I took Tabs for a second opinion today because she was scratching and licking quite badly again this morning.
The senior vet says it certainly looks like an allergy problem. But as we know, for allergy problems, it is extremely difficult to identify the allergen. Also, it is one of those ailments that have no cure. It is all about managing and controlling the condition.
What could be the allergen? It could range from food, dust, pollen to anything in the environment. But it doesn’t matter that Tabs has been eating this same food for years without any problems. The allergy can just develop for no reason at all. The same goes for something in the environment as well, she could very well be exposed to it for years without any issues and only now develop an allergic reaction.
That being the case, it is almost impossible (or extremely challenging) to do any elimination test. It could be so many things.
I remember that Indy had a persistent bloody stool problem which lasted for months. We did so many tests but it just wouldn’t go away until I switched his food to rabbit. It turned out that he had been on the same proteins for years and this caused the allergy. So by switching to rabbit (a new protein), that solved the problem. I got the tip from the internet.
Then again, for Tabs, the vet thinks it could be due to an ectoparasite bite whereby Tabs is allergic to the saliva of the ectoparasite (for example, fleas). She may not have any fleas at all, it could just be due to a flea bite. The saliva remains and this causes the allergic reaction.
An “easy way out” is to opt for oral steroid treatment (Prednisolone). The vet suggested that we wait a bit before opting for this since Tabs had been given a low dose steroid injection just last week.
Meanwhile, we could try doing some elimination tests. For example, restricting only certain types of proteins or keeping her confined in a bathroom without any fabric. We think that keeping her confined in a bathroom is not possible as Tabs would be extremely stressed.
The good thing is that the vet said it is only a superficial problem and does not appear to be serious at this point. There are no puncture wounds, just some scratches from Tabs herself.
Well, Cleo had a balding problem at her flanks and that lasted for 12 years before it resolved on its own. We consulted many vets but nothing seemed to work at all, so we just left it since it wasn’t disturbing her. After 12 years, the problem went away on its own.
I asked the vet if I could bathe her every few days since bathing seemed to help the other day. The vet said that could be one method too since bathing might wash off the allergens from her fur. But the vet recommended that I use a moisturizer to prevent Tabs’ skin from drying out. I’ll be careful about this since Tabs reacted to virgin coconut oil the other day.
All said, the vet explained that ultimately, it won’t be a vet who will solve the problem but the pet parent since it’s all about trying out various elimination tests and seeing what works…eventually.
But I must mention that one very good thing came out of today’s visit to the vet’s. Two different vets had previously checked and said that Tabs has a bad tooth covered in thick tartar which eventually would require extraction. Today, the senior vet used his finger and scratched out all the tartar in a split second and Tabs did not even wince! So, the thick tartar is all gone now and surprisingly, the tooth is still good. The same thing happened years ago with Pole. A vet checked and said Pole needed dental extraction to get rid of a really rotten tooth. Luckily I took Pole for a second opinion from this same senior vet. He also used his finger and scratched out the tartar to reveal a perfectly (still) good tooth and Pole never needed any dental extraction for the rest of her life.