How stupid can vets be?!?!?!

[Crested]

Ok... I was at the vet with Bella because he wanted to see her. He wasn't the vet I usually go to, but I didn't want to wait untill wednesday to get her checked out.
He checked her ears out and just after massageing them for about 30 seconds he said that he believes it's allergies. He started asking what kind of food she eats, has she eaten it all the time etc.
He treated her ear infection (and I KNEW for a fact that it was an ear infection. I made the diagnosis myself, because it was just so clear! First of all she couldn't leave her ear alone, she was shakeing her head all the time AND her ear smelled. I know an ear infection when I see one!!!!).
Then he started saying I should change her food because she's allergic to it. I told him I was going to change her food to Nutro anyway and he praised that food. After a while he started to tell me again to change the food, because she's allergic to it. I AGAIN repeated the same; that I was going to change her food anyway with or without allergies.
It didn't go long before he told me Bella shouldn't eat anything from the table, the floor, Ben's bowl, the ground etc. and I AGAIN told him that I KNOW she's not allergic!
Then he started to tell me about deworming and vaccinations (when to deworm and vaccinate). I told him I KNOW and that I have a two-year-old at home, but he still thought I needed to know all of that AGAIN.
AAAAAARGH!!!! Then he told me allso that I should go in an allergy test with both Bella and Ben.
WHY CAN'T HE UNDERSTAND THAT THE ONLY REASON BELLA HAS PROBLEMS WITH HER EAR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER LIFE IS THAT HER MOTHER HAD GOT AN EAR INFECTION A LITTLE WHILE AGO AND THAT THE PUPPIES GOT IT FROM HER (don't know about the other four puppies, but atleast Bella got it)???????
And guess another thing he said... that s"kin allergies are problems of [i]that[/i] breed"!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!!
[b]BELLA DOES NOT, AND I REPEAT [i]NOT[/i], HAVE ALLERGIES!!!! [/b]

I'm allergic, Ben's allergic and I've read and experienced a lot off allergies and I know allergy when I see it allso!!! SHE'S NOT ALLERGIC!!!!

Sorry about this post... I just really needed to vent! Thanks.

/Crest

[Guest Anonymous]

I dont mean to contradict and I trust that you know it is not allergies....

But, dont rule allergies out. My childhood dog got terrible allergies every fall, same symptoms as an infection (all those that you listed). It was not an infection as antibiotics did not help, it was allergies and to this day for about a month each fall my mom must put drops in her ears every day. Soooo...he may not be completely wrong. Just keep an eye out and make sure it clears up with the antibiotics.

[mouseatthebusstop]

you should have waited to see your vet :(

[Crested]

Mary's mama: I KNOW she's not allergic. I talked to the breeder (who I can proudly call my friend) and she says the same. Bella's NOT allergic!!
I mean... if a puppy's ear itches, ofcourse she starts rubbing it with her paw, then it comes the smell from the ear on her paw. Ofcourse she licks that smell off the paw!! The ear itches and OFCOURSE she shakes her head! It's unfortunate that your dog had that kind of allergies and I'm very sorry about that and I don't see your post as a contradiction, but I KNOW she's not allergic, the breeder who's had her since day one KNOWS she's not allergic and both of us KNOW it's just an ear infection.
And the fact that he said that it's a problem with the BREED not even knowing what breed she is says a lot.

If Bella's got allergies because she's got an ear infection, then I'm not a human, I'm a chimpansee!!

[Guest Anonymous]

I'm not saying she does or she doesn't. I am saying it is presumptious to assume that infection is the only possibility. Those symptoms dont emphatically mean infection. Also, she is far to young for anyone to KNOW for certain if she does or does not have allergies. It is definitely still a possibility. Some allergies dont show up for years. And she has only been on solid food for a matter of weeks, just too soon to be so KNOW it all. So you might want to be watchful to make sure that you are correct, and that she does not require alternative treatment.

Sometimes, instead of becoming defensive, we need to listen to each other. I am sure you want to take the best possible care of Bella and will, but you should know all the information first. To say the vet is stupid is not right, he has had far more training than any of us.

[atghylin]

Marys mama, not all vets reconize a breed or know enough about a breed because they do not see or treat that particular breed often enough. Sometimes if they are ignorant of the breed (as per Crested's current problem) they tell you what they THINK they know but do not really know. Does that make sense? As breed specific pet lovers we often know more about our pets and the breeds they come from then our vets (or as in this case our substitute vets).

