Little Gifts Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 (edited) I was just patting Stussy and thought her head felt a bit lumpy. I looked and it seems she has a rash developing. Her eyes are looking a little red and her ears are hot too. So I did an all over check and her inner thighs are quite heavily rashed too. So what to do - after hours vet or monitor? I know there is human medicine I can give her if needed but of course I can't remember what it is or dosage rates. She does not seem uncomfortable in any way, breathing is fine, happily wanting to snooze on my lap as usual. Thoughts please knowledgeable people????? Edited June 18, 2014 by Little Gifts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted June 14, 2014 Author Share Posted June 14, 2014 I should add it seems like an allergic rash. She may have been bitten by something (although she has been inside for the past 1.5 hours and lying on me). She had her normal Black Hawk kibble and a couple of chicken necks for dinner. She had the same chicken necks last night without issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuralPug Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 I would phone the after hours vet nearest you and ask their opinion. If they want her brought in, jump to it, but they may say just watch her till morning. Be guided by their advice - they may suggest a human antihistamine and then bring her in the morning if she is not better. It does sound like hives or some other sort of allergic reaction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted June 14, 2014 Author Share Posted June 14, 2014 I rang and they said I could bring her in but if it has not gotten any worse in the last half an hour then close monitoring is also an option. Apart from shaking her red ear and some spots appearing on one front leg (same side as her ear) things have not changed from when I first posted. Heat also seems to be dissipating. I'd say it was a bite to that ear. I have family here for dinner (typical) and she hoovered the kitchen floor while it was all being served up and ran to the table in case anything got accidentally dropped so obviously she is not feeling overly icky. We will go back to lying together on the lounge so we can continue that 'close monitoring'. Sometimes I hate that staffords are so tough - I'm never quite sure how serious things really are with her as she is rarely sick and never shows any signs of pain or discomfort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 Poor Stussy woke in the early hours of the morning hot and itchy. Her poor ears were about three times their normal size. So we went off to the vet for a very expensive injection. And of course in my rush I forgot my house keys and my sister wasn't home so I had to frighten the daylights out of my parents to get the spare set. Things have settled right down since the shot so that's the most important thing. She enjoyed her outing too! And while I was at the vet the vet nurse was chatting away to me about a variety of things (no other needy pets waiting) and she fosters for a local guinea pig rescue group so it looks like I will be making some guinea pig goodies! I'm a bit excited about that! I like trying new things! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinabean Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Poor Stussy, I hope it all stays settled down for her now. And poor you LG, what a night! Any ideas on what might have caused it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 yuk Hives are an awful symptom of allergy .Glad she got the expensive injection! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 No idea what caused it but the most likely scenario is something bit her while she was having a quick pee after dinner because dinner is the same as what she eats regularly (the other dogs ate it too) and she definitely didn't spend any time after dinner wandering around the yard, up the mischief in the bushes. Once she saw me settled on the couch she was straight up for cuddles and we were there for over an hour, with me scratching her head and face before I felt the lumps rising. There is one head lump bigger and redder than the rest so now I'm thinking that could be the bite mark given both ears ended up being the same (I originally thought it was an ear bite). The vet gave me some tabs to keep on hand if it ever happens again. We still have swelling and some heat but obviously she is not uncomfortable after the injection but if it is still raised and hot tomorrow I will take her to my vet in case she needs a steroid injection too. Previous bite/allergic responses have not lasted this long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Poor girl, hopefully it was a one-off event. It'd be nice to know what caused it though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 Poor girl, hopefully it was a one-off event. It'd be nice to know what caused it though! Apparently they can run a test to do that and had the allergy been life threatening then I definitely would've done it. I suspect it was a common garden bug just flying around at night while she was out having a pee and they collided. Not her first allergic response to a bug bite either, but obviously if she is developing a more intense response then I need to get on top of that and maybe get her an epi-pen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted June 16, 2014 Author Share Posted June 16, 2014 So last night about 10pm Stussy ends up with huge weals all down her side and on the outside of her legs. She shook and couldn't settle all night (no sleep for either of us) so back to my regular vet this morning for another check and steroid injection. I could've given her one of the anti-histamine tablets the vet on Sunday gave me 'just in case' but guess what, my sister and I turned the house upside down twice and the little yellow bottle is nowhere to be found. My vet reckons it is possible she got bitten last night a second time - hence new reaction in a different location. I am going to check the yard to see if there is maybe a wasp nest near where she likes to toilet. And given there is a human measles epidemic I did ask the vet could she have picked up a virus (no) but didn't want him to realise how dumb I was so didn't actually mention the word measles, just thought it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 So things have not gone well for poor Stuss. Last night her ears were about 10 times thicker than normal and were a dark crimson colour and her legs and feet were so grotesquely swollen it reminded me of shar pei fever (which other breeds can get I found out today!). Plus she had the shakies, her appetite has decreased and two nights in a row she has wet on the lounge room floor (never even did that as a pup). She spent the day at the vet being sedated to have a whole heap of tests done, including a biopsy, bloods and xrays. They think she now has vasculitis and she is on cortisone so we will see how things go overnight. She has to go back to have comparative bloods tomorrow morning because there is something in the two lots of tests they ran today that has indicated cancer/tumours, which could be the cause of the vasculitis. The xrays didn't show anything. I'm assuming it will be another sleepless night for me and so far this week I've spent around $1000 for what started out as a potential bug bite. Anyone else had a dog with vasculitis? What were the symptoms? How quick did it respond to treatment? Is it a forever health issue or once it is resolved is that it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Maeby Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Oh no LG, I'm sorry to hear that. I don't have any experience with vasculitis but I just wanted to send you hugs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 sounds nasty . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Oh geez she and you have been through the wringer. Sorry I know nothing about that condition. I hope she is better soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bianca.a Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Oh no this sounds scary Keeping you both in my thoughts ((hugs)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuralPug Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I'm so sorry. I've never had to deal with this condition but a quick google tells me that the treatment is usually to suppress the immune system chemically while the cause is sought. Sending positive vibes and good thoughts to you both... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harley Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Poor Stussy, I hope she (and you) have a good night and she gets better soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 Pathetic isn't it. Stussy is my heart girl and I spent the entire day having sneaky snobs in fear that she wouldn't come out of anaesthetic or that her temp would rise so high she would have a seizure and die. I just knew in my gut that something was not right. She is so rarely unwell I realised I would totally fall apart if something happened to my naughty chunky monkey prematurely. She gives so much to me it seems that she deserves nothing less than a long and terribly spoilt life. Even if we both lived to 100 I still wouldn't be sick of her. Things seem to have gone well tonight. There has been no increase in swelling or redness at all, which also means a lot less heat and discomfort for her. We still have to get what is already there to minimise and disappear but no increase is an improvement on the last couple of nights. Our next challenge will be bed and seeing if we both get an acceptable night's sleep. I have my fingers and toes crossed that we have seen the last of the shakes and that I don't wake up every hour checking she's still breathing. It's hard being a mum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Oh no poor Stussy hope it clears up and you both get a good nights sleep! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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