Chiefsmom
Boxer Insane
What a nightmare the last two days have been!!!!!!!!! :eek:
Before we took Chief on vacation, we noticed a couple of bumps under his fur (this was about last Thursday). There were'nt many at first; and they didn't seem to bother him. DH tried to look beneath the fur; but he said it was almost scabby like a chicken pock on a human. Anyway, we called the vet and made an appointment for the following Tuesday (yesterday). Thank god we did! The bumps became a little more prevalent and started to itch him (right around Monday). Just as we had suspected, our vet agreed that this must be an allergy to something. She prescribed him Diphenhydramine, Cephalexin, and also gave him a 1 cc shot of Vetalog (steroid).
All of a sudden last night, right after DH left for work (go figure), Chief started developing these golf ball sized hives (no exaggeration) all over his body. His muzzle swelled up like a base ball, his eyes were starting to swell. I, of course, start calling emergency vet services to try and get him seen. NO JOKE.... the closest emergency clinic for after-hours near me was Cornell University Hospital for Animals in Ithaca, NY which is 1 1/2 hours away. They told me to bring him in ASAP! So I hopped in the car with my baby boy (who at this point can't even open his eyes)! I cried all the way there.
By the time I got there, I was lucky that he was still breathing. He was diagnosed with "a presumptive diagnosis" of a severe allergic reaction ~ of course, with severe urticaria (hives) and angioedema (swelling). The hives were located on his back, both sides, thorax, and abdomen. His face and muzzle and ears were extremely swollen. They gave him an injection of 66 mg Diphenhydramine and both symptoms subsided significantly.
They allowed Chief to leave with me after 5 hours of observation. I got home at 6 am in time to be to work by 6:30; but DH came home early to monitor Chief as the vet advised. I'm sleepless right now folks! and don't know if I still dare to go to sleep for fear of this happening again and having to go all the way back to Cornell in time!
Our Vet stated to discontinue the Cephalexin as she's worried that Chief's reaction might be due (in part) to a sensitivity that was developed to this drug (as he's been on this before after his hystiocytoma surgery). She said to monitor for reoccurances (of course) as well as difficulty breathing, increasing respiratory rate, or increased breathing noises. We called the vet today to order a test to work up Chief's allergy to see what exactly is causing this severe allergic reaction as nobody is absolutely sure as to the cause.
Today, Chief continues to take his benedryl as advised (every 8 hours). He hasn't shown signs of a relapse as severe as last night. However, he still has small red hives appearing here and there!
I guess my question is.... if an attack like this happens again before the cause is determined, how can I ensure that he remains okay and stable while we make the crazy 1 1/2 hour drive back to Cornell? Is it okay to give him an extra dose of Benedryl (50 mg) if this happens? Or will it be too much? Does anyone have any other advise????????!!!!!!!!!!!
I was an absolute mess the whole way! :eek: I'm just so worried! Any thoughts are appreciated!
Before we took Chief on vacation, we noticed a couple of bumps under his fur (this was about last Thursday). There were'nt many at first; and they didn't seem to bother him. DH tried to look beneath the fur; but he said it was almost scabby like a chicken pock on a human. Anyway, we called the vet and made an appointment for the following Tuesday (yesterday). Thank god we did! The bumps became a little more prevalent and started to itch him (right around Monday). Just as we had suspected, our vet agreed that this must be an allergy to something. She prescribed him Diphenhydramine, Cephalexin, and also gave him a 1 cc shot of Vetalog (steroid).
All of a sudden last night, right after DH left for work (go figure), Chief started developing these golf ball sized hives (no exaggeration) all over his body. His muzzle swelled up like a base ball, his eyes were starting to swell. I, of course, start calling emergency vet services to try and get him seen. NO JOKE.... the closest emergency clinic for after-hours near me was Cornell University Hospital for Animals in Ithaca, NY which is 1 1/2 hours away. They told me to bring him in ASAP! So I hopped in the car with my baby boy (who at this point can't even open his eyes)! I cried all the way there.
By the time I got there, I was lucky that he was still breathing. He was diagnosed with "a presumptive diagnosis" of a severe allergic reaction ~ of course, with severe urticaria (hives) and angioedema (swelling). The hives were located on his back, both sides, thorax, and abdomen. His face and muzzle and ears were extremely swollen. They gave him an injection of 66 mg Diphenhydramine and both symptoms subsided significantly.
They allowed Chief to leave with me after 5 hours of observation. I got home at 6 am in time to be to work by 6:30; but DH came home early to monitor Chief as the vet advised. I'm sleepless right now folks! and don't know if I still dare to go to sleep for fear of this happening again and having to go all the way back to Cornell in time!
Our Vet stated to discontinue the Cephalexin as she's worried that Chief's reaction might be due (in part) to a sensitivity that was developed to this drug (as he's been on this before after his hystiocytoma surgery). She said to monitor for reoccurances (of course) as well as difficulty breathing, increasing respiratory rate, or increased breathing noises. We called the vet today to order a test to work up Chief's allergy to see what exactly is causing this severe allergic reaction as nobody is absolutely sure as to the cause.
Today, Chief continues to take his benedryl as advised (every 8 hours). He hasn't shown signs of a relapse as severe as last night. However, he still has small red hives appearing here and there!
I guess my question is.... if an attack like this happens again before the cause is determined, how can I ensure that he remains okay and stable while we make the crazy 1 1/2 hour drive back to Cornell? Is it okay to give him an extra dose of Benedryl (50 mg) if this happens? Or will it be too much? Does anyone have any other advise????????!!!!!!!!!!!
I was an absolute mess the whole way! :eek: I'm just so worried! Any thoughts are appreciated!
