Camellia Camelo

[CarolW]

Re: Camellia Camelo Kumbi's contest

There's a little apparent glitch in the contest entries - that is it seems NO comments have been approved since sometime early Thursday morning (13 October) - not for any of the entries.

So I inquired of the contest manager, Stacy, only to learn, via out-of-office message, that she's left - probably for a well-deserved holiday - and won't return till Thursday 20 October.

Well, the voting closes at 11:59:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Wednesday 19 October. Hmmm. So we may not see any of the comments until Stacy gets back. Or, if we're lucky, somebody will substitute, to approve comments, after this weekend.

We surely would love to have your comments! - if the cat is away, the mice will play, right? uh-oh, here come the Terriers! Wow - and the Havanese!

Hey, look out! Here come Kitty Gus and James!

Rats! (I mean, Mice!) RUN!

So don't get discouraged - keep your comments coming - they should show up eventually! Thanks!

Love and hugs,
Sat, 15 Oct 2011 13:41:47 (PDT)

[Shellie]

Re: Camellia Camelo

What happened with this, Carol? Did I miss the results? *crossing fingers for good news*

[CarolW]

Re: Camellia Camelo

Hey, Shellie! Sorry to be slow getting back to you with the contest results.

I got embroiled in at least three different projects, and was also still working to drum up replies - and never a hand to keep my computer properly maintained - this left me with a 2.5-week maintenance catch-up. That one took two days, and still isn't completely done. It'll do for now, though.

So here are the results:

I'm taking some of this from the email sent to the five finalists by Stacy, who cooked this thing up and managed it - apart from her week away, where Heather took over.

Dinglehopper (Toronto, ON), Downtown Animal Hospital - 340
Johnny (Lake Worth, FL), Dr. Butan, Canal Animal Hospital - 224
Kumbi (Sooke, BC), Saseenos Veterinary Services - 111
Scooter (Raleigh, NC), NC State College of Veterinary Medicine - 51
Zedd (Okotoks, AB), Dr. Borque, Foothills Animal Hospital - 29

So, we came in a strong third. Certainly we worked hard to achieve that.

Not every entrant identified the hospitals, but Stacy did, in her email to us finalists. I did have to check with her on Canal and Foothills, though the geographical locations seemed to me to suggest Foothills for Okotoks, AB, and Canal for Lake Worth, FL. (Glad to see I was right.)

I think all the entries are still up on the Trupanion web site - I wrote to Stacy to ask if they will remain there. If so, I won't bother to post them on Coherent Dog, as that would be a lot of work for me, and take up a lot of space (on an already huge web site!) I don't expect to hear back till tomorrow, earliest.

For now at least, Kumbi's entry remains here:

http://blog.trupanion.com/2011/10/tr...inalist-kumbi/

The other day I dropped contest organizer Stacy a note, to ask if the entries would remain in place, because if they will, I probably won't bother to put Kumbi's entry on Coherent Dog (my web site). Too much work and too much space required. I'd thought that except for the winner, they'd be taken down after the contest closed.

We did really well to take third, as the two winners are in half-million-population areas, and the Toronto hospital (Downtown Animal Hospital) is part of a network of five hospitals.

What I suspect is that we took third because I do a lot of mail on lists and groups - possibly the Raleigh woman just doesn't do a lot, and same for the Okotoks woman.

But it was great to walk into the Saseenos clinic and see the smiles on the faces of vets and staff.

And thanks to all of you who left comments; you really helped!

Love, hugs, licks and wags,
Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:35:17 (PDT)

[Shellie]

Re: Camellia Camelo

Ah well...was worth the try! And certainly fun to hear your story! You did really well tho with that many votes! Hooray! So congrats for third and a lot of votes at least! Hugs!

And you sound like me on the computer...I hate maintenance and will put it off forever if I can! lol

Hugs!

[CarolW]

Re: Camellia Camelo - Dr. Amanda / Atopy

I'd far rather maintain my dog than my computer. Diabetic or not. The dog, I mean!

Yesterday, Camellia had her annual exam, with Dr. Amanda Booth. Oh, HOW I love my vets! (Dr. Ute Mannhardt was in yesterday too; Dr. Carla had the day off. I managed to snatch a picture of Dr. Ute, but am not permitted to put it online anywhere - glad to have it, though; she is actually very photogenic.)

If I'm getting off-topic, that's because Camellia just sailed through the exam. She was quite stressed, naturally enough, but did extremely well, likely because those vets and staff are all so good at handling dogs, stressed or not.

We discussed Camellia's "shuffing" (stress-huffing), and Dr. Amanda reviewed my video clip of it. She thinks it's reverse sneezing, after all, related to some difficulties with environmental allergies.

Dr. Amanda would like me to try some different antihistamines. She's been on generic Reactine (Cetirizine Hydrochloride, 10 mg, once daily) for some months - it's okay for her to be on antihistamines forever, I gather! We'll probably try Benadryl (diphenhyrdamine) and maybe Chlorphenaramine. Not both at once, and not along with the Reactine, either, of course!

I'll be putting Camellia on a daily dose of salmon oil and Vitamin E. Dr. Amanda gave me a fascinating handout! Apparently dermatologists are working with new discoveries. A brief quote from the handout:

"....dermatologists showed that both dogs and people with Atopy have a deficiency in a normal lipid (fatty) layer that we all have on our skin called Phytosphingosine. This layer, in a normal dog, has 2 functions. It traps moisture in the skin cells, preventing dry skin, and it also acts as a barrier protecting the immune system beneath the skin from explosure to the allergens on the surface, and thus decreasing allergic reaction.

