Porky needs Rays

[doxielady5569128]

We had to take Porky to the animal hospital yesterday morning.  He was breaking out in hives, his tongue was swelling, and he had a fever.  He had hives covering his face and ears and also his paws.  They didn't seem to go back any farther than his front paws which was weird.    :dontknow:  He stayed overnight and came home this afternoon.  The vet said he has a mild ear infection (which he is prone to)  and that he suspects the hives and itching were due to a insect bite.   He said the larger bump on Porky's lip looked like a spider bite.  He was guessing that when Porky was playing outside, a spider jumped on him, bit his lip and then Porky licked the spot and got bite again On t he tongue before swallowing the spider or spitting it out.   :dontknow:   

Porky's hives are still on his nose and inside his mouth.  His tongue is still slightly swollen, but he seems to be doing MUCH better.   Since we can't be positive it was spider bite, I'm supposed to take him in again if the hives are not gone or return by Tuesday.  He got a shot to control the allergic reaction and is on drops for his ears.  His ears don't seem to be bothering him at all now.  :apls:

Please send rays that his itchy hives go away by morning, the vet said Porky was so itchy he cried all night long.  The vet techs said Porky was giving them the l@@K all night and making them feel sorry for him.   Porky was so happy to come back home!    I really hope it was just an insect bite like they think.   

[cheryl186]

Oh my goodness...poor Porky Pie...Sending Hugs and prayers his way for a complete recovery....really really quick   I just hope it was a spider and the meds will take care of it really fast!!!!  Please continue to keep us posted on how Porky is doing...

[doxielady5569128]

Thanks Cheryl!!  Porky's itchy tongue is driving him crazy!   The hives have mostly gone away, except the ones inside his mouth.   He still has a few small ones by his eyes and on the top of his head.   They seem to keep moving around. Is that normal??     His hives in the past have all stayed in the same spot.   Porky keeps opening his mouth and chewing like he feels like there is something stuck in his mouth.   He also keeps acting like he needs to vomit.   If he keeps doing the chewing and gagging thing, we're going to take him back in tonight.   There is no way I'm going to be able to sleep tonight!!   

I'm really worried because I have to leave him tomorrow and won't be home until Tuesday morning.   I know my mom will keep a close eye on him, but I don't want to leave him when he's like this.  Also, I have to leave on Thursday for a church conference which my mother-in-law can't get her money back if I don't go.  I really hope this clears up by morning.  It has me freaked out!   Nothing is helping him stop itching.   He doesn't want to eat much because his tongue hurts, and he can't sleep longer than 5-10 mintues because he wakes up and has to scratch.   

I'll let you know if we take him in again tonight. The vet told us it would probably be a very rough night for Porky. 

[cheryl186]

Oh my goodness Amorette...from the sound of it...gee...I think I might take Porky back if I were you??  I don't like the sound of the hives moving around and the gagging; chewing either...poor baby boy!!!!  More prayers and healing rays coming your way!!!

[doxielady5569128]

I called the vet and he said the gagging and chewing is normal because of all the swollen spots on Porky's tongue.  He says since there are bumps, Porky probably feels like he has food stuck in his mouth, hence the chewing.  The gagging has stopped completely and the swelling is going down in his tongue now.  He keeps doing the chewing thing though.   I'm supposed to watch him VERY closely for the next 24 hours.  The vet said if the gagging comes back, bring him in immediately also if it sounds like Porky is having trouble getting air.     Right now Porky only has two larger hives, one above his eye, and one on his forehead.   I can tell Porky is miserable because he doesn't want to leave me and when he does he hides under the bed whimpering.   

This is just awful, I'm going to give him an epsom salts bath and put on some aloe on the hives to see if that helps at all.  I'm am definately taking him in, in an hour if he keeps chewing and the hives keep moving around.   I don't care if they said it's normal. 

[Madderoos Mom]

Poor Porky Pie.  I sure hope he gets better soon.  Those hives sound nasty.  I bet he DID give the vet techs da l@@k when he was there.  Poor baby boy.


Snuggles to Porky.

Could he be getting into poison oak or something on your property? 

[papbouv]

Rays & Hugs & Belly rubs to poor Porky what about an Oatmeal bath ? since its on areas that would be hard to put any thing on I think I would mix up an oatmeal bath soak a wash cloth in it and lay it on the hives might make him less itchy? How about benadryl ? might help him sleep and there is always Rescue Remedy might help too since he is stressed and itching.My mother puts Calimine on her Chihuahua ??? do not know if that helps the dog though. Get well soon Porky. Patches Buddy & Papbouv

[doxielady5569128]

Well, we had to take another trip into the animal hospital last night at 9pm.  Porky was itching so bad, nothing was helping him and he started grunting like he was having trouble breathing.   The vet gave him a steroid shot, which I hated to do, but at that point we were getting desperate.   They also laid an oxygen mask in front of his face just to help him out a little bit.  They were nice enough to let me hold Porky instead of keeping him in a kennel until he could go home.  Porky started to feel better and his hives went away completely.   We had to stay there until midnight because they wanted to make sure he would do okay with the shot. 

