1484. Facial swelling and itchy eyes the night before - Miniature Schnauzer

June 28, 2013

Since it was after closing hours on June 27, 2013,  I advised the dog owner to put on the e-collar so that his Miniature Schnauzer will not scratch his face and eyes. "It is likely an allergy to something," I said. "Bring the dog in the morning for a check up."

I did not expect the owner to come as the dog had recovered. But the couple turned up. I examined the dog's face and eyes. The dog was alert and there was no swelling or scratching. The only symptom was that the dog screamed and pushed his head away when I checked his ears with a cotton bud tip. All dogs with no ear inflammation will not scream. So that was the only finding. I sent the dog home with an ear ointment.

"It will not be the food," the husband responded to my theory that one cause could be a dry food allergy. "I feed him the same brand of food." I did not comment as the same brand of food may have substituted or new ingredients nowadays as the manufacturer seeks to cut costs and quality to be competitive. Eating the same brand may lead to allergies over time but few owners will agree.

Usually I give an anti-allergic injection but in this case, I did not do it so as to lower medical costs. The husband's printing business was not good when he told me he had sublet the shop to another retiree. "I am a taxi driver at night."

"How long have you been a taxi driver?" I asked.
"The past 3 years. I need to go to work. Can you speed up the examination?"
The faster the veterinary service, the better for some clients.  

In the afternoon, the wife phoned to say that the dog was lethargic. "He would not respond to going out. He vomited after eating."

I got the dog warded. Took a blood test and gave the anti-allergic injection and IV drip. This is likely an allergy to something consumed but it is hard to prove.

Dogs are children for many couples but the recession on the ground has set in for the heartlander, but judging from the large increase in property and car prices recently and the great difficulty in hiring Singaporeans for many jobs, there seem to be a boom when you consider that 1 in 4 young adult European is unemployed.

A blood test may or may not show what is the cause of this itchiness. Allergies can cause a dog to scratch furiously his face, eyes, ears and body and bites his paws. It is difficult to find the cause and I usually advise a change to an anti-allergic food trial for 3 months.