July 31, 2006

Adding insult to injury


As if Ferris wasn't uncomfortable enough with his all-over rash, his sudden weight loss and his evidently frightening hallucinations. Yes, that's right, Ferris' keg has arrived!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know you love your Ferris and in following your blog with all of Ferris's skin problems I am begging you to take him to another vet! Go to the Animal Clinic on Mutual St in Toronto. Ask for Dr Bob Kenn. He is wonderful.

Calamity Jen said...

Hello again.

Thank you for your recommendation. We have had a few friends suggest that we take Ferris to their vet for a second opinion.

The reason that our vet is holding off on steroid injections is that steroids are linked to liver disease, to which Berners are prone. He promises that he will resort to steroids, however, if this latest course of treatment does not work.

Ferris ended up with fleas again in spite of being on Advantage, so we expect that he will feel a bit better once he stops reacting to the flea bites. He is on a new flea medication. We are having him bathed regularly with prescription shampoos, which provides temporary relief. (The shampoo may also be the reason that the Advantage was ineffective.)

It breaks my heart to see Ferris so uncomfortable, but you can understand why I respect my vet's advice to hold off on steroids until we can see if the new medicine and the special diet are effective.

-Calamity

Anonymous said...

I can almost guarantee that it won't be. Meanwhile, your pocket gets lighter ( I know this isn't the point but it 's expensive!) your vet get's richer and poor Ferris is the one who keeps suffering!!!! It's been going on for so long! Believe me, I am not a nasty person and don't mean to be pushy but it's heartbreaking to know of his suffering when it could be stopped so quickly.

Calamity Jen said...

I understand why you're being pushy -- I would be too if I felt that an animal was suffering needlessly. But liver disease is not something I take lightly, and so I heed my vet's warnings and accept his advice. I will give this course of treatment one more week and if it doesn't prove effective, I will request the steroid injections. In the meantime, I'll continue to give Ferris belly rubs and thorough brushings and medicated baths to ease the discomfort.

-Calamity