Yes, really.
For nine years we have had a Siberian Husky named Kinli. You can see his photo elsewhere on the site, either on his own page, or on our newest family member page with our calico kitten Callie.
There is no question that Kinli was mistreated before we got him. How and to what extent we don't know. He had a huge cut in his side, he was terrified of men, and it took nearly two years for him to learn that being petted can be nice.
But in all those nine years, we've often thought he was miserable and that nothing could make him happy. Three to four times a year he would become almost inconsolable, crying constantly, and licking holes in his paws. Trips to the vet sent us on one quest after another: antidepressants, antianxiety meds, antifungals, anti-itch creams... we even tried Benadryl twice a day. The conclusion was that the dog had OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).
Well, I had him in to the vet again a few weeks ago about a cyst on one of his paws. Different vet in the same practice. When he noticed that Kinli was not only fussing with the cyst, but had licked a bloody hole in his right front paw, he asked about it. I explained all the treatments that had failed. But all of a sudden when I said, "This happens 3-4 times a year," the vet's head snapped up. He said, "Not even dogs get a vacation from OCD. This is allergies."
I said, "But Benadryl didn't work."
The doctor looked back through the records and said, "That's because it wasn't enough Benadryl. You were giving him the standard human dose. Dogs need a lot more."
So now Kinli gets 75 mg (three tablets) of Benadryl three times a day, and every time we bring him back in from a trip outside, we wash all his paws. Just rinse them, really.
And our almost perpetually unhappy dog is no longer unhappy. He has stopped licking holes in himself. He has stopped whining except when he needs a walk or needs to be fed. He actually sits around grinning contentedly much of the time when he's not sleeping or out walking.
Part of me feels just awful that the poor dog suffered all these years needlessly. But another part of me is just thrilled that finally, at long last, Kinli can be a happy dog.
Apparently these allergies in dogs aren't rare. I suppose that over the last nine years a lot of knowledge has been gained by veterinarians on this subject, and that's why we never got to this point before. But I'm sure glad we're here now.
Hugs,
Rachel
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