"We now have available a spray made up of Phytosphingosines which, if applied to the skin, help to seal in moisture, and replace the missing barrier...."

Weekly baths are required, with special shampoos, and the spray gets applied once between baths as well.

NOW I wish we had a bathtub - only a shower in my new place. I'll have to consider what I can possibly do, as my back won't stand up to bathing/drying Camellia either!

But I'll be working on logistics for doing something about this! I had no IDEA about this barrier business!

Attention, Patty and Ali, and others with dogs with Atopy!

This looks as though Dr. Amanda prepared (wrote) the article. But she also attached an article from VeterinaryPartner.com:

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Con...P=PRINT&A=1535

dated 6/15/2010.
Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:05:38 (PDT)

[Patty]

Re: Camellia Camelo

Glad they are rotating antihistamines, Carol. That's a good idea.

I have Ali on fish oil and vit E as well. The spray sounds like something similar to the Allerderm Spot on I tried this year. It did help protect her skin.

[CarolW]

Re: Camellia Camelo

I'll have to look up that Allerderm Spot on, Patty.

I gather that for Ali, all this stuff was only partly successful.

My vets really are great! I am so lucky!
Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:52:17 (PDT)

[Shellie]

Re: Camellia Camelo

I'd like to do the fish oil but can't get the pills into Hank. And we all know the food problem. Any ideas?

[CarolW]

Re: Camellia Camelo

Shellie - I'll reply in your thread!

Hugs,
Thu, 27 Oct 2011 06:12:31 (PDT)

[Judi]

Re: Camellia Camelo

I'm glad Camellia tolerated her check up ok Carol. Got any teenagers in the area you could bribe to help bathe Camellia or would that freak her out?

When I had my 60 pound shar pei, the walk in shower and a bucket was the easiest way to bathe him (but I was much younger then!)

Judi

[Patty]

Re: Camellia Camelo

I'll have to look up that Allerderm Spot on, Patty.

I gather that for Ali, all this stuff was only partly successful.

Here's the Allerderm for reference: http://www.virbacvet.com/products/dermatology/allergicdermatitis/allerdermspotonskinlipidcomplex.aspx

All the little things we've tried have helped to some degree, but allergies are tough and we move often. So Ali is exposed to new allergens or re-exposed to allergens again when we move someplace new.

I'm becoming more convinced that during her worst time of the year (Aug-Sept) that ragweed is the culprit.

[CarolW]

Re: Camellia Camelo

Help! Save Me! I think Mummy has evil designs!

She went on Hunt Day today, and I had such a lovely time with DogDaddy George. Then Mummy came home. DogDaddy George unloaded this huge box-like thing from the car. I do believe it's a laundry tub!

He put it in the shower stall (we don't have a tub), put the legs on it (it wouldn't go in with all the legs on, but it went in with TWO legs on, and then Daddy put the other two on).

I really don't think Mummy is planning to sit in that tub for her showers. Could it be she has designs on me?

But she also came home with stuff she says is very, very special. And I'm to have the really special stuff!

The shampoo and spray:

http://www.douxo.us/dermatology/doux...s-shampoo.html

If you click on the data-sheet links on the pictures of the shampoo and the spray you get more information, including how to use the stuff.

And, the link my vet pointed out to me that covers (very briefly) this failed skin-barrier problem:

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Con...P=PRINT&A=1535

This all started a week ago Tuesday, when I had my annual exam, with Dr. Amanda. She said I have Atopy. And she said, we could replace my failed skin-barrier!

So I guess Mummy is planning to give me my skin back! I should itch a lot less! And maybe not have to take so much antihistamine! Right now, I'm taking 10 mg of generic Reactine (cetirizine hydrochloride) once daily.

The other day, Mum tried Chlorpheneramine (2 mg, 2 or 3 times daily) - that's Chlortripolon - on me. Well, she only gave it to me twice, but by 2:30 in the morning, I was going CRAZY itching, so she gave me a third dose. Whew! It helped a lot. I don't think it's any better than the Reactine, though. We'll see.

I suppose I'll be approximately the cleanest dog on Earth! Except for others who get this very special stuff!

Camellia, you're a really good sport, and a trooper; I know you are. I'll make you feel really good. Just think, all that lovely finger-massage, and all that lovely lukewarm water, and all those suds! All tucked in with me in that tiny shower stall!

I have this funny feeling I'll get pretty wet myself!
Thu, 3 Nov 2011 17:25:59 (PDT)

[Judi]

Re: Camellia Camelo

Camellia is one smart pup! I hope the dog bathing goes well Carol! And if you feel the urge to share a picture we'd love it!! Judi

[CarolW]

Re: Camellia Camelo

Judi - maybe I could get Parrot Lady (Camellia's doGMother) to come and take pictures. Pretty tough to get an angle where Camellia would be visible, in that tub! But if anybody could figure it out, Marg (Parrot Lady) could.

http://www.coherentdog.org/vek/parrotlady.php

I did take some pictures this afternoon - but they're not very good. Still, I might try to find a place to put them where people can see them. Or one or two, maybe. No Camellia in THOSE pictures - she won't be in that tub without hands HOLDING her there! (haha!)

Hope this works! It SHOULD improve things, anyway!

Thanks so much for your good wishes!
Thu, 3 Nov 2011 18:08:15 (PDT)

[Patty]

Re: Camellia Camelo

Sure hope it works Carol!
Itching sure is the pits