As soon as we left the hospital he started getting hives again so we turned right back around.   They told us there wasn't much more they could do besides have benedryl administered every four hours until the hives and itching get better.   They gave us the option of having him spend the night there, but ultimately we decided he would be okay to come home.  So, at 1:30 am we finally got home and tried to go to sleep.   Porky slept for a half hour and was going crazy trying to scratch again.   I gave him a warm bath with oatmeal in it.  It was more like a thick paste, that seemed to help for another half hour then he was was itchy again.      Then at 3 am we could give him another dose of benedryl and it seemed to help until 4am.   

Porky is very uncomfortable and there is nothing that helps.  Its just awful!!   I just held him and cried for an hour.   I haven't slept since Saturday afternoon when I took a nap, so I'm pretty exhausted.   Porky has only gotten about two hours of sleep total in the last two days!   The vet told us to just keep giving the benedryl until Wednesday and then if he hives still aren't gone they might have to give him another shot.   I have cancelled my trip I had planned for today and my trip this weekend is on hold too.   I am not leaving my baby when he is like this!   He is finally going to sleep again, so I'm going to try to get some sleep as well.   

If he's not better by 10am we are going to take him to our regular vet and see what they think.   It may be an all day thing so, if I don't update until tomorrow, that's why.

Thanks Papbouv for your advice.  We will give the calamine a try if he is still itching later.   There is no poison oak or anything in my parents yard, and the other two dogs are doing fine, so I'm not sure.   My dad suggested that maybe a wasp got Porky and he tried to bite it and got stung multiple times??     At this point we have no idea what is causing this reaction.   

[AnnieofNJ]

Mega rays heading out to Porky.  I think your Dad might be right about the wasp.  They will continue to sting until they fly off or die.  Please let us know how Porky is doing today.  Take care and we hope both of you got some rest.

Annie & the New Jersey Doxie Gang

[sollysmom]

Poor Porky.  I sure hope he feels better real soon.  Sol and I are sending mega healing rays for Mr. Porky.      :xfinger: that he gets better fast. 

Darcel & Sol Da Man 

[Barb]

Oh no - poor Porky !   Rays in full force on the way......   Please let us know how he is today -

[DeeanDave]

Mega rays are coming in full force to Porky Pie from Washington!  Please keep us posted on how Porky is doing!  Hope you both were able to get some much needed sleep, also.

[MimisMomma]

Tuttle went through the same thing with the hives. We never were able to figure out what caused them. But benedryl did the trick. The vet said to not change the treats or food and watch him outside. Since then he hasn't had any. They moved around too. It is an allergy but to what we don't know. I was up the whole time as well because I wanted to be there in case he had trouble breathing. So I know what your going through. Do you remember the treats or anything happening right before? I am sure you would have heard him yelp if he was stung or bit. I am surprised that the benedryl isn't helping him sleep. Always knocked Tuttle hour for a couple hours. And that helped with relief. Since you just got back to your parents house I am wondering if maybe they are using a different detergent on their clothes/bedding. Maybe fabric softener. But you stayed there before so it is just a thought.

Keep us posted. Mega rays headed your way!!

[doxielady5569128]

Porky slept for about an hour this morning and then woke up grunting an struggling to breathe again.     I immediately called our regular vet and he said to bring him in right away.  Since it was emergency hours I made sure to withdraw $200 from our account to cover the expenses.      That was at 6 or 7am (I really am too tired to remember).   My brother held Porky on his lap as we made the half hour drive.    Porky's eyes swelled shut, his ears were covered in hives and his throat was so swollen he looked like he had a double chin.    :crazyeyes:   

Once we got there the vet took one look at him and rushed us back into the exam room.   He felt the hives and made sure Porky was able to get air.  Once he put the oxygen mask on Porky it seemed to calm him down a bit.  The vet wanted to give Porky a cool bath in some medicated shampoo to see if it would help.   They bathed him and Porky was still crying and itchy.   The vet wanted to watch him for an hour to see what effect the bath and oxygen would have.   So, we went and sat on the floor by the kennels and tried to keep him comfortable while we waited.   

After an hour, his breathing had improved and he could see out of his eyes again, but still was covered in hives.   The vet then decided to give him a prednisone and then we waited another hour to see how he responded to that.   Porky finally got to sleep and was still sleeping when the hour was up. The vet and I wanted to let him wake up and be checked again before we went home.  He finally woke up about 20 minutes later and we got the okay to go home.  Porky still looks like he has the double chin and the hives are smaller, but still there.   

Porky will be on a decreasing dose of prednisone until next Tuesday.   We were surprised when the vet told us the amount of the bill, $36!!!   He only charged us for the medication and not the visit.  I told him I was more than happy to pay him more, but he refused.    He thinks it may have been a wasp sting or that it might just be the pollen in the air.       Porky is finally asleep and his buddy Bandit is keeping a close watch over him.  Bandit is trying to lay in the crate with Porky.      Plus, he keeps trying to get Porky to eat and drink.  Its so sweet!!   

