He's Allergic, Harry Doggy Woggy

All week long I've sang the "Harrified" version of the electric slide.  This time last year Harry started itching, and we visited the vet several times and dosed Harry with a multitude of antihistamines, steroids, and antibiotics.  We then put Harry on a strict hypo-allergenic diet of what looked like corn pops and cost more than our monthly grocery bill.  After a while we introduced new foods to the hypo diet and watched for reactions.  Aside from a horrible explosion after the egg series, Harry didn't react to anything except his former Blue Buffalo dog food and cream cheese.  We went two months on a venison and sweet potato diet which was significantly cheaper than corn pops and at the start of this month Harry started itching again, developing two major hot spots.

Before Harry had a chance to completely inflate with an allergic reaction we reached out to our dermatologist at UPenn.  It seemed as though Harry was displaying strong signs that he had been suffering from environmental allergies all along.  We scheduled a skin test only two days later.  

His bad side (side where he had swelling from itching)

Harry's skin test consisted of him being put under sedation (not completely knocked out, but drugged), shaved in a patch, and pricked with 74 different allergens.  After each allergen was injected, the doctor recorded a reaction.  It only lasted about 20 minutes and we were called to pick Harry up only an hour and a half after we dropped him off.  

Harry's patch and all the dots are his allergy injections :(

Upon arrival we were given a packet of what Harry had gone through and a long list of Harry's allergies.  Harry is highly allergic to grass, yeast, dust, and mites.  But then he's also slightly allergic to a slew of other things, humans included.  My dog is allergic to me.  Here's the list:

On the bright side, we finally figured out what Harry's allergic to.  From now on we have to dose Harry for the rest of his life with allergy drops.  We opted for drops instead of shots because neither of us are comfortable with injections....but the drops are kind of a pain.  Harry doesn't like me sticking anything but treats in his mouth so this is a process he's going to have to get used to.  The first set of drops are diluted so that Harry's body starts to adapt to them.  Then as we move on he'll be put on a stronger solution.  In high season we'll likely have to pair it with a zyrtec.

Only a week or so of steroids left and then we'll see if the drops are working.  I'm so happy we went ahead and did the test.  It was a little expensive but I can't imagine having another year of breakouts, panicking about Harry's health.  If you're thinking about doing this test, I highly recommend it!

Allergy Update

As promised, I'm following up on Harry's allergy diagnostic testing (I sound SO smart).  Over the past three weeks we've tested Harry on cheese and chicken with varying results.  Testing involves including the variable ingredient in Harry's "constant" of hypo-allergenic food.  After getting over a neck rash associated with testing him on his Blue Buffalo dog food, we were ready to introduce a new ingredient to Harry's repertoire.

Blue Buffalo Dog Food Test...

Blue Buffalo Dog Food Results...

The Cheese Test could be done with any cheese, but we chose to use Cottage Cheese since he loved it so much on his birthday last year.  Breakfast and dinner were met with such excitement you would think we had just told Harry he was going to Disneyworld.  Just 1/4 cup was added to his current meal and then we waited.  We observed Harry for a week while he consistently ate cottage cheese for dinner.  At first everything seemed fine, and then his right eye got crusty.  As the week went on it got oozier and crustier and his hair appeared more dried out than it has been.  Then the itching began.  While he never has stopped licking his paws, he started itching with his back legs more frequently than normal.  The results were in, Harry is allergic to cheese.

It took another couple of weeks to clear Harry's system and wait for his symptoms to go away.  He spent that time eating his hypoallergenic food and hypo treats.  The next ingredient we tested was chicken.  

Because we only are testing one ingredient at a time, it's important to make sure the cooking methodology isn't introducing anything new.  In order to prevent oils from getting into the chicken, we boiled it in water.  

Cooking was simple.  Place boneless skinless breasts in water, bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cover for 20 minutes.  Drain chicken, and then shred.  

We added 1/4 cup of chicken to Harry's breakfast and dinner for a week, and then observed.  Chicken dinners were almost as exciting as cottage cheese dinners...I guess Harry loves what he can't have.

