So many times I have written on this blog about the skin conditions afflicting my poor dog, Ollie. After the last bout cleared up, the fur grew back slowly. But by the end of March, he was looking pretty good. Good enough for other dog-walkers to remark on how well he was looking, and how shiny his coat was.
Then the weather warmed up in May, and he started to moult. Nothing excessive, and to be expected. Just a lot more of his shed fur collected in the vacuum claner. Two weeks ago, he started to smell rather ‘doggy’, and I thought about booking him in for a bath at the groomer’s by the end of June. But while the tiling was being done, I wanted to stay around the house.
Then last week, we got the real mini-heatwave I have mentioned. Ollie started to scratch a lot, and I noticed the fur that had grown back had fallen out again, leaving bald patches of inflamed skin. So today, he had to go back to the Vet yet again.
They have a new procedure for Covid-19 safety, whereby no customers are allowed inside the large building. You telephone on arrival, and let them know you are there. Then a Vet comes to inspect the dog in your car, or outside it, before deciding whether or not he has to take your dog (or cat, or whatever) back inside for treatment. In Ollie’s case, the regular Vet knows him well, and carried out a car-park examination while Ollie stayed on his bed at the back of the car.
Allergies and skin infection was diagnosed, as it has been so many times before. He returned with steroid tablets, antibiotic tablets, and the suggestion that we give Ollie a cheap antihistamine tablet every day of the summer months. I had to come home and pay over the telephone, as he wasn’t letting anyone use the card machine, for fear of infection.
Ollie now has two weeks of tablets, twice a day. We already know they make him extra thirsty, and increase his appetite too. So I will give him slightly bigger dinners while he is on them, and make sure to keep his fresh water filled up.
I phoned as requested, to make a card payment over the phone. £160. Pretty hefty, for ten minutes in a car park.
But he is worth it of course.
I hope Ollie gets better. So sorry
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His fur eventually grew back, but it took longer than usual this time.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Poor Ollie. I hope he is feeling a little bit better now. All the best! Michael
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The infection is going down quite fast, Michael. But he is still not his old self yet.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thank you for the information, Pete! Lets wish him all the best for recreation. Best wishes, Michael
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Poor Ollie. That summer heat and humidity is his cross to bear. Thank goodness he now has meds for the summer.
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They are already working, thankfully. He’s just very hungry now. 🙂
Thanks, Jennie.
Best wishes, Pete.
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That is good news! Best to you, Pete.
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Hope the treatment(s) work. Poor fella.
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Thanks, John. The infection is clearing up already. He tends to get something similar every year.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I hope he is okay. This is such a bad thing. Even I get rashes during hot summers so I kind of know how it feels. Take care of yourself and Ollie💖💖✌😊
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He is grumpy today. I think the tablets have made him feel sluggish and bad-tempered. I hope it doesn’t last. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete. xx
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Oops…that’s so terrible, I hope he feels better. How is he today??
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He is sleepy and quiet, Suzan. The tablets slow him down.
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Poor Ollie. The heat does that to dogs like his breed? Keep safe Ollie boy.
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Not just the heat, Arlene. Also the pollen in the air, and the long grass and plants that rub him when we are out. The hot weather triggers his fur moult, and that allows things to get on his skin.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Ollie sure has a rough time of it. I’ve read that the Shar-Pei breed is highly susceptible to recurring skin problems, but is the frequency of Ollie’s skin condition typical for the breed? It seems like he hardly gets over one bout before the next one occurs.
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According to the Vet, he is lucky. Some Sharpeis have this almost every month, so pretty much on a permanent basis.
Best wishes, Pete.
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An interesting day out, hope you’re feeling better Ollie. Best wishes Pete.
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He has calmed down since the tablets started to take effect, Lloyd.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I hope Ollie gets well soon. When you raise a blogging star, he has to cate for his looks, expensive as it may be. 😋
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I do indeed, Shaily. Hopefully, the tablets will soon work, and he will feel better.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Oh, poor Ollie
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We were lucky this year, according to the Vet. He has had a lot more dogs in with skin problems, and had expected me to appear with Ollie sooner. Apparently the lack of pollution is allowing pollen to spread longer distances, and in greater numbers than ever. I imagine everyone must have had hay fever before the Industrial Revolution! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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😕
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I hope the tablets work, as so many say its hard to put a price on your pet\friend\companion.
We had to have Jackie in to the vets the other month as she had a growth, three visits and few injections and then finally a local aesthetic, a scalpel and a plastic cone for a few weeks along with further antibiotic jabs for three days and she is back on track. £50 all in!
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Great value from your Vet, Eddy. I suppose the difference in the cost of living forces down their prices. Glad to hear Jackie is okay.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Awwww poor Ollie. Hope he feels better soon💞
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Thanks, Sanjana. The tablets should help him soon.
Best wishes, Pete.
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The neverending saga of our pets goes on. My vet does the same thing and comes out to the car to take my dog in. I like being with my dog—not because I don’t trust the vet, but because I want to see the care she is getting.
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Ollie is happier if I am there, so luckily the Vet didn’t have to take him inside.