I'm hoping that this medicine will do the trick and help my baby feel better.   I have gotten an hour of sleep, but I'm terrified to sleep and have him struggle to breathe again.  That was the scariest thing ever!!   I'm going to try to go to sleep with him for a few hours anyway.   Right now, I have decided not to go on my trip on Thursday because Porky is so sick.   

I'll try and update again this evening so you all know how he's doing.     I really hope this is the end of our nightmare weekend!

[JetEd73]

Porky!

Dang it, STAY AWAY FROM THEM DANG BUGS.

some of em really really hurt.

This reminds me of the time my german shepard got stung on the tounge. bad bad bad

[MimisMomma]

Here's another thought. Do you use the powder carpet fresh that you sprinkle on then vaccuum? We noticed that Tuttle would get the hives after we used that. He hasn't gotten them since I stopped using it. I still wouldn't think that it is a sting only because that would have gotten better from the first trip to the vets. I guess I am grasping for straws here. I really can relate to what your going through. Please try to get some rest and take care!!

[laura*romeos*mommy]

so sorry to hear about Porky I sure hope he gets better soon and stops getting this.  Get some rest and take care both of you
hugs and love laura and Romeo

[doxielady5569128]

Mel, 
No we don't use that powder on our carpet.  I used to use it and Porky got the hives so I immediately stopped.   I'm not sure about the whole wasp theory either.     Since Porky is rarely alone I'm sure my mom, dad, brother, or I would have heard something if he got stung.  The pollen and weeds theory seems most accurate to me because that could cause it to keep coming back.  I really don't know.  The animal hospital had me fill out a"book" of papers indicating everything Porky had eaten, drank, all his activities, etc...   They were very thourough on trying to help determine what was going on. 

Laura and Romeo,
Thanks for the get well wishes!  Porky is doing much better this afternoon. His hives are still present, but not bothering him as much.   He and I were able to rest for a few hours so that helped a lot.  As long as the hives don't came back worse tonight, Porky should be on the mend now.   The vet has called twice to see how Porky is doing with the prednisone.   They are really great there, their vet tech even stopped by on his way home to see Porky and make sure he was alright. 

Thanks to everyone who has been supporting me through this!!   You guys are so great!    :apls:

[Barb]

I am so glad to hear that Porky is finally feeling some relief...and that you both are able to get a little rest.  Rays and prayers still coming in full force !!! Please keep us posted -

[Leslie]

oh man, poor little dude.  spider attack!
  stop scarin' yer ma!!!!!  WHen I read this, my heart sank.  I have had hives and they can up FAST and kill ya.  Good grief, Porky Pie!

[Madderoos Mom]

Thanks for the updates on Porky.  Let's hope things are progressing in the right direction. 

Oh, can I go to your vet?  That type of bill is unheard of in CA and most vets in the "affluent" area where I live (of course, I AM NOT affluent as we live in a tin box called a mobile home with space rent) will charge you anything they can.  They really milk it for another buck.  This summer alone, Maddie's vet bills have come to be over $800.00.

[Merion]

Sending HHHHHH's & PPPPPPPPP's to you and Porky!!!
Hope he continues to feel better and that you both get some rest.
Merion & the ZZ's

[papbouv]

Think I would ask your vet if you should have a EPPY Pen available in case he needs some help breathing while getting to the vets???People have them that are allergic to Bee's/Wasp's and such.Might come in sizes for dogs not sure about that because hives can really stop your breathing not sure if rescue breathing would help the mouth to snout with the hives you might ask the vet.I know some people might have a problem doing rescue breathing on a dog but if it was my Fur Kid I would do it.More Rays Hugs & Belly Rubs on the way to you do have a holistic vet around they might have something to help too just a thought.Hug s Papbouv Buddy & Patches

[doxielady5569128]

Well, Porky is only able to sleep about 10 minutes at a time now. This evening he started getting really itchy again.  He is not swelling up and the vet said the itchies won't go away totally until Wednesday (he hoped).    :xfinger:   I was able to get a really long and nice nap so I feel refreshed now.  I plan on sleeping on the couch in the living room so Porky can roam around and get lots of water while still being close to me.     

The only weird thing I have noticed about Porky since he started the medicine is he keeps wanting to go hide under the beds, couches, etc... He just can't get comfy anywhere.  Right now I've got his crate open so he can use it if he wants, his bed and blankies on the couch, and more blankies in his favorite chair.  Bandit is being kind enough and encouraging Porky to use his crate too.   Porky lays in one spot for 5-10 minutes then he has to get up and scratch.   Its really strange for him to be hiding from us, he usually gets very scared when he is alone.        Also every hour I have been getting wet cloths and covering Porky with them for a few minutes, which seems to help the itching.   Also his skin is so hot from all the hives I'm sure it feels so nice to have cool cloths on them.   

Unless, he has to go back to the animal hospital tonight because he gets worse, we won't update again until morning.   

[Suzie]

Old time poster, just a lurker now.

Do you have access to a vet school clinic?  Telling you to just watch him itch is not acceptable.  If nothing else, perhaps another opinion from a local vet?  Very worrisome that the symptoms persist this long.  Good luck,  till you get more answers.  Poor little boy.  My Milo is allergic to the world, it's really tough.