet..

Jo-Jo, do you have to get Derm Caps from the vet? I don't want to go back to that office and not sure where I'm going to be takeing them yet..

Tricia-
I am so sorry for your awful visit to the vets office. I hope Lexy recovers from her wound she now has from that stupid doctor.
Hannah

I don't think so. I think they're available at Petsmart and Petco and probably other supply stores too. I don't think they cost much either. I cut the tip of the capsule and squeeze 4 drops each into their breakfast. This bottle says:
>>Derm Caps 10's for petite and miniature breeds. A concentrated fatty acid dietary supplement for animal use only. Contains 60 capsules (345 mg. per capsule).<<
I'm not a vet so please at least call the vet you were using and ask over the phone if Derm Caps would help with the itching. I'm not sure if they need to stay on it long term. I know how hard it is to find a new vet that you can trust...good luck in your search.

Tricia, I'm so sorry about this. I did a search and there is a lot of info on the following to search through. I was hoping that something you run across in this info might ring true to the problems you're having:

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=sk...shire+terriers

Thank you so much, I am going to read it right now...

Your poor girl! I can't believe that the vet cut her that badly and didn't even clean her up?! And why wait to run an allergy test in spring?? When you could find out now!? It just sounds to me like that vet was just trying to squeeze every penny from you as possible! I too just had a REALLY bad experience with a terrible "vet" and plan on continuing to look around. I hope you have good luck in finding a wonderful vet who will take care of your babies and you! It is strange that both your dogs are having the same itchy problem and hair breakage.. I would definately get away from that vet for sure!

I've never really dealt with itch problems other than Muffin had a seasonal itch, but it wasn't serious and went away. In the bunch of pages from the link I gave you, I found the following. I was wondering if it makes sense to anyone????? :confused:

also i was told to give the dog a bath in baby oil then wash with dawn to get
the oil out then a good conditioner shampoo but you must let the dog sit in
the oil for 1 hour!! i hope this works for you i havent found anything on my
dog yet!!

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.p...393d412bdb446b

Thank you, Lexi looks almost like someone shaved her hind legs. and the poor thing is itching so bad she can't sit still for 60 seconds. I have never seen her itch like this...

The description of how much agony your baby is in makes me cringe.. :( Poor, poor little girl.. I PRAY she finds relief soon! In the mean time I'm gonna do some digging and try and figure out what might be wrong with your furbaby.. She needs help ASAP :animal-pa

i feel your pain and your precious baby's. please follow your 1st gut instinct.get a new vet.do u have a veterinary college near you? its worth checking out. good luck!

My horse vet is the same way, he always makes me feel stupid and never really listens to what I have to say. Unfortunately in this area I don't have much choice in equine vets. So I can relate to you. BUT you can change vets and you should!

It sounds to me like both dogs have a parasite, and if you treat them both it should get rid of the itchiness. Also, the dryness should clear up somewhat too. In the meantime I would bathe them with the oatmeal shampooto give them some relief. I used the Aveeno oatmeal baby shampoo on Pita when she was really itchy with flea bites.

Your babies could have scabies which sounds worse than it is and is easily treatable with Ivermectrin. It can be spread to you. I had a friend whose kids had it and it is miserable.

I also use the Brewer's Yeast which deters parasites and fleas, Pita eats them right up and I get them in the dog section at Wal mart.

Here's an interesting link:
http://www.lbah.com/sarcoptic_mange.htm#symptoms

Good Luck!

itching
 

Is it at all possible they have a flea..? Not infested, but one or two..many Yorkies ar eallergic to them and it only takes a bite to start itching. Watch where tehy go..to a play park or even the vets office. Fleas jump on, feed and jump off...it is the salvia from the bite that makes them scratch.

I know it is so hard..I would go a step further and contact a doggie dermotologist. They will start over, but at least they deal with skin problems ONLY...I have been told few Yorkies have true food allergies. Best wishes

ps
 

I would not let them in the grass until this is fixed. Some are allergic to grass and lawn products....I had one who could not walk in the wet grass, his feet got red and itched...that is the year we concreted one play yard, a drastic step, but it stopped his problem.

First of all, im very sorry to hear what you and Lexi are going through, itch is worse then pain.

If i were you i would never put foot in that vet's office again!!

Like Yorkierose said, try to keep both your girls away from grass to see if that might make a difference, i never let my girls go out on grass they are litterbox trained.

Some fabric softners can also cause an allergic reaction, maybe an idea to change to a different product for their clothes for a while?

Hope Lexi feels well soon!!
Just keep trying different things on her till you have found the problem, vets tend to think they know it all... sure they know MUCH MORE then we do, but remember that Lexi is YOUR baby and you know her better then anyone else so i would say, follow your gut feeling, the problem might be in such a small corner that your overlooking it :)
Please keep us updated ;)

Best of luck :thumbup:

Im so sorry that Lexy is not feeling well and itching like crazy. Also that you had a bad experience with your vet. I hope you find a good vet soon to treat Lexi and Tori. Taje posted a link with good info. My Gucci had ringworm and she had a skin scrape test done also. The doc prescribed an antibiotic, an oral med, a medicated shampoo and the lyme dip bath. It took like 4 to 5 months for her to be clear completely. I hope Lexi start feeling better soon. Please keep us posted.