I had a similar experience. The vet I chose to take Felix to after I had adopted him took one look at him and said "Well you defently have something other then Cocker Spaniel in you." I quickly corrected the vet by informing him that Felix is a pruebred Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The vet just didn't reconize Felix's breed. It wasn't his fault that most spaniel breeds in my area are of the hunting varity.

My long winded point is that I agree with Crested, the vet was ignorant of Bella's breed and tried to make himself sound knowledgable, but failed miserably! Mostly due to Crested's knowledge base that made her more qualified to spot a problem with Bella then he did. Is all of this making sense to you?


Amanda

[Guest Anonymous]

I just must not be making any sense today.

I did not say a word about the vet knowing the breed. I have no way to tell and frankly neither do any of us.

I simply think it is important to recognize that no one can know if a weeks old puppy has allergies. The symptoms she described that she believes mean nothing other than infection in fact can be allergies as well.

I just dont think it is smart for anyone to make the assumption they know everything.

[imported_Cassie]

I am agreeing with Mary's mama, there are numerous reasons why dogs get ear infections...one of the first steps in curing an ear infection is finding out why the dog is having them...you can't just say..."oh, my dog has an ear infection...just treat it and don't ask questions"
Dogs can have ear problems for many different reasons. When a dog has an ear disease we need to think about the possibility of:

Allergies such as atopy or food allergies
Parasites - ear mites
Microorganisms - bacteria and yeast
Foreign bodies, e.g., plant awns
Trauma
Hormonal abnormalities, e.g., hypothyroidism
The ear environment, e.g., excess moisture and ear anatomy
Hereditary or immune conditions, and tumors

Because there are many potential causes of ear problems, we cannot just say it is a bacterial infection, dispense antibiotics, and it will go away. Often, more work is needed.
The treatment is going to depend on what caused the ear problem and what secondary conditions are there as a result. Antibiotics are used for bacterial infections and antifungals for yeast infections. Glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone are often included in these preparations to reduce the amount of inflammation in the ear. Ear problems caused by a systemic disease such as a hormone abnormality or allergy must include a therapy that treats the whole dog, such as hormonal replacement or allergy testing and hyposensitization (immunotherapy).

[quote]WHY CAN'T HE UNDERSTAND THAT THE ONLY REASON BELLA HAS PROBLEMS WITH HER EAR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER LIFE IS THAT HER MOTHER HAD GOT AN EAR INFECTION A LITTLE WHILE AGO AND THAT THE PUPPIES GOT IT FROM HER [/quote]
[b]Quote by Crested [/b]

How did your pup get an ear infection from the mother?

I would agree the Vet was ignorant if he did not do a swab to insure it is not a bacterial or yeast infection and thus made his conclusion it was an allergy solely on the breed.
and yes, atghylin most breeders are much more aware of the "problems" their breed may be more inclined to....and yes, Vet's learn about more about anotomy than breeds...but, there are alot of breed related hereditary problems which all Vet's are aware of.

[atghylin]

You're right, Cassie. And I apologize if I sounded rude. :oops: But wouldn't you feel better if the vet you chose to see recognized your dog's breed? Then maybe you'd feel more comfortable with their diagnoses (sp?) and their advice.

Okay, this is a little off subject but hopefully you'll see my point.

When my oldest son was 15 months old he developed a diapper(sp?) rash that wouldn't go away. I took him to see the peditrition I was using at the time. He told me it was JUST a diapper rash and to use some Zinc Oxcide for a few days. Didn't work! I went back but this time I saw his assistant. She told that my son did NOT have diapper rash but a yeast infection, and that it was pretty far advanced. She also said that the Zinc Oxcide may have made it worse. :evil: I never returned to that doctor because I felt he was unable to CORRECTLY diagnose a problem.

It's the same with vets. If they can't correctly identify a breed then how are they going to know what breed specific problems to look for? Is that a better question?

