being a regular customer at the clinic

The doctor suspected food allergy. Or rather, protein allergy. It was a blow to our family.

Was prescriped "Hill's Prescription Diet z/d". Junior went on a hunger strike for 4 days. In the end, I gave up the diet.

All the time, Junior was on a steriod prescription of prednisolone 5mg.

After much monthly trips to the clinic, doc suggested the spot test. Blood is drawn and flown to USA for lab diagnostics.

He has 5 "borderline" reacting allergens: redtop grass, willow trees, fasarium fungi, beef, barley, orris root.
He has 17 "postitve" reacting allergens: (GRASSES) johnson, fescue, timothy, brome, (WEEDS) pigweed, sage, saltbush/scale mix, (TREES) privet, pecan, mesquite, (FUNGAL) aspergillus, alternaria, helminthosporium, cladosporium, rhizopus, phome, housedust/mites, (FOOD) rye, venison, eggs, brewers yeast, carrots, peas.

OK, you may officially call him the bubble boy. Basically it means he is allergic to mostly trees, grasses, weeds, fungal, and housedust. Just kill me.

After the test was done, a maintenance kit was ordered. Based on the allergens Junior was allergic to, they will develop allergenic extract to inject into his body, thus forcing his body to accept and adapt to the allergens.

For Junior, 2 sets were needed. Every alternate day, 2 injections were done at home, starting from 0.1ml, and gradually increased to 1.0ml on the 20th day.
Again, 2 injections where done on the 25th, 30th, 36th, 42th, 48th, 58th, 68th, 78th, 88th day; starting from 0.1ml to be increased to 1.0ml on the 88th day.
Finally, the injection were to be spaced out from every week, to every 2 weeks, to every 3 weeks and so forth, until every month.
After the kit is finish, a new kit is to be ordered for monthly maintenance. 2 injections per month. Ouch.

It hurts him and it hurts my pockets deeply.

My modest estimation is I have already spent approximately 4k on him just for surgery, tests, kits, trips to the doctor.

barf diet

At the time I switched doctors, I put him on a barf diet.

Veggie ingredients were: carrot, celery, broccoli, apples, pears - all into the food processor.

Meat ingredients were: chicken (incusive of bones), chicken necks, pork liver - all into the food processor too.

Every day I would alternate either yogurt, garlic, apple cider vinegar, or raw egg. Egg i try to give once a week. I try to give more yogurt or vinegar.

Every meal includes part meat, part veggie, part extra, and supplement. Supplement consist of alfafa, kelp. Rotation of cod liver oil, or flaxseed oil.

There was a slight improvement in his coat. However, he did not take a liking to the raw diet.

(I dropped the diet after seeing no change in him for a year; it hit a plateau. Now, he is on salmon fish, broccoli, chicken, and sweet potatoes and rice - all boiled)

pathetic dog

No one wanted to purchase him. He was already 6 months old at the pet shop. I could see other more popular puppies snapped up. His forlorn face, I could remember forever.
And so I bought him. 4th october 2000.

Soon he grew up, but realised that he has skin problems.
(I'm not saying that his is a great big problem that I should make a big hoo-ha of, and blog only about my dog. My aim is to blog about what I have tried on him and what works and what doesn't.)

OK, anyway, back to the story.

Sent him to a veterinary in Serangoon North. It was diagnosed as just itchy skin problem.

Put him on countless different over the counter diets. ANF, Science Diet, Eagle Pack, Solid Gold, Nutro, Pro Plan - be it wet or dry. Nothing helps.

He would scratch like there's no tomorrow; bite his paws as if it doesn't belongs to him.

It went on for about a year. Switched pet food, switched doctors, switched clinics, switched shampoo. Seeing him in such flaky, rough, reddish skin, I could only feel dispair.

Tax Invoice: 01/11/2004

Anaesthesia: $157.50
Surgery-Luxating Patella: $367.50
Suture Materials: $31.50
Betamox Injection: $12.60
Temgesic Injection: $ 21.00
bandage: $12.60
IV Catheter: $6.30
hospitalisation: $15.75
daily examination: $12.60
medication: $12.60

Having a healthy dog: priceless

and yes, I used Mastercard :)

Intro

OK, to start off with, Junior is a allerged JRT but he doesn't looks like one. His coat is a utter failure in terms of breed standard. However, he is purchased with the sole determination not to discriminate against puppies with improper breed standards. He looks like a regular terrier to me though...

(He has perpetually no fur on his "elbows" due to excessive scratching. Just a reddish patch with occasional lesions on the skin.)