Willow's allergy update and vet notes

I took Willow in today for the persistent itching on her ears and neck. We've been tracking this for three weeks.

The vet did a skin scrape and found mild dermatitis but no active mites. She prescribed a 14-day course of oral antihistamines, 2mg/kg. I've already started the log.

Current data: Willow is scratching 4 times per hour, down from 12. I'm interested if anyone else has seen a similar reduction with this dosage.

I also checked Rio's flea collar today. It's still active, but I'm nervous given his history. See Rio's flea prevention routine for the details on his last treatment.

Oh my gosh, 4 times an hour is still a lot! I remember when Leo was like that and I thought he was going to lose his mind. Did the vet mention anything about food allergies? I feel like that's always the thing we miss.

I am so stressed about this because every time I look at Willow I just worry she's in pain. I know she's not, but my brain just goes there. I hope the meds work fast. I'm going to check out your log thread to see how this compares to before.

Walter, the 2mg/kg dose is standard for starting out. Dolly used to have similar issues before we found the right diet. Consistency is key with these oral meds. I usually hide them in a small piece of cheese.

I noticed you mentioned Rio's collar. Make sure you are rotating the brands or using a different mechanism, as resistance can build up. I have Administering oral antihistamines in my notes if you want to see how I handle the side effects like drowsiness.

Thanks Sharon. The cheese trick works for Willow, but Rio is a bit more particular. I will look at your notes on side effects.

To answer @andrea_r96, the vet did a food trial last year. It was negative. So we are ruling out dietary causes for now. The focus is on environmental triggers and the mild dermatitis.

I have updated the Willow's allergy history log with today's findings. If anyone wants to compare notes on scratching frequency, that thread has the raw data from the last three weeks.

I am so happy to hear Willow is improving. Copper had a similar flare-up last spring. We had to change the dust in his bedding. It was such a small thing but it made a huge difference.

I am also curious about the antihistamines. Did the vet say how long until we should see a change? I am waiting for the next checkup to get more info. I hope the 14 days is enough time.

I just read your log thread, Walter. It is so thorough. I feel like I should be keeping a spreadsheet for Mia too, but she is so calm I never think to.

I am still worried about Willow. If the meds don't work, do you think we need to look into more invasive tests? I saw a thread about biopsies and it scared me a little. I just want her to stop scratching.

The vet recommended re-evaluating in 14 days if there is no 50% reduction in scratching. Currently, we are at a 66% reduction, so we are on track.

If the next round of meds fails, we will likely move to a more detailed diagnostic process. I have started looking into Leo's recent skin biopsy results to see what that process entails, just in case.

For now, I am sticking to the data. We will see how she responds to the full course.