YorkieRose is right on the mark (as always) with 'grass.' Pixie was having such itching issues. Her vet said that she was obsessive/compulsive. I changed vets and had her tested for allergies. She is allergic to grass, mites, mole, dust, pollen (environment) etc., and POTATOES. She was never fed table scraps but her dog food had potatoes as an ingredient. Pixie couldn't tolerate the allergy injections made for her, so we had to stop. She's an 'in house' Yorkie except for car rides and shopping trips in my bag. She really doesn't miss outside as long as she has some sun to nap. I have tried almost all pet shampoos and find 'Nioxin' (cleanser/normal) for humans the best so far and as a rinse use their 'scalp therapy (nornal).' I dilute both. I had bought it in a hair salon for myself, it's for color treated hair in humans but found it later for less on eBay. Pixie's hair grew back where it was falling out.
Hope Lexi feels better and you as well.
Jessica
p.s. I would change vets, think yours is cruel. I have found that not all vets are animal lovers.

I am sorry you and Lexi are going through this. Skin issues are so hard to deal with. Sometimes even when you know what is causing the problem you can't totally control it. All you can do is try to make her comfortable until you see a dermatologist.

there are doggy shampoos that help , plus the benadryl that you are using. another thing a doggy derm told me was to put a little cortizone cream on the inside skin of their ears (especially if her ears are red and hot). they absorb the cream so you don't want to do this too often.

good luck...she is very lucky to have you as her mommy.

Tricia, I'm so sorry you have that vet. I hope you do find a new one soon.
Some Vets just don't understand, when our babies hurt, we hurt even more.
Sure hope Lexi feels better soon. I know it's been hard on you. Hang in there, we are here!
(((((((Lexi)))))))
:lovewings :lovewings :lovewings :lovewings

Thanks everyone for your support. I have checked her everyday for the last 3 months and the vet checks her every other week. Up til yesterday her skin was never even red/pink let alone marks and chew spots.

I have an appointment with 2 NEW vets Mon. (just to meet them and descuss my baby) I really do hope it is a parasite. I have been reading a lot for the last couple months and still feel helpless.

I have them on a Duck and Potatoe diet. No treats, Lexi is on Benadryl, an oil supplement,(for all those who suggested Omage 3 I feel stupid cuz she is on that just called something else) and now they are being treated for parasites with revolution. I did get the number of an allergist and will be calling him on Mon. I am looking for a good oat meal shampoo and conditioner for dogs.

I didn't think of this til last night, but Lexi started itching right after I started useing the CC products. Man I hope that isn't what is causing the itching, I love that stuff. :(

They can't have another bath til tomarrow evening cuz of the revolution and then I will bathe them in the oatmeal and hope that helps some.

After everything I have been doing and am doing if the new shampoo doesn't help I will take her to the allergist to have the skin test done. I am not doing the blood test because it doesn't test for nearly as many things as the skin test does. The vet that we have been going to said that the test is about $800 but very worth it.

Again thanks everyone, I have been reading the links also. Lots of good info...

Have you tried a dog dermatologist yet? When I lived at home we had a German short hair who scratched herself raw. After completely stumping the vet, yes he also said mange, parasites etc, etc. etc. We finally went to the dermatologist. They did a patch test. (be prepared they shaved her entire side, marked off grids, and basically tested for numerous allergians (sp)). It turned out Brandy was allergic to grass, mold, dust, laundry detergent (from laying on the blankets, towels from her baths,) and her shampoo. She was treated with allergy shots for the grass, mold and dust, my mother changed her shampoo and the laundry detergent but dry the line when the vet advised her to get rid of all the carpets. They are expensive but well worth it. Good luck.

So sorry your furbaby is going through all this! YOU HAVE TO Change Vets!!!
There is no excuse for the treatment your little girl was given. I learned a lesson with my first vet! They would do follow up checks and each time I was charged for him looking at my dog and sending me home. So I was totally surprised when my new vet charged me nothing for follow up checks! She said she never charges for followups. We had like 5 follow ups and no charges. The vet has done scrape tests on my dog and there is no reason to have such a huge cut/scrape and so much blood to get a sample! There are some vets that don't have a clue what they are doing! Ask your friends and neighbors so you can find the right vet for your furbabies.

Genie

I would be out raged! I haven't been on yorkie talk for a while and I remember the picture you posted with the burns ... :eek: Is there a place to report these things because this is cruelty to animals! Definitely find a new vet. I'm so sorry your poor little guys had to go through this and your pocket book.

POOR BABY - Itching is just awful and it can really really be a problem to not know what's causing this - Going out on a limb here but a friend had a VERY itchy yorkie - it was Sarcoptic Mites & spread to her other yorkie ....these mites PROBABLY happened because her puppy was shipped from Brazil ....I think they had to do a skin test/scraping to find them
http://www.thepetcenter.com/exa/mites.html

They are VERY hard to treat and you have to treat your whole house - has this been ruled out ?

and Tricia - A Good friend of mine just had her yorkie tested for Allergies and is on steriods now - do you want to talk to her before you get the tests ?