[Crested]

Mary's mama: Yeah, she COULD have allergies, but I do not think she has them. See... She eats EVERYTHING, she's happy, she's energetic nothing like Ben who is afraid to eat anything he doesn't know, because of his allergies. Dogs that have allergies often don't even eat much, because they of some reason know that if they eat "A" the result will be "B". Bella again eats EVERYTHING! She even tries to eat small rocks and sand!!! :o (I know, she's weird!) The fact that Bella's mom had an ear infection while having the puppies makes me 100% sure she has it too. The breeder told me allso when I went to pick her up that she might have cought mommy's ear infection. So I knew about it. This allso was a big part of my so called "diagnosis". Isn't it pretty obvious? The mommy has an ear infection and a puppy of that litter catches it? Atleast I think it's clear.
This vet just seemed to be SUCH AN IDIOT because he told me not to give her anything from the table, not to let her eat anything else exept her food and not to let her eat anything outside.
If every dog that has an ear infection gets diagosed as an allergic dog, then nearly every dog in the world is allergic! So many dogs get ear infections and I think it's only a couple that have allergies as the root to the problem.
Another thing that made this vet really incomtient was the fact that he thought I didn't know ANYTHING about deworming or vaccinations. He even suggested that I would NOT go out on walks with Bella. Not even around the block. AND IT WOULD BE BEST NOT TO LET HER OUT AT ALL BEFORE HER VACCINATIONS!!! After this he said that to his knowledge there are no parvo or other epidemies around here, but "just to be on the safe side". Am I supposed to keep Bella locked up untill she's 16 weeks? Am I supposed to start teaching her to walk nicely in a leash when she's 16 weeks and not a day before that???
I think using a little common sence will get you pretty far. I mean... Ofcourse I'm going to let her out! Ofcourse I'm going to take her on walks, but not let her smell any dogs droppings or other pets etc.
I mean... there was an 11 week old puppy at this caravan place I went to with my parents and Ben a couple weeks ago and the puppy just was there with them, saw other people and other dogs and that's it.
I would feel safer to keep going on walks in an enviroment I feel is safe for her, then to take her to a camping place where mabye houdreds of dogs go to every year!
And the fact that he said that the BREED has allergies without knowing the breed says a lot of this vet too. Don't you agree?

/Crest

[Malamum]

[quote]Another thing that made this vet really incomtient was the fact that he thought I didn't know ANYTHING about deworming or vaccinations. He even suggested that I would NOT go out on walks with Bella. Not even around the block. AND IT WOULD BE BEST NOT TO LET HER OUT AT ALL BEFORE HER VACCINATIONS!!! After this he said that to his knowledge there are no parvo or other epidemies around here, but "just to be on the safe side". Am I supposed to keep Bella locked up untill she's 16 weeks? Am I supposed to start teaching her to walk nicely in a leash when she's 16 weeks and not a day before that??? [/quote]

Crested, we didn't start taking Indy for walks or anywhere where strange dogs could have been till he was 16 weeks and all vacs had been done.

We took him to puppy kindy which was held at our vet's office (sterile environment) and we took him to people's houses where we personally know that all their dogs were up to date on their vacs but didn't let him out in the big bad world till he had that last jab. I would rather be safe than sorry. You can still train with her on the leash at home - that's what we did.

[imported_Cassie]

Crested, just because Ben has allergies and does not eat very much or is picky does not mean other dogs with allergies are picky eats!!! a friend of mine has a white boxer, they are known for having repressed immune systems which makes them prone to allergies...this dog is allergic to every thing - grass, house flies, beef, chicken...I could go on...but, this dog would eat a horse..then chase the driver!!! one of my Newfoundland dogs has allergies and I put her on a hypo allerginic food...I had her on BARF but, it was too hard to keep all the food items she was allergic out of her diet and still give her a well balanced diet...for a while the only indication of allergies was severe ear infections which would be treated and then come back and she started having vaginal yeast infections, she too will eat every thing in sight...
I think the Vet sounds very competent and was trying to explain things to you as he could see the breeder was leading you down a false trail...tell me, how does a pup get an ear infection from its mother...unless it is from parasites...or a repressed immune system...and if your pup has a repressed immunity the Vet seemed very concerned ...as for vaccines we tell the same thing to our customers....we make the customers aware they should be very careful with their pups until they have all their boosters. At least this Vet took the time to talk to you instead of mumbling some medical terminology and pushing you out the door. Not every dog in the world which has an ear infection has allergies...but, a Vet has to find out why the dog has an ear infection and what is causing it...perhaps the Vet saw the pup was very young and saw it was not mites causing the infection...saw there was not excessive moisture...many dogs get ear infections from getting water in their ears for example labs & retreivers which swim and put their whole head under quite often. You can't just treat an ear infection without knowing what is going on.

