Hi all,
Riley, my 3.5yo male, has been showing what I think are the typical signs of mild to moderate CM/SM the past year. Lots of constant paw chewing, rubbing of the face while excited (almost like a cat grooming itself - rubbing the face with his front paw then licking it), and most notably the typical air-scratching. There are also many times that he'll be walking around excitedly and not quite bunny hop, but one rear leg will seem like it "locks up" in an air-scratching position for a second or two.
My vet and I have run the typical gamut, first starting with ear infection, leading to food allergy, and now unknown environmental allergy. Temaril-P with occasional generic diphenhydramine for the flare-ups has been the usual order for a while now - though they haven't been doing much at all.
So I'm starting to definitely suspect CM/SM of some form, especially after seeing the videos on here and some other Cavalier sites. The only two things that make me question this idea though is the fact that he doesn't yelp at all - even if rubbed at the base of the neck or behind the ears. In fact, he absolutely *loves* it. It's actually one of his ticklish spots. Also, it seems the air-scratching and bunny hopping/freezing is notably less when out on his walks. So I'm not really sure whether this is mild CM/SM or just constant inner ear infections. The ears don't really smell infected, and I constantly clean them with ear wash to remove gunk.
Any opinions, and suggestions to the vet for which meds to start off with if we both do suspect mild CM/SM? Thanks!
--Scott
Riley, my 3.5yo male, has been showing what I think are the typical signs of mild to moderate CM/SM the past year. Lots of constant paw chewing, rubbing of the face while excited (almost like a cat grooming itself - rubbing the face with his front paw then licking it), and most notably the typical air-scratching. There are also many times that he'll be walking around excitedly and not quite bunny hop, but one rear leg will seem like it "locks up" in an air-scratching position for a second or two.
My vet and I have run the typical gamut, first starting with ear infection, leading to food allergy, and now unknown environmental allergy. Temaril-P with occasional generic diphenhydramine for the flare-ups has been the usual order for a while now - though they haven't been doing much at all.
So I'm starting to definitely suspect CM/SM of some form, especially after seeing the videos on here and some other Cavalier sites. The only two things that make me question this idea though is the fact that he doesn't yelp at all - even if rubbed at the base of the neck or behind the ears. In fact, he absolutely *loves* it. It's actually one of his ticklish spots. Also, it seems the air-scratching and bunny hopping/freezing is notably less when out on his walks. So I'm not really sure whether this is mild CM/SM or just constant inner ear infections. The ears don't really smell infected, and I constantly clean them with ear wash to remove gunk.
Any opinions, and suggestions to the vet for which meds to start off with if we both do suspect mild CM/SM? Thanks!
--Scott