[Murphys Dad]

Hi, folks! After letting the vet know that Maggie's skin was starting to deteriorate again, he asked me to bring her in this morning for some more skin scrapings. Everyone at the vet's office was thrilled to see Maggie acting like herself again -- she was howling, begging for treats and letting everyone know that she had recovered quite nicely, thank you! The techs did say that they were very, very worried about her last week. The vet took scrapings from Maggie's torso (she actually seemed to like it -- guess it felt like really good scratching) and from her back ankles. Mites were present in all the slides. So ... our only choice is to put Maggie back on the ivermectin. Even though dosing is going to be much, much more conservative this time, it still scares me. I will say that I will be much more aware of negative symptoms, especially the tremors. Just

that Maggie tolerates the medicine and she feels more comfortable!

 

[Murphys Dad]

You probably feel so relieved that she is better. Chloe sends her love and a big aroooooooooo....

Hopefully the lower dose of Ivermecin will not make her feel bad like last time.

 

[Murphys Dad]

Thanks for the update on our sweet Maggie. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/icon_exclaim.gif Prayers will continue for both of you.

 

[BeagleBabe]

Good luck Maggie and lots of /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/yay.gif from Abby!

 

[DaisysMom]

I hope the lower dose doesn't affect her.

 

[Brisen]

I'm so glad to read that sweet Maggie is back to her old self! Here's hoping the lower dose does the trick without any side effects!

 

[Murphys Dad]

Judy, I hope that Maggie tolerates the Ivermectin better this time. I'm very happy to hear that she's feeling so much better though! Beagle Belly Rubs to Miss Maggie!

 

[Murphys Dad]

Isn't there another treatment they can use?

 

[angelaH]

Great to hear Maggie is better again. Sorry about those milben, they can be really difficult to get rid of. As MD says, isnt there another treatment? We use Canina Petvital spray against milben, its a natural substance that dries the milben out. It is designed to spray on the dogs surroundings (essential to stop reinfection), but can be sprayed directly on the dog. I'm sure there are also natural products in the USA. The one I use is made from coconut oil acid.

 

[Murphys Dad]

The only other treatment is interceptor (another heartworm medicine, also used in liquid form). We would have exactly the same concerns with that that we have with the ivermectin. Maggie's liver function is decreasing due to the Cushings (and possibly liver cancer -- I did not want to pursue having a lobe of her liver removed for a definitive diagnosis). The vet gently told me on Saturday that there was no need to do periodic liver function tests ... Maggie did not exhibit any side effects with the lowest dose of ivermectin she started on last time so we are starting there again but this time dosing every other day for at least two weeks. Hopefully, she can be maintained on that dose in addition to weekly baths. She has several patches of hair loss with black skin but so far only a small affected area on the outside of her mouth.

 

[Murphys Dad]

Chloe gets interceptor (pill) once a month for heartworm prevention. Should I be worried?

 

[Virginia's Mom]

I wouldn't revisit the Ivermectin with a Cushing's dog that has already shown neuro sensitivity on that drug.

One avenue you may want to consider is to do a consult with a holistic vet who could prescribe supplements to bolster Maggie's immune system- since a weakened immune system is what has made her susceptible to mites in the first place. And there are natural supplements available to address the mites and the itching that would be gentler on her system.

Here's a link to a site to search for a holistic vet in your area:

American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association

 

[Virginia's Mom]

Chloe's Mom:

As far as Heartworm prevention products go, the neuro sensitivity has only been implicated with Ivermectin, the main ingredient in Heartgard. Interceptor has different ingredients.

If you scroll back to the story I told about a week ago, Virginia showed a neuro reaction to Heartgard/Ivermectin when we got her 8 years ago. We switched to Interceptor and she's never had a problem since.