ever since I picked up Molly's allergy report. We have been overwhelmed with what we should do.
The vet called back on Wednesday night and is still telling us to go with the ATOPICA, which we cannot afford. She suggested I try some of the vet's special food; so I called around at the vet's office on Friday to discover that a small bag of the food, which would last Molly a week was over $50 :0O So I refused to buy it!!
I spoke with Karine's mother on Friday, as she also has a dog with allergies, and I have to say what she had to say made sense and left me feeling a bit better. I also called the pet store and found another food for Molly that doesn't have any ingredients in it that she is allergic too, it's Dick Van Patten's Venison and Sweet Potato. This also has no fish oil in it, which a lot of foods do have. Even the Omega 3 oil supplement we have been giving her has fish oil in it, so we have had to stop that. The new food has flaxseed in it which is a good alternative to the Omega 3 oil.
So I feel a little better knowing I will probably have her food allergies under control in time. The food allergies are the easier of the two things to take control of. The environmental allergies are another kettle of fish though, and with Molly's being so severe I am not sure what is going to happen there. As I have said before she is on Vanectyl-P which is a steroid/antihistamine. As with any steroid it is not good for humans or animals, so the aim is to get her off those as soon as possible.
So we may try a holistic/natural alternative for the environmental allergies. Any suggestions would be appreciated here. If none of these work, we are considering putting her up for adoption. That is a last resort, and one we don't want to do, but at the end of the day if ATOPICA is the only thing that will give her a pain free life, then it's something we will have to do.
I want to make it clear we love Molly to death and she is a great dog, but we honestly cannot afford the $100 + a month it is going to cost us keeping her on the medication. Also having to get up before 6am each and every single day as she needs to go out for a pee, no matter how late we keep her up is getting tiring for me. That is a side effect of the steroids, she has to pee a lot.
I will keep you informed on how things go with Molly. Our hope is to find something that will work against all her environmental allergies before the end of March, when the snow will start to melt, as we will be heading towards her worst period of time for her allergies.
Sorry for such a doom and gloom post.
Did you remember to put your money in your Daily Savings Pot today?
Today's Money Saving Tip's:
• Help your pet practice good hygiene. Grooming and trimming nails regularly helps prevent many types of infection. Brush your pet’s teeth at least three times a week to avoid tooth decay and gum disease, which can spread to other parts of the body.
• Keep pets at an ideal weight and make sure they get plenty of exercise. Obesity leads to a host of orthopedic problems as well as diabetes, heart disease and other medical disorders. Find a high-quality diet that your pet likes and stick with it. If you must switch, do so gradually to avoid stomach upset.
• Keep your pet current on vaccines and parasite preventives. Don’t wait until your pet is infested or ill. Contact your local animal-control organization to see if it offers low-cost vaccines, including shots for rabies.
• Spay or neuter your pet early. You’ll save on vet bills for serious medical conditions such as breast, uterine and testicular cancer. You’ll also greatly reduce the risk that your pet will be hit by a car or injured in a fight, since animals “on the prowl” are prone to wandering and aggression.
• Keep cats indoors. The average life expectancy of a cat that goes outside is only three to five years, compared to more than 12 years for indoor cats.
• Pet-proof your home and yard. Store medications and chemicals safely, make sure that fences and gates are secure, and keep poisonous plants out of reach.
All tips are from this site
I would also like to apologise for not visiting your blogs, but with the Molly thing and everything else I have had going on this week, I am just pooped...
The vet called back on Wednesday night and is still telling us to go with the ATOPICA, which we cannot afford. She suggested I try some of the vet's special food; so I called around at the vet's office on Friday to discover that a small bag of the food, which would last Molly a week was over $50 :0O So I refused to buy it!!
I spoke with Karine's mother on Friday, as she also has a dog with allergies, and I have to say what she had to say made sense and left me feeling a bit better. I also called the pet store and found another food for Molly that doesn't have any ingredients in it that she is allergic too, it's Dick Van Patten's Venison and Sweet Potato. This also has no fish oil in it, which a lot of foods do have. Even the Omega 3 oil supplement we have been giving her has fish oil in it, so we have had to stop that. The new food has flaxseed in it which is a good alternative to the Omega 3 oil.
So I feel a little better knowing I will probably have her food allergies under control in time. The food allergies are the easier of the two things to take control of. The environmental allergies are another kettle of fish though, and with Molly's being so severe I am not sure what is going to happen there. As I have said before she is on Vanectyl-P which is a steroid/antihistamine. As with any steroid it is not good for humans or animals, so the aim is to get her off those as soon as possible.
So we may try a holistic/natural alternative for the environmental allergies. Any suggestions would be appreciated here. If none of these work, we are considering putting her up for adoption. That is a last resort, and one we don't want to do, but at the end of the day if ATOPICA is the only thing that will give her a pain free life, then it's something we will have to do.
I want to make it clear we love Molly to death and she is a great dog, but we honestly cannot afford the $100 + a month it is going to cost us keeping her on the medication. Also having to get up before 6am each and every single day as she needs to go out for a pee, no matter how late we keep her up is getting tiring for me. That is a side effect of the steroids, she has to pee a lot.
I will keep you informed on how things go with Molly. Our hope is to find something that will work against all her environmental allergies before the end of March, when the snow will start to melt, as we will be heading towards her worst period of time for her allergies.
Sorry for such a doom and gloom post.
Did you remember to put your money in your Daily Savings Pot today?
Today's Money Saving Tip's:
• Help your pet practice good hygiene. Grooming and trimming nails regularly helps prevent many types of infection. Brush your pet’s teeth at least three times a week to avoid tooth decay and gum disease, which can spread to other parts of the body.
• Keep pets at an ideal weight and make sure they get plenty of exercise. Obesity leads to a host of orthopedic problems as well as diabetes, heart disease and other medical disorders. Find a high-quality diet that your pet likes and stick with it. If you must switch, do so gradually to avoid stomach upset.
• Keep your pet current on vaccines and parasite preventives. Don’t wait until your pet is infested or ill. Contact your local animal-control organization to see if it offers low-cost vaccines, including shots for rabies.
• Spay or neuter your pet early. You’ll save on vet bills for serious medical conditions such as breast, uterine and testicular cancer. You’ll also greatly reduce the risk that your pet will be hit by a car or injured in a fight, since animals “on the prowl” are prone to wandering and aggression.
• Keep cats indoors. The average life expectancy of a cat that goes outside is only three to five years, compared to more than 12 years for indoor cats.
• Pet-proof your home and yard. Store medications and chemicals safely, make sure that fences and gates are secure, and keep poisonous plants out of reach.
All tips are from this site
I would also like to apologise for not visiting your blogs, but with the Molly thing and everything else I have had going on this week, I am just pooped...
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