I had to take Ross in today too, for some reason he had got terribly itchy over the last week to 10 days. Ross had some itchiness as a puppy, but hell that's 7 years ago and nothing in-between. His skin and coat looked clean and there are no spots, lumps or bumps, but this itchiness was extreme. Having tried antihistamine for him I kind of knew the treatment from the vet would be the dreaded drug Apoquel. Apoquel has a lot of side effects, it's a nasty drug for long term use, but what do you do? I understand totally what it's like to be constantly itchy, it's really not nice and does affect quality of life. So I guess you have to weigh things out and do what is right in the moment. Hopefully one course of these pills will help break the cycle and Ross will be itch-free very quickly. (He did have the indignity of having his anal glands emptied too - but there was no concerns there)
Whilst there, I asked Jamie to check the mobility of his hips and elbows. I told him that his right elbows was a problem so he examined the left first and said there were no mobility issues with it. As he lifted his front right, Ross started to growl, Jamie could not manipulate or even move his elbow as Ross held it completely stiff. There is no doubt that the pain has increased somewhat, but he still felt by looking at his movement that there is no need for stronger pain relief. So I'm to continue with Glucosamine and chondroitin, regular exercise without over doing it, keep his weight under control ... and yeah not too many kong throws as the weight goes onto his elbows and he jars them as he stops. It's been three kong throws a walk for years ... fun is still important! As Ross was completely tense after the attempt of having his elbow checked there was no chance of checking his hips, he just held himself completely stiff. Anyway, his weight was OK at 41kg - still heavier than he was before neutering, I must admit I was careless not cutting his food down quick enough then, but I'm glad he now has a waist again and that he doesn't look like a tank anymore! LOL