And atghylin it is very hard to diagnose some ailments...I work at a Vet clinic and some times certain diseases are very hard to diagnose. But, I will say one thing, the animals that come to our clinic are given more attention and tests etc are done much more quickly on our animals than the medical care we humans receive.
As for knowing the different breeds, all dogs are within one species...they all have the same anotomy...the only difference is purebreds are usually over bred and can become prone to diseases which are a result of over breeding and small gene pools...there are new diseases popping up every day...for an example, Newfoundland dogs; my breeder friend has been very successful keeping hip dysplasia out of her lines...by breeding to keep HD out she has created a new hereditary disease...elbow dysplasia; this was never some thing Newf's where ever afflicted with before. Many dogs due to over breeding are having resulting problems of repressed immunities and poor conformation resulting in problems. The clinic I work at the Vet's know their breeds...and they will tell you there are many breed specific diseases which all Vets should be aware of....I would just like to know what you feel the Vet did wrong in diagnosing Bella....isnt it probable that these breeds are prone to have repressed immunities??? a repressed immunity
Purebreds are the biggest portion of business at our Vet clinic.

[Guest Anonymous]

As far as I know ear infections are not contagious ( I could very well be wrong though). Also, if any breeder I considered getting a pup from sent me home with a pup that had an infection anywhere, I wouldn't believe a word they had to say cuz they obviously weren't doing a very good job. Lastly, allergies can be caused by other elements than food.

I think you need to be more open minded about this vet. He had never seen you before and had no knowledge of your knowledge and experience. And what makes you think he had no idea what breed it was, you haven't explained that at all. There aren't a lot of hairless breeds running around and Chinese Cresteds are pretty easy to spot. This vet was doing an excellent job. He was considering alternative causes for the problem, and gave you excellent advice about vaccinations and being careful about exposing your pup to too much before the vacs are complete.

While I agree that you do have good cause to believe that this instance is an infection, it would be in Bella's best interest for you to have more faith in your vets, or only take her too the best vet you can find. Everything the vet told you is correct and the same speech almost every vet gives new puppy owners, especially new clients.

[atghylin]

Cassie, I stand corrected. I promise to make no more fuss about my previous posts. :)

Marys Mama, if you were to take a new puppy to a new vet and told that vet that this wasn't your first puppy and that you had others at home then you received that particular speech wouldn't you be a little upset?

I know I would be upset because that speech would have just given me the very clear indictacion that the vet hadn't heard me and assumed that I was completely ignorant of those guidelines. That is a bad, bad sign in either vets or human doctors! The not listening to their clients, I mean.

[Guest Anonymous]

Personally....I would rather get too much information than not enough. I'd rather be told things I already know, then be mad weeks later b/c no one told me.

Guess we just look at life differently. There is no reason for people to be so defensive when others are only trying to help. Especially if you went to them seeking help. I remember being Crested's age though and I probably would have reacted the same way.

[atghylin]

I may be older then Crested but I still react the same way when the profesional I've chosen to visit doesn't listen to me or continually repeats what I already know. I've had one peditrion(sp?) make a move on me during a visit, :o I've had another yell at me for not coming in sooner, and a few months ago an ER doctor tell me there was nothing wrong with my child who was cutting his first tooth and running a 103 fever. After 3 visits to the ER I was finally told my child had an ear infection as well as his first tooth! UGGGG! :evil: When they don't listen the first time I try to understand a little bit but when they continually don't listen I start getting mad. I hold all doctors, human and vet alike, accountable for their listening skills.

[Guest Anonymous]

I too have never heard of an ear infection being passed from one dog to another?? But I'm certainly no expert...

I remember 7 years ago taking my springermix, Jack, in for yet another ear infection. The vet at that time suggested that his food may be the culprit. I thought the man had lost his mind and unfortunately switched vets after that (thinking he had no idea what he was talking about).
Sadly, after 6 years of repeated infections, and thousands of dollars in vet visits and meds, it was indeed Jack's food that caused his repeated infections due to allergies to chicken and corn. Once we switched to a superpremium food he no longer had an infection.
I should have listened all those years ago, but had never read anything about the correlation between food and allergies and therefore thought I knew it all. :(

This vet sounds as if he knows what he's talking about and seems extremely thorough in his examination. Perhap's he kept repeating things because you kept insisting what he was saying wasn't right???? Maybe he felt if he kept repeating things you would take what he said to heart????