Dinner was gone in approximately 30 seconds, and Harry didn't seem too bothered by anything for the entire week.  He performed the same mouth wiping rituals as he does after any dinner and licked his paws just the same.  Only this week (he's been back on hypo food for a week and a half now) are we noticing a small rash right next to his hoinky.  I don't think he's allergic to chicken, but the rash is suspicious.  

Since Harry's birthday is coming up, I'm saving a special ingredient to test him on his birthday week.  Lamb!  Hopefully it doesn't result in a horrible allergic reaction which would be terrible for a second birthday party!

The Cone of Shame

Since June Harry has been battling back to back skin, ear, and paw infections.  He was prescribed soothing shampoos, omega-3 supplements, and steroids but once finished he would begin itching and scratching himself to the point of creating visible bleeding scratches on his face and under his body.  

In September we called our vet asking for an accompanying antibiotic to fight any infections that were going on due to Harry's scratching and as Harry weaned off the antibiotics and steroid (while we were in Europe) his skin and even his eyes began to inflame which resulted in a trip to Penn Dermatology.

Still snuggles, even with a cone on

Penn Dermatology so far has been so good.  They studied Harry in teams of students and gave us so much information it was actually overwhelming.  Then they sent us home with a packet which covered everything we talked about and more plus a crapload of drugs, treatments, ointments, soaks, and shampoo.  They also recommended Harry wear a t-shirt, and we took it a step further by also having him wear socks.

Harry's "frosted corn pops with marshmallows" aka drugs

So what's eating Harry?  It's not scabies (what we originally thought) and is likely allergies to something unknown.  Right now we're trying to figure out exactly what that is.  Harry's on a Purina diet of Hypoallergenic food which also comes with special treats called "Gentle Snackers" which is probably the worst name for a treat ever.  His food is prescribed and is super expensive.  And all the treats, peanut butters, toothpastes, even nylabones at home had to be put away as they could have an ingredient that Harry's allergic to.  Essentially, by putting Harry on this diet we're conducting an experiment.  The food is the constant, and we're supposed to clear Harry's infections and then observe to see if any scratching or licking occurs.  

After 8 weeks of food trialing, we need to reintroduce Harry to his old food, which for us was Blue Buffalo in Chicken flavor.  If he reacts with extreme scratching and paw licking then we know for sure he is allergic to his food.  At that point we can begin a food trial where we put him back on his special prescribed food and test him on a bi-weekly basis with a different kind of food.  We then observe his reactions and note whether or not he's allergic to it.  Just like scientists!  Harry's food test is the following:

1.  Cooked Ground Beef
2.  Cooked Chicken
3.  Cottage Cheese (or any other cheese)
4.  Soy (yea, we literally give Harry tofu!)
5.  Cooked Lamb (ok classy...)
6.  Hard Boiled Eggs (can't wait for the farts)
7.  Wheat (pasta, cereal, wheat germ)
8.  Corn
9.  Cooked Pork

After the testing is all done - which I feel will take 6 months - we'll have a list of what Harry is and isn't allergic to.  Then we can read ingredients and buy a cheaper food that won't irritate him.  However, if Harry is STILL itching after the food tests it may be due to seasonal or environmental allergies.  Harry's cousin Jager has been blessed with both and has to receive a shot every week.  Luckily his Mommy is a nurse.  I'm not sure how well the Foo and I are going to handle shooting up Harry every week.

So miserable.

We're really happy and Harry's really happy that he's feeling better.  It's been a pricey process, but it is seriously no fun at all having a sick puppy.  Cone of shame has been put away and now we just monitor Harry when we're home.  It'll be exciting to document all the food trials along the way - hope you're looking forward to it!

Harry's Got Issues

Over the past two months, we've been making repeat trips to our vet.  In June, Harry was due for his annual - which means that yes, in June Harry has been our son for a whole year (squeal).  Along with the regular check up there were some other goings on that we needed to get checked out.  Harry had a cut on his paw pad and an oozing cut on his snout that would puff up and be pink later in the day.  We couldn't explain the injuries (which made me feel like the vet thought I was a dog fighter or something) and assumed they were from rough housing in the dog park or from Harry scratching himself with the uncontrollable talons on his feet.  Caution...graphic photos below.

As it had been a full year since Harry visited the vet, he obviously was a little unsettled being there.  The waiting room was a blast, with Harry greeting every dog and owner that walked through the door.  He was curious about what was going on around the corner and eager to go there.  

