AFGHANS ARE US -HEALTH

ALLERGIES 

ZETA'S STORY

Zeta's story has been reproduced here with the kind permission of her owner Di Searle

Our nearly 12 year old, Zeta, has always been a little susceptible to various allergies since we came over to Australia - grass, heat, insect bites - we were never too sure what caused them but normally with a little care, generous applications of various creams, special shampoos, etc., she has had no lasting effects.

Last Friday week, however, was a different story. For much of the day she had been scratching her muzzle but although I checked this several times I found nothing out of the ordinary. A spray of lavender water seemed to calm her down from time to time, then it would start again. 

She ate her evening meal normally but then she started scratching in earnest - muzzle, ears, neck etc., and not settling anywhere - two minutes here, two minutes there and no after dinner sleep as normal - and panting continuously. Of course by this time (7.30pm) our own vets were closed! They have no 24 hour coverage at all and for emergencies we have to use the veterinary hospital, about half an hour away. Another local vet does run an all night service so I rang, only to get a recorded message to leave name and number and they would get back! They didn’t - in spite of ringing twice!! By this time I was getting more and more worried so in desperation rang Jacky Harnett and asked if she would pop round to give a second opinion on Zee. Time was now getting on for 9pm. We went over Zee thoroughly and discovered that by now her scalp, mouth, ears, toes and tummy were scarlet, her eyes were bloodshot and she had a very slightly raised temperature and was still panting very rapidly.

I hastily rang the veterinary hospital and luckily when we got there at 10pm we went straight in to see the on-duty vet. He diagnosed a severe allergic reaction to something though he couldn’t tell me what - luckily all her vital signs were normal, heart, lungs etc., and her temperature had gone down a little too. We had established earlier this was not snake, toad or anything venomous as the signs did not tie in with that.

She was given a cortisone injection and an antihistamine and we were sent on our way with instructions to take her to our own practice in the morning, but by then she should be well over it. We got back at around 11.30pm and needless to say I sat up all night with her as she was incredibly restless and still panting very rapidly so at 2.30am I rang the hospital again as she didn’t seem to be responding to the injections at all. By this time I was getting quite concerned as I was afraid she would go into anaphylactic shock. However, the vet assured me that all would be well, that thin skinned dogs can take a lot longer to respond to the drugs and to give her a little longer. If I was still concerned they would see her again but could only monitor her, which I was doing at home anyway.

She eventually seemed to settle a little at around 3 am - I grabbed a couple of hours’ rest, but was up again at 5 am to find her still panting and still a little unsettled. Zeta is not normally one for stirring until it’s light outside, the other two have been out for their wanderings in the run, the ducks have been fed and even then we have to prise her off her bed!!

Keith had been away sailing since the Wednesday - he is a volunteer crewman on a 100 ft. sailing ship and they had a group of school children and teachers on board from up the coast so he wasn’t due back home until late on Sunday night. However, I rang the boat and asked if he could possibly get back home - Zeta didn’t look too well, Jacky wouldn’t be available for the rest of the weekend and if Zee needed the hospital at night again I wouldn’t be able to get her there as I cannot drive in the dark (I’d be a menace to me, Zee and the rest of Queensland!!). He didn’t think he would be able to get home as the kids had to be taken back to their home port by 3pm, they were out among the islands,  the wind was against them and it looked as though heavy rain was brewing too!! Just what I needed to hear!! However he said he would do his best, but not to hold out hope.

At 9.30am on Saturday morning I had Zeta to our vets and saw Wendy, who knew Zee having operated on her 18 months ago for the tumour on her spleen. Again she had a thorough examination - all normal apart from the redness (which was slightly less by this time) and the panting. Between us we did discover a very red patch inside her mouth (not visible with the general redness earlier) and the conclusion was that she had been stung or bitten by an insect on the inside of her top lip although there was no apparent swelling. This could have been an ant of which we have several species all of whom bite as we know to our cost, a bee or one of a myriad of other insects. She gave me some antihistamine tablets for her, two for that day which should finally clear her condition and some for the future should she start itching again

Keith arrived home at 1.30pm - with a tale to tell! The boat had been unable to get him back to the jetty as this would have added a couple of hours onto their timing to get the kids home (parents wuld have been really anxious) - so they did no more but ring the coastguard!! Must have been a quiet day on Moreton Bay  for the coastguards were quite agreeable to collecting him and taking him back to Manly. By this time the boat was well on her way back to the kids’ home town of Mooloolaba up the coast, under full sail and moving quite rapidly. Everyone on board was very impressed at the sight of the yellow coastguard cutter coming up very fast behind the schooner, then coming alongside (still at speed) - at which point Keith did a nifty leap over the rail onto the cutter - his bag was thrown down to him, and the cutter - and Keith - sped away to Manly. I suspect it made the kids’ cruise and they were all clicking away with their cameras  - such excitement is rare!! This cost Keith a reasonable donation to the coastguard fund - but that was a minor detail!

Zeta was delighted to see Keith back (as was I!) And she promptly went to sleep with her head on his knee. From that moment she made a swift recovery, we watched her breathing ease by the hour - and now she is back to her normal noisy, and nosy self!!!!

I really do hope that she doesn’t do that again - but at least we will be prepared next time with any luck! Keith was a little sorry to miss the final two days of his sail - the kids on board had been a particularly nice bunch and it had been a good cruise weatherwise - but agreed Zee’s health was more important! Thank God we didn’t need another emergency trip to the veterinary hospital!!

Di.

6th January 2007