Either way, I hope your baby gets her/his ear infection taken care of. I'd certainly call the breeder
#1 That she let a sick pup go
and
#2 That she told you ear infections can be passed on????

Seems odd

[shaye]

I'm sorry the above post was from me.
I kept getting an error page when I tried to post my name...

[Crested]

Ok, I've tried a couple times allready to anwser, but because of storms, the power goes on and off, so I've not been able to send a single message yet. I hope this goes through...

The reason why I don't believe the vet is that the ONLY proof of allergies he had to go on is the mear fact that Bella licks her paws after scratching. I know that dogs who have allergies do that, because Ben does the same. It's just that when she licks her paws, it's a couple licks to see what in the world that smell is that comes from her ear (because her nose can't reach her ear :lol:). See, he didn't take any tests, he didn't do anything exept feel her ears and ask if she licks her paws. When I told him yes, he told me straight away it's allergy! And that's what makes me mad. How can a vet, ANY VET just feel an ear ask if she licks her paws and make a 100% diagnosis that it's allergies?? And to think that the paw licking was his ONLY -and I repeat, ONLY- proof that she's allergic, makes me not only suspicious of the vet's skills but allso very mad.

I've been constantly in contact with the breeder and the last time I talked to her was yesterday and the last mail I receved was today. I'm very glad that I have a breeder that is interested in Bella and her well beeing, when I have no contact with Ben's breeder after I got him payed. :cry: There have been many questions I would have wanted to ask Ben's breeder, but never got the anwser to because the breeder just didn't seem to care. :cry: This made me first really upset and now just sad to think that she doesn't care. :cry:

I do keep an open mind when it comes to the health of my dogs. Absolutely! Nothing is more important to me then my babies!
When Ben got his allergies and I went to the vet, it was so obvious he had allergies and she had proof to back her theories up too wich made me very comfortable and made me trust her so much, that she's the vet I go to every time. Now she had been on holiday and didn't have time before wednesday and I didn't want to wait that long IF Bella would get problems with her ears during that time. Then I went to this vet that I had never seen in my entire life. I do agree that it's good that he tells people the basics, but he should have listend to me. I wasn't argumentetive at all. Actually I've noticed that I can see peoples personas when they can talk without me makeing my ideas heard. This way I can see exacly what they think without having my thoughts mixed into the "soup". When he had told me like for the fifth time that it's allergies and that I have to change the food (wich I told him I was planning to do with or without allergies at the first time he told me the diagonosis) that's when I spoke up and told him that I strongly believe that it's not allergies. I told him I have an allergic dog at home and I know what dog allergies are, because I've done a lot of research. He just turned his back at me and mumbled: "Well let's just hope that's it". Not too long afterwards he again started repeating it's allergies and that I have to change the food.

So... if he would have had facts, something to make his suspicions real like a swab from the ear and the test result of that or something I would have believed him, but he had nothing else but the fact that she lickes her paws a couple times after scratching and that's it. She doesn't go on licking and licking and licking the paws never letting them be alone. She licks them a couple times to see what's the smell and when she gets her anwser that's it.

Bella's breeder is in my eyes a very good and responsible breeder and I can proudly say I have a puppy from one of her litters. :)

/Crest

[imported_Cassie]

Did the Vet look down the ear canal with the otoscope? usually a swab is done when there is inflammation present, if the ear drum is involved and if there are any foreign bodies, tumors or other potential causes of the problem.

Dogs with allergies, either to food or something they inhale, often have ear problems. As a matter of fact, the ear problem may be the first sign of the allergy. Since the allergy changes the environment within the ear, we sometimes see secondary infections with bacteria or yeast. If we just treat the infection, we are not getting to the root of the problem. We need to treat the allergies too.