"It's really great to be here, guys"

However, once we were called to go around the corner into the examination room, Harry's legs went stiff and splayed on the linoleum as we coaxed him back.  It didn't get much better from there.  Although Harry wagged his tail and engaged with the tech, he wasn't used to the awkward poking and prodding.  And since Harry was due for a slew of immunizations, it wasn't ideal for him to be uncooperative.  The worst was that Harry's anxiety came out in the form of squirming and huge stinky farts.

So although we paid for an examination, Harry wasn't able to be fully examined.  We left with a prescription for Xanax, some anti-inflammatories for his face, antibiotics for the oozing, and an appointment to return.  Our job was to test the Xanax and see if it relaxed Harry so that he'd be more controllable on our next visit.  According to our doctor, Xanax could have different effects on different dogs.  I laughed that off since Harry is absolutely perfect and nothing is wrong with him ever.  Surely he would be high as a kite on that Xanax.  

Not the case.  Harry went apeshit on Xanax.  Barking, trotting around like a maniac until 11pm, not to mention the after effects of some nasty #2s.  We cancelled our appointment with the explanation of Harry's obverse behavior.  On our second visit we retrieved Harry's alternative doping medication - Acepromazine.

After testing the new meds on Harry, we were satisfied that it did bring him down a bit.  The vet recommended a double dosage on his appointment day so we did what we were told.  Harry received almost all of his vaccines (we still have to make our fourth visit for the Leptospirosis vaccine) and was a lot better with the techs.  Thankfully we didn't have to witness the sticking...I probably would have shrieked.  By that point, his face and paw had both healed up as well so things are looking up!

Of course, then we brought home a severely doped up dog.  Which led to us being perfect parents, setting Harry up in provocative positions, snapping pics and posting it to the internet.  Harry will never get a job now.

Harry Hors D'oeuvres: Lovebugs

With busy season in full swing for the boo and me starting a new job, things have been pretty crazy at our house.  It's apparent that Harry's feeling a bit ignored, and with Valentine's Day being tomorrow, I had to do something to show him that I still cared.  What I really wanted to do was take Harry with me to the Puppy Love Valentine's Day Party at the 23rd Street Armory.  Proceeds benefited the PSPCA, and at only $40 a ticket you could bring your pooch, have some drinks, eat great food, and socialize with other pups.  They even had a photo booth!  Alas, I worked a little late and didn't have a human date to go with me.  So I decided to bake Harry treats instead!

I got the recipe for what I'm deeming "Lovebugs" at AllRecipes.com.  You'll need 2 and 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour (always can sub regular), 1/2 cup pureed (canned) pumpkin, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 eggs, and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.  First step, as always is to preheat the oven.  In this case you'll need to go to 350.

This recipe couldn't be simpler.  You just combine all ingredients at once and mix them together.

The result should be pretty dry, but if you need a little bit more moisture to shape your dough, add a teaspoon of water at a time.  A little goes a long way.

I decided to make little Mama Lucia meatball sized "bugs" for Harry, but you can always roll the dough out to 1/2 an inch thick and cut into shapes.  Since I don't have a heart shaped cookie cutter on hand, I took the path of bugs.  After all, if anything Harry is the world's biggest love bug.  Spread out whatever you decide to shape your treats into on a greased pan about an inch apart.

Bake your lovebugs for approximately 40 minutes at 350.  You might need to vary the time depending on your oven, but the result you want is a hard little bug.

Harry observed the entire process seriously and helped me clean off my hands after handling the dough.  He even helped me clean the dishes afterwards as I loaded the dishwasher, which I believe was his Valentine's present to me.  The treats were actually quite tasty...I had a few...yea.  I'm the mom who eats her kid's cookies.  But given that they weren't liver or chicken flavored, it was a safe risk. 

Having Harry means I'll never be lonely on Valentine's Day.  It's one of the many good reasons to adopt a pup - so if you're thinking about it, there are plenty of adoptables that need homes! 

A Day at the Dog Park: Schuylkill Banks

Schuylkill Banks dog park was the very first park we took Harry to - you may remember him being run over by bassett hound mix, Dudley.  Though it was the most convenient of dog parks in Philadelphia as far as distance goes, we'd often end up having to bathe Harry afterwards and soak his harness overnight to get rid of the caked on dirt and dust that accumulated during his romps.  Then suddenly, the dog park disappeared and a new one popped up in what seemed like a month later! 

