Maggles
13th March 2009, 08:51 AM
I wanted to share this story with everyone.
Maggie is our 1 year old tricolor. Since around the age of 7 months, she's been scratching her neck and ears a LOT, face-plowing without any obvious reason several times a day, and showing a few other frightening signs. She flycatches sometimes, and I'd even seen her air scratch (like pedaling a bicycle with a back paw) at least twice before. I was convinced that we would get an SM diagnosis.
When we brought Mags in to the vet, she was diagnosed with allergies. We knew from blood work that she's very allergic to grass and fleas. So we changed her flea medication, but... at less than a year old it's rare for atopic allergies to manifest. And so many on the board have had years of allergies as an incorrect diagnosis... with the encouragement of our dermatologist and after reading your stories, we found courage and motivation to get her tested and treated.
Today Maggie scanned completely clear of CM, SM and PSOM. She may develop problems later but we know that the severe scratching is not from a syrinx.
I just about fell off my chair when we got the news and it has still not sunk in.
Most of you know far more about this than I do, but in case this helps someone I wanted to add this: the only symptom of her allergy is a pink belly. It wasn't bright pink or anything - I assumed it was her normal skin color, but after a successful run of an antihistamine, it turned snowy white.
If you suspect SM - even if you are treating SM... check for a pink belly. Your cav could have an allergy which would make the SM symptoms worse and treatment seem less effective.
thanks very much for reading, blessings to all.
~lorna :paw:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_-QohdEBh-oI/SRfphc8TJ-I/AAAAAAAGs90/6YkOO853nks/s720/IMG_8133.JPG
Maggie is our 1 year old tricolor. Since around the age of 7 months, she's been scratching her neck and ears a LOT, face-plowing without any obvious reason several times a day, and showing a few other frightening signs. She flycatches sometimes, and I'd even seen her air scratch (like pedaling a bicycle with a back paw) at least twice before. I was convinced that we would get an SM diagnosis.
When we brought Mags in to the vet, she was diagnosed with allergies. We knew from blood work that she's very allergic to grass and fleas. So we changed her flea medication, but... at less than a year old it's rare for atopic allergies to manifest. And so many on the board have had years of allergies as an incorrect diagnosis... with the encouragement of our dermatologist and after reading your stories, we found courage and motivation to get her tested and treated.
Today Maggie scanned completely clear of CM, SM and PSOM. She may develop problems later but we know that the severe scratching is not from a syrinx.
I just about fell off my chair when we got the news and it has still not sunk in.
Most of you know far more about this than I do, but in case this helps someone I wanted to add this: the only symptom of her allergy is a pink belly. It wasn't bright pink or anything - I assumed it was her normal skin color, but after a successful run of an antihistamine, it turned snowy white.
If you suspect SM - even if you are treating SM... check for a pink belly. Your cav could have an allergy which would make the SM symptoms worse and treatment seem less effective.
thanks very much for reading, blessings to all.
~lorna :paw:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_-QohdEBh-oI/SRfphc8TJ-I/AAAAAAAGs90/6YkOO853nks/s720/IMG_8133.JPG