Thanks, Pete.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Hard to put a price on our pets. I am sorry Ollie is feeling poorly and hope the medication has him feeling some relief very soon.
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Thanks, Maggie. I know a lady around here who sold her house to pay for an operation for her 9 year-old dog, and downsized to a smaller place. They are family to most of us, after all.
Best wishes, Pete.
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They are family, Pete. No doubt about it.
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Oh, sweet Ollie! Sending you healing thoughts! We do love our dogs so very much, Ollie is lucky to have landed with you Pete, hang in there. C
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Thanks, Cheryl. I will do my very best for him, as you know.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Poor sweet Ollie. It’s not fair that Sharpeis have to deal with these skin issues. Give him hugs from me?
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Will do, Kim. He is fast asleep at the moment, so he can have it tomorrow. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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hope Ollie clears up soon. vet bills are sometimes ridiculous but i agree, Ollie is all worth it! 🙂
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What else could we do, Wilma? He is part of the family. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Poor doggy! Years ago, I had a cat who suffered like this and he turned out to be allergic to himself, no lie. He spent many happy years on steroids 😸
Now, I have one who goes to the vet every 2 weeks for a vitamin B-12 shot for gastrointestinal issues and, yes, our furry kids are worth the cost 😃. I hope Ollie will feel better soonest!
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Thanks, Lelia. Glad to hear your cat is doing okay.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Curbside pickup and examinations in a parking lot could spell hard times for landlords who rent the office and shop space that we used to use. None-the-less, I do hope Ollie heals quickly. Warmest regards, Theo
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Thanks, Theo. My Vets own the land and the building, so no issue for them, 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Sounds like he could rent the space out 🙂 Warmest regards, Theo
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Sorry to hear that Ollie is suffering again Pete…and you are right: helping him get better is worth every penny…
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We have to expect it, with his breed.
Thanks, John.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Poor pup……Sebastian my wife dog has to take allergy shots…..every couple of months so I understand…hope he gets better soon. chuq
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Thanks, chuq. I didn’t realise you had two dogs, I only knew about MoMo.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Sebas sticks with Sue pretty much…he only acknowledges me when he wants something…LOL chuq
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Poor Ollie. If it’s grass pollen, it’s a bit difficult to avoid it. Hope things settle down soon.
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Yes, impossible to avoid, unless he has a very dull walk. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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And he wouldn’t be happy with that.
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Yes, he is worth it. 🙂 Hopefully he’ll feel better soon!
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Thanks, Susanne. He normally starts to feel a lot better after 48 hours on those tablets.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I hope Ollie feels better when the medication takes effect. Cheers, Jon.
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Thanks, Jon. He usually does. Fingers crossed.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Poor Ollie, is that a thing with his breed?
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Yes, the breed is much more susceptible to such things than most dogs, unfortunately. Sharpei means ‘Shark Skin’ in Chinese, and that is what their skin is like.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I hope it clears up soon. Poor Ollie! Oh I know, vet bills. Felix got his vaccine two weeks ago and because of Covid 19 we’ve been separated which was tricky as he doesn’t like his vet very much.
All the best Pete! 🙂
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Thanks, Karolina. I am sure Felix calmed down once you collected him. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Yes. He was happy to see me. 🙂
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Our dog Asha, who has since gone over rainbow bridge, had a similar problem. And strangely, Hope now has it occasionally. It is horrible to see great tufts of fur coming out, and a bald patch appear. I hope that Ollie’s sking improves Pete. We hate to see our fur babies suffering.
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Thanks, Lorraine. Ollie has had this all his life, and it appears almost every year, sometimes worse than others.
Best wishes, Pete.
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It’s a shame Pete. Poor Ollie. Xx
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Of course, he’s worth it, but the vet bills are hefty indeed. I hope poor Ollie feels better soon. The weather at the moment should ease his problems. What exactly is he allergic to, do you know?
Best wishes to you all in Beetley and a big pat and a virtual distant hug for Ollie ❤
from us in Cley,
Dina
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It is believed to be an allergy to grass pollen that lodges in his skin, Dina. Of course, that makes it likely to get worse every time I take him out. I will give him the pat and hug when he wakes up. 🙂
Love from Pete and Ollie. X
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Temperatures are back to normal now. I suppose Ollie would object to wearing some sort of a light coat to prevent the pollen contact. At this time of the year I take an antihistamine before I mow the lawn and it works fine. I’m happy to see that the medicine has the same effect on dogs 🐕.
Light rain in Cley this morning, that’s good for the garden but not nearly like anything what is desperately needed. Xx
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I doubt he would tolerate a coat, Dina. And he goes in the river every day, so it would get wet. 🙂 x
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Vet bills… nightmare. Mine is expensive too, but when my dog swallowed something that blocked her gut, she operated on her twice, once on Christmas Eve and once on New Year’s Eve, and saved her life. And the bill was surprisingly reasonable, too. So I pay happily the rest of the time! Hope Ollie feels better soon.
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I am happy to pay too, Marina. His loyalty and dedicated companionship are priceless.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Poor Ollie. I hope it clears up soon. xo
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Thanks, Darlene. At least it’s cooler for him now.
Best wishes, Pete.
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