There's Mom & Dad!

 The newly re-habbed dog park is uber-chic with turf aka K9 Grass instead of dirt, meaning Harry doesn't have to be banned from the couch after a day of play.  A wall of concrete borders the turf where mommies and daddies can sit and watch their kids play.  Beware, because dogs with super jumping powers do and will jump up on the wall and get into the garden area behind.  Please accept my apologies if Harry was the said super powered dog.  


Getting to knowww you, getting to know all about you

Our particular visit occurred the day of the unveiling of the Schuykill Banks/University City bridge.  Crowds gathered to watch the Philadelphia Parks Commission open the bridge, beginning a 5k, and a festival.  The park housed a plethora of pups both big and small, quick and slow.  Harry got the park all riled up when he showed off his speed, unnerving parents and dogs alike.  We're still working on dog park manners, but how can you resist this handsome guy? 

Harry Hors D'oeuvres: K9 Carrot Cookies

Tis the season to go crazy for cookies.  Dog cookies that is.  Making your own dog treats, especially this time of year, is seasonally fulfilling and guilt free.  I found a recipe for K9 Carrot Cookies at Bullwrinkle.com - which is an awesome name for a bulldog.  Carrots are a super-food for dogs and they're a long lasting root vegetable that can stay in the fridge until you remember they're there.  According to petMD carrots can encourage a healthy coat and skin, bone development, eye health, and cancer prevention.  I was eager to relay the health benefits of carrots to Harry in the way a loving mother does...by hiding it in the form of a treat.

To make K9 Carrot Cookies, you'll need 1 cup quick cooking oats, 2 cups unbleached flour or whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup wheat germ (you can find this in the cereal aisle, or in the organic aisle by Bob's Red Mill), 2 eggs, 2 cloves of garlic, and 4-6 carrots (enough for 2 cups pureed).  Garlic is an ingredient that can be fed to dogs but sparingly.  Unlike onions, which contain sulfides and disulphides that can cause damage to a dog's bloodstream, garlic is ok when used in small batches.

To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Fill a saucepan with about 6 cups of water and set it on high heat.  As you chop your carrots, toss them into the pot.  Once all the carrots are chopped and in the pot, bring the water to a boil and leave it boiling for 10 minutes, or until carrots are softened.

While the carrots are cooking, mince two cloves of garlic.  This shouldn't take too long, so maybe take some time to have a carrot-dog photo shoot.  

Ehhh what's up Doc?

After the carrots have softened, drain them and put them in a food process or blender.  Pulse until pureed.

In a large bowl, combine carrot puree, eggs, and garlic and mix together with a fork. 

Gradually add dry ingredients (oats, flour, wheat germ) and mix until combined. 

Spread dough over a well-floured surface and press until 1/4 inch thick.  Use a cookie cutter or a knife to cut into desired shapes.  Or just roll into balls - they're your cookies.  I got my bone cookie cutter from AC Moore on a whim, and it came in handy.

Spread cookies apart evenly on a greased baking sheet.  Place in 350 degree oven and bake for 30 to 45 minutes depending on desired crunchiness.  I did mine for 30 minutes and got a chewier treat. 

While your cookies are baking, maybe your fur-baby can lick the bowl, just like my boo likes to do when I make human brownies - that's brownies made for humans, not from humans.  Harry usually helps me do the dishes, aka he licks the dirty ones that are in the dishwasher while I rinse.  When I put the bowl in front of him, he was more confused than excited.  You really shouldn't give your dog raw eggs, but I found the concept of bowl licking incredibly cute and possibly helpful.

Once my cookies were baked, I let them cool for an impatient 10 minutes before I gave Harry a taste.  He loves them.  I've never seen him take such care in eating a treat before.  He laid down with his cookie, licked and nibbled at it until it was all gone.  We'll have to test out another recipe soon, because I can't imagine these treats will last very long.

