Dog Itchiness
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brittney-08
Dog Itchiness
Yesterday I took my dog to the vet to get some of her shots. She is 2 years old and a maltese. I noticed last night that she was scratching herself, mostly her ears. I didn't really think anything of it until I noticed how much she was scratching today. She continually rolls over on the carpet, attempting to scratch herself, I've noticed some red marks on her skin, they almost look like a type of bug bite, like a misquito bite. Her eyes do not look normal either, the skin around them is puffy and red. She will lay down, get up, find another spot lay down, get up.. over and over. I don't know if she's just allergic to something or if it's more serious. Does anyone have any ideas on what this could be? It's only been going on since yesterday and today.. ever since she came back from the vet. Should I call my vet and notify him of her condition? Thanks!
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jobird
I would phone the vet and make him/her aware of this. It sounds abit like an allergic reaction and depending on which shots she got, I have heard of people whos dogs react to the preservative/adjvents this way. The danger is that the first time she has a reaction could be mild like this, the next time could be a lot more serious. On the other hand, it could be an ear infection too, in which case you would have to take her to see the vet to get antibiotics. Good luck.
I was also thinking it sounded like an allergic reaction...Call the vet to be safe.
Jon
Jon
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Wagonmaster
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Wagonmaster
- GDF Junkie
- Posts: 3372
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 10:22 am
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
Brittany-
I hope you got that dog in. Have posted this on other boards, because it recently happened to me. Hopefully can get the word out.
I brought a dog in for standard panel (parvo, etc.), rabies, giardia, lyme's and the first dose of the new rattlesnake. Put the dog in the kennel in the car. Did some other things at the vet, checked the dog in the kennel, and drove home. By the time I got home about 2 hours after the shots, the dog's muzzle and eyes were severely swollen and getting worse. He looked like a sharpei. Called the original vet, who was a long way away. He said get dog into the local vet immediately, which I did. They administered benadryl and steroids immediately, to stop the histiminic reaction and reduce the swelling. Kept the dog for observation, and everything turned out OK.
The reaction can cascade, and cause the windpipe to swell shut suffocating the dog, among other possibilities. Even if that does not happen, the dog likely will damage itself from scratching the intense itching.
We never did figure out which of the vaccines caused it, or if it was a combination of them. Some vets thought the rattlesnake, because it is new. Others said this is a classic reaction for rabies vaccine. Still others said it is a serious problem with the lyme's vaccination. We did do the second dose of the rattlesnake 30 days later, with no ill effects.
The moral of the story is always to set aside time to observe a dog for a few hours after vaccinations. If I had left the dog unattended any longer than I did, it likely would have been gone according to the vets. I get allergy shots, and have for years. The allergists keep you in their office for about 20 minutes to see if there is any sign of a reaction. They warn about this, and to get immediate attention if it occurs. So was aware of the possibilities and had fortunately set aside time the time.
Hope all turns out well.
I hope you got that dog in. Have posted this on other boards, because it recently happened to me. Hopefully can get the word out.
I brought a dog in for standard panel (parvo, etc.), rabies, giardia, lyme's and the first dose of the new rattlesnake. Put the dog in the kennel in the car. Did some other things at the vet, checked the dog in the kennel, and drove home. By the time I got home about 2 hours after the shots, the dog's muzzle and eyes were severely swollen and getting worse. He looked like a sharpei. Called the original vet, who was a long way away. He said get dog into the local vet immediately, which I did. They administered benadryl and steroids immediately, to stop the histiminic reaction and reduce the swelling. Kept the dog for observation, and everything turned out OK.
The reaction can cascade, and cause the windpipe to swell shut suffocating the dog, among other possibilities. Even if that does not happen, the dog likely will damage itself from scratching the intense itching.
We never did figure out which of the vaccines caused it, or if it was a combination of them. Some vets thought the rattlesnake, because it is new. Others said this is a classic reaction for rabies vaccine. Still others said it is a serious problem with the lyme's vaccination. We did do the second dose of the rattlesnake 30 days later, with no ill effects.
The moral of the story is always to set aside time to observe a dog for a few hours after vaccinations. If I had left the dog unattended any longer than I did, it likely would have been gone according to the vets. I get allergy shots, and have for years. The allergists keep you in their office for about 20 minutes to see if there is any sign of a reaction. They warn about this, and to get immediate attention if it occurs. So was aware of the possibilities and had fortunately set aside time the time.
Hope all turns out well.
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brittney-08
Thanks for all your help everyone! I called the vet and he said that it was most likely an allergic reaction to the shot and to watch her carefully, if she didn't improve bring her in. He also said to give her Benedryl which really helped her. She is all better now and a happy pooch again and I'm so glad she's okay!
One question though next time if an allergic reaction comes back, why would it be worse, I mean what causes it to become worse than the first time? Well thanks again, you've all been great!
One question though next time if an allergic reaction comes back, why would it be worse, I mean what causes it to become worse than the first time? Well thanks again, you've all been great!
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Wagonmaster
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Hey Brittney-
Glad to hear it turned out. Didn't mean to be an alarmist, but those reactions can just work out, or can turn deadly in a hurry. Not a vet or dr., but have had some experience with them. Don't know the exact mechanism, but a dog or human can become sensitized to a substance, increasing the risk the next time around.
Next time around, would suggest you tell your vet about the reaction and ask if the dog should be pretreated. They give benadryl before the vaccination, which apparently helps alot, and does not have a downside.
Glad to hear it turned out. Didn't mean to be an alarmist, but those reactions can just work out, or can turn deadly in a hurry. Not a vet or dr., but have had some experience with them. Don't know the exact mechanism, but a dog or human can become sensitized to a substance, increasing the risk the next time around.
Next time around, would suggest you tell your vet about the reaction and ask if the dog should be pretreated. They give benadryl before the vaccination, which apparently helps alot, and does not have a downside.