Rilo has not had the best of luck when it comes to health issues in her short little life. At not even two years old, she's made appearances at the vet more times than any other dog I know. Mostly, it has had to do with her skin: last year we had to take her to the vet for an ear infection, as well as severe inflammation of her nipples, which has really never returned to normal. She's constantly scratching and passersby often ask if she just had pups due to the swelling. After rigorous treatment of many leads that lead nowhere, the vet finally settled on "seasonal allergies," suggested Benadryl and sent us on our way.
Fast forward to this summer. Rilo's ears have been bothering her and since she's had an ear infection before, I knew the signs to look for. In addition to the ear infection, she had started to scratch her belly more frequently than usual, we started to notice little red spots all over and some hair loss on her knees. She began chewing on her paws a lot, and we finally made the call to the vet after she vomited three times in a two day period.
Last night, Rilo met her new vet -- a lovely strawberry-blond who prefers holistic treatment over antibiotics, and even performs acupuncture on some patients! She agreed that Rilo had an ear infection, and believes that all signs do point to allergies, but as opposed to the seasonal allergies we had thought she suffered from, this doctor believes it's actually a
food allergy. For now, we're tackling her ear infection with twice weekly cleanings, twice daily ointment treatments, and a steroid to help both the ear and the belly for the next week or two. After her symptoms are at bay, I'm going to slowly switch her diet (something I've long wanted to do, but admittedly decided to put on the back burner until we had the extra money to spend on an all-natural diet, instead of a WalMart diet). Hopefully, after 8-12 weeks, I'll know if the diet switch will be the cure and we can move forward.
SIDENOTE: The doctor also prescribed a special shampoo to use twice a week to help soothe her belly and get rid of the bacteria and yeast that is on the surface of her skin. What the doctor forgot to say was "DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME" which is exactly what I did last night, leaving my bathroom soaking wet and my walls, sink and bathtub FILLED with little black hairs. Her next bath will be taking place at the groomers -- an extra expense that proved necessary after the mess we girls made.
Her appointment was last night and already her ears look a million times better, she's not scratching
quite as much as before, she's playing with squeeky toys again, and the tail is wagging overtime.
Rilo, if you could read I'd write you a letter explaining all the ways that you make Mommy happy. I'd tell you that, despite how expensive and annoying you can be, I couldn't have adopted a better, cuter or more lovable dog. I'd tell you that I love the smell of your fur and will tolerate your stinky dog breath if it means a big, slobbery puppy kiss on a particularly gloomy day. I'd tell you that I think it's cute when you sleep curled up on my head, despite being 60 lbs -- and even if that means I don't get a pillow to sleep with. I'd tell you that I love you with all my heart and that I'll never stop loving you. I'd tell you that you're my very best friend.
...But since you can't read, I'll show you I love you by playing with you when I get home from work, cuddling you, petting you, brushing your fur, rubbing your belly, giving you ice cubes and making sure you get all the attention you deserve :)
