Sammy’s neck is some what getting better after 2 weeks. With the help of the following:

- All of the medication listed below
- Iodine dilluted in water
- A Probiotic supplement (not drug) that was added to offset the antibiotics.
- Her dog collar taken off at all times. It makes her itch so we took it off. Unless going on a walk.
-Complete house lockdown. We don’t let her outside unless she is going to the bathroom or a short walk. In that case we carry her over the grass and it’s concrete only.

Clean Those Feet:
If she is ever outside (bathroom), we immediately wipe her feet down with a wet rag in the inside entry way and the rag then goes in the dirty laundry. But what we have found to be more effective is using iodine dilluted in water which is anti bacterial and anti fungal. We use a 12x 6 plastic container from Target. We use room temp water (not hot or cold) and fill it deep enough to immerse her feet. The water should resemble a tea color. It ends up being about a gallon of water and a tablespoon or more iodine. That just a guess to help understand how dilluted it actually is. Iodine has worked wonders. We have had no issues with staining either which was a big concern of mine. We resuse the water about 5 times and add iodine as needed. Really a simple process. However it’s a lot of dirty rags.
I will upload the iodine procedure later as well as a picture of the iodine product which can be bought at a drug store or some grocery stores. I highly recommend the less potent iodine. Usually comes in a bigger. The smaller one has the crossbones on it, and it is way more potent. One final note on the iodine is that Sam eventually got used to the idea after about 10-12 times. It’s worth the struggle and it helps to have 2 people.

Money, Time, and Bullshit:
This has been a very expensive and time consuming procedure. We obviously are willing to go much further than the typical owner. We are trying a more holistic approach while other vets have recommended hardcore steroids and things of that nature. We were roped into that last summer along with multiple Cortesone shots that help, but only mask the symptoms.

Vet Selection:
I have found that simply taking the vets word as gospel, can sometimes not be your best option. You need to show your vet that you are proactive and willing to be educated. If you act like a doormat, they might not rise to the challenge. I used that approach and the found out the hard way. Be selective in your vet choice and look where they went to school at. Also ask the vet tech/or assistants questions because they will sometimes reveal pertinant info that you might not get out of your Vet. Hell they work there, they might have seen a similar case in a prvious dog or previous internship. I will list my vets info, for she is the best I have ever been to, but she would rank in the top 10% of vets I have been to out of about 20-25.

Time Devoted and Thinking Outside the Box:
Myself or my wife have been home watching Sam full time for about a month to make sure she wouldn’t literally rip her skin off. No dates, just a lot of movie rentals, and what not. It happened that are work schedules coincided to allow this. However, most wouldn’t have this luxury, so here is what I recommend based on my trials. If you cannot be there, put your dog in some form of shirt and put boots on their feet to stop them from doing major damage with the itching. I will display a picture of the boots we used to stop Sam from itching. It is vital that you do not leave the boots on full time, because if the paws are irritated, they will become infected from no exposure to air. I also recommend airing out the boots when they are not being worn by turning them inside out. Also hand washing them as well from time to time helps. We use a non perfume based soap.

Another idea we have just implemented is the use of distraction. We have gotten her bones to chew on that keep her attention focused on something besides the itching. It also helps that we have another dog, but not as much as I originally thought.

Community:
Obviously I am one owner with one case. What I can say is that this is my third summer dealing with this, and I’ve spent a lot of money and been to a bunch of vets looking for a solution. I know there are plenty of owners out there,and this will save you so much time, money, and effort. We’ll lead block on this one in hopes that others will write down their experiences to make the dog owner population a more educated one.

I apologize for and grammar errors or spelling. Just writing, not proofing. I will come back and fix that

Here’s a picture of the Iodine I am using.