And the vet visits rumble on...

Snifter goes to the specialist on Thursday for discussion about his ongoing hotspots. In the meantime I have switched both boys to a totally grain free diet. Their regular diet was largely grain free but did have rice and barley and that has gone now. I noticed an immediate difference in Snifter's poops, which became firmer so maybe we are on to something.

Toddy has now managed to get a hotspot too. I took him in with Snifter on Friday. Snifter was going for a checkup to an eye injury he sustained from his little brother. Thankfully all had cleared up within a week. The vet tried to examine Toddy who was having none of it. He squirmed and screamed and played up something rotten. His behaviour at the vet has got progressively worse. He has realised that every time we go there something unwelcome happens and it is getting beyond a joke.

Anyway I am not happy with the hotspot progress so I took him back in this morning to see the lady vet who is brilliant. I told her that it was vital that Toddy have a positive experience this visit if at all possible. She took care to listen to my concerns and asked whether being up on the table was an issue for him. I told her no, not specifically as he has been table trained for shows, but restraint is a serious issue. She said she needed to check his ears as the vet on Friday had not left any report about them. I said he had attempted to look in the ears but I didn't think he had achieved anything.

It was agreed that she would take Toddy out back where he couldn't see me as sometimes they play up more in front of mum. All this time she was sitting on the floor pretending to play with him whilst she was actually checking him over. She took him out back where there was a nurse and they both got down on the floor with him and she was able to check his ears properly without any trouble from him at all. Phew. She is so great.

Anyway it turns out that Toddy has a slight ear infection which is now being treated with Surolan. The irritation is quite possibly what caused him to scratch and get the hotspot which is on the back of his head. We've got oral antibiotics for the hotspot too, as the Fuciderm was not doing the business. She also said that his ear canals are very narrow, the left in particular, and he is likely to be prone to ear issues so once this is cleared up we need to keep a good eye on him.

The difference in Toddy whilst being examined by her as compared to anyone else was simply astonishing. The man he saw on Friday is a very nice, kind, gentle guy but still was not getting anywhere with my naughty little fellow.

When we got back home Snifter was extremely jealous as he loves going to the vet and particularly adores the lady vet we saw today.

Toddy, you are a bad pug.
But we're glad that your nice lady vet seems to be sorting things out for you.
We use an ear cleaner called CleanAural (from the vet) on Hattie who is also prone to ear problems, and it seems to do the trick if used regularly.
Good luck to Snifter at the AHT on Thursday. Let us know how he gets on.

What a little stinker!! The vet sounds great, though. I'm glad she managed to examine him. Hope all goes well with Snifter's further investigations. Does sound like you might be on to something with the diet.

Hope that you get all of this under control. Glad that you have a vet that understands their ...."issues...!

Glad that Toddy is getting proper care and hopefully between the diet and the meds that he'll be all better soon. What a difference a new approach can make for exams!

Penny's dogtor is in the most expensive practice in town, and we still go there, because her vet does the same thing. She gets down on the floor and checks everything out while Penny thinks she is being loved and adored (which she is - every tech there has to come in and see her when I take her in). It makes all the difference in the world. Good for Toddy and Snifter's vet! I agree, you are on to something with the grain-free. I'll keep everything crossed that the hot spots clear up soon. Toddy is quite the character, and I do love Snifter!