What's Wrong With This Picture

Two weeks ago I took Dog to the vet to determine why she was scratching so much. Office tests were run: scabies...nooo, fleas...noooo. Ah, the possibilities of allergies. Over the years, I have owned a few dogs, and all of them scratched; mostly from fleas when they were in season. I had never had a dog with allergies, but, I never had a dog like Landi either. Blood was drawn, to be shipped off to a lab in Texas where it could be tested for things to which the dog might be allergic. The results came in over the weekend, and the vet called today to inform me of the results and to suggest a plan of attack.

Yes, she (the dog, not the vet) is allergic to a myriad of substances. While I haven't seen the list yet, I remember a few that were mentioned over the phone. The list included, but was not limited to: certain molds, yeast, cats, a variety of different weeds including ragweed, pork, peanuts, walnuts, and a bunch of other stuff which escapes me for the moment. In an old house such as this, I assume there are mold spores floating around someplace, not to mention the mold found in most leaf litter outside. I haven't checked, but I bet most dog foods contain some kind of yeast. Weeds....'nuf said. Her favorite treats are Pig Ears (pork). I found peanuts as an ingredient in her favorite "doggie" cookies. There are two trees on the property...Walnuts. You get the idea, the poor creature will be deprived of the few pleasures she has ... Lord only knows, it's no pleasure to live with me.

I have given the vet the go-ahead to contact the lab in Texas to mix up a cocktail to help her develop an "immunity" to the various offensive substances. When it arrives in a couple of weeks, I will be giving her shots (probably once a week to begin with, then once a month for the rest of her days (or mine)).

I'm not sure why I'm sharing this, but not too many years ago I don't remember dogs having allergies or people willing to refinance the farm in order for them to treat them. This observation, may reflect on our environment and on the neurotic behavior of pet owners today. Whether it's one or both of these things, it occurs to me that there's something wrong with this picture.