Nom Nom Nom



His Girl Pearl

A feeling of dread overcomes me as I imagine the point in my life when my friends get married and start having children.  Gone are the ladies nights, the impromptu Sunday Funday, and irresponsible shopping sprees only to be replaced by baby budgets and sitters calling out.  I always associated that point in life as "the end"...you get there, you get fat, and then you die.  I was a pessimistic teen.  As I've gotten older, the feelings have changed.  This past weekend, I experienced the feeling new moms feel when they get together with friends and watch their babies play together for the first time.....ok maybe not to that extreme.  But I did have my very first play-date with a friend's new adopted pit-mix!  Baby steps.

Pearl was adopted three weeks ago from a shelter in Pennsylvania.  She's a black and white pocket size pit mix with a huge amount of strength, energy, and incredibly cute facial expressions.  Obviously it was love at first sight when Harry and Pearl met.  We brought them to the unofficial official dog park of Fairmount, which is a loosely fenced in area that the Saturday farmers market is held.  Philadelphia should seriously consider turning that into a park.  Does Leslie Knope do free lance work? 

 The date was spent sniffing, sprinting, and tackling as Harry and Pearl got to know each other better.  Harry cheated a bit during tag by chomping onto Pearl's adorable pink argyle collar, but otherwise we were impressed by his speed and Pearl's ability to keep up.  Eventually they ended up playing keep away and tug of war with a tasty stick.  Things got even more interesting when a couple of other dogs showed up, a gentle shy beagle mix and a giant Saint Bernard rescue named Simon.  135 pounds of massive dog lives in a Fairmount home somewhere which is impressive considering the size of most Philadelphia digs.  What's better is he was that big when he was rescued which means his parents are awesome.

 At the end, Harry was pooped and Pearl was sad to see him go - but mission accomplished we ended up with a tired happy dog.  When I go back to thinking about those "friends with kids" it's actually not so bad.  Yes, at this point in my life I'm talking fur-babies, but it's really great socializing with your friends while watching your "kids" play.  Especially when that kid has as much energy as Harry.  Plus, I get to talk dog stuff that a lot of my friends without "kids" can't relate to.  It won't be long before we're reaching out again to see if Pearl can come out and play!

A Day at the Dog Park: Freedom Park

We're running low on dog parks to visit in the city, and on weekends dog parks are clutch to get Harry tired without wearing ourselves out.  Back on a weekend when it was still warm and sunny Harry visited Freedom Park in Medford, NJ.  Although it's a bit of a drive for us Philadelphians, Freedom Park is definitely worth it.  Compared to our teensy urban dog parks, Freedom Park is like taking your pup to that farm in dog heaven, except you also get to go and he lives.  The dog park lies in the back of the park (yes, Freedom Park is a "people park" too) beyond the barbequing patio area and playgrounds.  We opened the gate to send Harry in which in hindsight was a mistake because he sprinted towards the dog party happening in the back of the park amongst the agility training puppy playground type fixtures. 

As this is the "all dogs go to heaven" dog park, there aren't any fences--because there are no fences in heaven!  An open field is surrounded by trees so if you do have the type of dog who likes to go exploring on his own (a cat-dog?) then be mindful.  Harry is the type that likes to get in all the other pooches' faces 24/7 until they start chasing him so I didn't have to watch the tree barriers for stray Harrys...but I did have to chase him around and pull him off the docile suburban dogs.  Several benches sit in the open plain area and the smart dogs show off their agility skills climbing up and down ramps and doing doggy see-saws.  The attempt to get Harry across a balance beam without jumping off failed multiple times.

A little ways behind the park is a small trail that takes you to a creek where you can let your dog swim, play water fetch, and get extremely dirty.  Harry hates water, as we learned when we took him rafting, but he loves trails and he yanked us throughout til we reached the end of the creek.  Part of the rules in the park are that your dog be on a leash at all times.  I don't see how that's plausible when playing water fetch, and I noticed that not all the dogs followed the rules, but the tail-waggers in violation were those well behaved docile suburban dogs of which Harry is a polar opposite.   

One day...I will conquer you, ramp.

We felt a little out of place with our wild animal whose pent up energy from being in a 1,000 square foot condo had to explode over the calm, gentle, golden retrievers of Medford but when you go to a dog park you already know you have something in common with everybody there:  love for all hairy, slobbering, cold nosed, fur-beasts.

Can we come back Mom?!