If you did not feel comfortable with this Vet then make a follow up appointment with your usual Vet....at the clinic I work at we would consider this a re-check and it would not be the full price of a normal exam (they are in the same clinic, arent they???). There are alot of Vets with terrible bed side manners...some of these Vets have terrible people skills but are wonderful with the animals...I know a few like this! :lol: I have also worked with an older Vet who was also a horse Vet and had a small animal practice as well...he could diagnose any thing within seconds
he was great...he had been around so long and had seen so much that it was second nature to him.
I would definately still keep an open mind...I would probably start adding fatty acids to the pups diet just in case of allergies....

Here is one thing I just want to mention for those who are insulted by a Vet going over vaccines and boosters etc with clients even though they have had many many pups...all comments are recorded in your file, for each pup or dog you aquire the Vet will put down that they discussed vaccines with the owner, they explained spay/neuter, and worming schedules etc with the new owner....all of this is recorded in your file so if some thing does happen and the cleint tries to blame the Vet for not telling them....it is in your file that you were told. I don't care how many pups you have had...every body should be made aware and refreshed...and especially if the Vet felt your Pup may have had a repressed immunity...
I don't think he should have kept repeating himself though.... :roll:

Well I wish you and Bella the best, :wink:

[courtnek]

[quote]Dogs that have allergies often don't even eat much, because they of some reason know that if they eat "A" the result will be "B".[/quote]

Not necessarily Crested....

I had a dog with food allergies, who ADORED his food and continued to eat it even tho it caused him both ear infections and constant itching....

It took 4 visits (and numerous expenses) before the vet tested for allergies and found them positive.....

My point is that it wont hurt to have the skin/scratch tests done, just to make certain. And it may save you a lot of money in the long run...

:)

[Nancy B]

[quote name='Crested'] Dogs that have allergies often don't even eat much, because they of some reason know that if they eat "A" the result will be "B". [/quote]

Actually that's not the case with dogs. Most folks who have dogs with food allergies go through elimination diets just to try to figure out what the heck their dog is allergic to. They can't tell by observing the dog's eating habits, the dogs will just eat what's offered and suffer the consequences.

My Mason has food alergies and he would gladly eat ANYTHING....if I would let him! :)

I don't think your male dog "picks" at food because of his allergies. It may be a genetic trait behavioral issue or just plain food preferences but, I would doubt that it has anything at all to do with his allergies.

[Crested]

[quote name='Cassie']Did the Vet look down the ear canal with the otoscope? [/quote]

That's just it. He didn't!! Plus the ear was not red in any way, I just saw that it irritated Bella and didn't want to wait for it to become infected or something. The ONLY thing what he did was feel her ears and after I told him that her ear smelled a bit he smelled her ear VERY quickly. Hmm...

[quote name='Cassie'](they are in the same clinic, arent they???)[/quote]
No... They aren't at the same clinic. Not even in the same town. I live in a small town where there's not any real "hospitals", just single vets with their own clinic where they work by them selves. (The nearest real hospital is about 130-150km from here)

[quote name='Nancy B']Actually that's not the case with dogs. Most folks who have dogs with food allergies go through elimination diets just to try to figure out what the heck their dog is allergic to. They can't tell by observing the dog's eating habits, the dogs will just eat what's offered and suffer the consequences. [/quote]
I've heard that the dogs that have allergies often don't eat because they are afraid to get some kind of allergic reaction. This is true with Ben and this is what info I've got.

[quote name='courtnek']My point is that it wont hurt to have the skin/scratch tests done, just to make certain. And it may save you a lot of money in the long run... [/quote]
But how can a skin test help anything when she hasn't got anything showing up on her skin. Her skin is fine, no allergic reactions there... nothing. My point is that the vet did the diagnosis by just touching the ears (massageing) and believe me or not, it seemed like he had made a diagnosis before we even stepped into the clinic.

/Crest

[Guest Anonymous]

Its seems as though you are not understanding the reaction of allergies in the ears. Allergies do not only appear on the skin. They do not only cause the dog to lick their paws. In fact almost every dog has different symptoms for different allergies. Many dogs only symptom is ear irritation accompanied by a smell, not change in coat, eating habits, or skin. This will cause them to paw at their ears, and shake their heads. If it was not red or inflamed then the chances of an infection were not great.

I really think whether you want to admit it or not, you are not listening to others. You seem to think you have all the answers. That is not going to help anyone in the long run.

[courtnek]

The scratch test is not for skin allergies. They take various different allergens and scratch them into the skin. if the skin reacts (bubbles up) the dog (or person) is allergic to that allergen.

does that make sense?