New Treatments

Maya's itchiness has been getting worse over the past month as the weather got warmer. We've decided to stop going to the previous doctor, because 1) he kept trying to sell us stuff, 2) he's been asking us to go through Maya's history every time we visit, which doesn't feel good when being charged by the time spent, and 3) he turns my ideas into his suggestions. I just felt like not trusting him and there isn't much he can offer anymore.

Black eye and hot spots showing up again

Over the winter, I was looking into a new treatment call NAET and found a local vet, Dr. M who provides this treatment. Unfortunately, she only does house visits and we are out of her service zone. We exchanged a few emails and she kindly gave me suggestions even without seeing us our charging us. A few weeks ago, just when the itchiness got worse, a friend moved out of his apartment and agreed to let us use his empty house for an appointment. To my surprise, Dr. M spent a good amount of time reading through my blog before her first visit. This not only saved me a lot time going though Maya's history, it also gave me a good first impression. No matter the treatments work or not, at least she shows that she cares and not just in for the money.

Waiting in an empty apartment

During the first appointment, we spent some time talking about Maya's conditions and the treatments we've tried. Like the previous doctor, Dr. M also thinks that Maya has blood deficiency and some inner wind imbalance. She agrees that the Dang Gui Yin Zi (當歸飲子) we are currently giving Maya is good, but we should also add in more Si Wu Tang (四物湯). She also suggested to get Maya's thyroid checked, just to rule out the possibilities of hypothyroidism, since some of the symptoms are similar. (More on this topic later in a different post.)

After all the talking, we got started with the NAET treatment. NAET (for humans) in short, is to put little bottles of allergen against the body and check if the body gets weak, which means the body thinks the allergen is something hostile. Then the doctor will do some massage while the patient holds the bottles to let the body accept the allergens. Well, up to this point, it's weird but kind of makes sense. However, when it's applied to a dog, it feels even more like voodoo...

To test whether the allergens weaken Maya, I would put one hand on Maya and another on the doctor while she touches the bottles and pushes her own fingers backwards to test the strength. Once she found the ones that may be problematic, she would put the bottles against Maya's body and massage me while I touch Maya. It would have made a lot more sense if the massage was done on Maya instead of me, right? Anyways, the allergens found are Parasitic Worms, Gallbladder, Program, and Mammary. The doctor said it's not important what they are, since they were all "cleared". None of the food, pollen, grass, or dust related allergens showed up.

Allergens that "weaken" Maya

Another treatment we tried is acupuncture for balancing Maya's "Qi". Maya was a chap and didn't even wink when she got poked by 7 needles. She also stood still for a good 10 minutes while we waited. After the treatment, she was really sleepy and dozed off right by the doctor's feet. She spent rest of the day sleeping as well.

Acupuncture

A week after the first appointment, we met the doctor for the second time. Since my friend's apartment is no longer available, we met in a parking lot and had the treatments done in the trunk of my hatchback. So far it's been a week after the second visit, and we haven't seen much improvements yet. As for the cost, the first visit was $175 for 1.5 hours and the follow-up was $85 for half an hour. No, it's not cheap. Though I do have some doubts, I'm willing to have a few more visits. I really wish we can see some results or find some answers with her up-coming blood tests.

Life in a Cone

It's been a few weeks since my last update on Maya's conditions. There were some good days, but sadly, more bad ones. About three weeks ago, things started to get really bad. She's been scratching herself much more frequently and started to chew on her feet. It's pretty much in line of what we saw last year, with things being the worst around min-July to August. 

Hot spots on the feet

I've been reading up a lot on Traditional Chinese Medicine and Atopic Dermatitis (異位性皮膚炎) during my free time. It really saddens me to find out that most articles I read are from mothers dealing with their babies' conditions. Given how devastated I am, I can't imagine what those parents are going through. (Which kind of makes me afraid of having a child.)

Favorite "chilling" food: watermelon

Throughout the research, a Chinese Medicine called "Xiao Feng San (消風散)" came up several times. Xiao Feng San means "Eliminate Wind Powder" in English, and is used to "disperse wind, eliminate dampness, clear heat, cool blood and stop itch", which sounds exactly what Maya needs. I was planning to start it after consulting the vet, but he was out of town and Maya's conditions got really bad, so I went ahead and add it to her daily supplements. It's been two weeks since she's on it, and as usually, no magical effects.

Another thing I've been trying is an ointment called "Zi Yun Gao (紫雲膏)". Zi Yun Gao means "Purple Cloud Cream",  and is used to "reduce inflammation, prevent bleeding, eliminate bacteria, relieve pain, promote tissue regeneration, and clear heat and toxins". I like it because it's made of edible ingredients, as Maya pretty much licks off whatever we put on her face. At one point I almost decided to follow some instructions I found online and make my own Zi Yun Gao, but got lazy and ordered a tube instead. The cream has a pinkish color and could stain clothes or carpet if not careful.

Rosy cheeks from the Zi Yun Gao

We started to keep her in a cone about two weeks ago. It actually happened on one of the "good days". She spent most of the day itch free and for the few time she tried to scratch, I was near by to stop her. However, in the evening, I stepped into the bathroom for a brief few minutes, and when I came back out, I saw her whole face covered with blood. I realized then and there I have to keep her from scratching or the wounds will never heal up.

We have to use two different e-collars: a smaller one for walks and eating raw bones, and a bigger one for other times, especially when we are not around. She figured how to poke her back legs into the smaller one and scratch herself in some really weird poses, so we can't trust her alone in it. Her energy has been low and was spending most the time sleeping. The super big cone pretty much stops her from doing anything, which is kind of worrisome.

When will this be over?

So far, she's been a good girl. She would keep turning her head when we try to put the e-collar on or try to "walk" away when we approach her with one in our hands, but she never really resisted in an unpleasant mater, like growling, biting, screaming, or running away, which is a big relief. The most annoying thing is her "attacks" when we go out on a walk. She would bump her head against our legs in order to rub her face on our pants. It usually happens on the second half of our walks, after her body heated up. I know I can't really blame her, as she must be itching badly, but it really hurts! It also looks really silly on the streets, being attacked by a dog's cone.

We have another appointment with the vet next week. Let's see what else he can offer. I really want to get her out of the cone as soon as posible. It's just not how a dog should live, even though she's rocking it with style.

Waiting

Elevatoring

Walking

Staring

Chilling

Napping

Spying

Frustrated

It's been a while since my last update, cause I was somewhat too frustrated to put my thoughts into words...

About a week ago, we took Maya to the vet again for a followup. This time we met with Dr. A, who's the owner of the clinic and an expert in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). Before the appointment, I made a long list of foods we fed and things we tried, just so I could be more efficient at going through Maya's history. He thinks the diet is clean, healthy and balanced. Maya's weight, bones, teeth, joints, ears, tongue all seemed perfect. Her fur and paw pads are a bit dry, but not out of the norm. After checking everything, I can tell from the doctor's body language, he's out of ideas as well.

According to Dr. A, he believe Maya's suffering from blood deficiency (血虛) and yin deficiency (陰虛). Here's some explanation from the doctor's handout:

Blood Deficiency: In Traditional Chinese Medicine, dry skin/feet. itchy coat, dandruff, and scratching is a result of Blood Deficiency. The Blood acts an a moisturizer and lubricant, and helps to subdue Wind (pathogen that manifest as itching, scratching, shaking, trembling, seizures, etc). Blood deficiency can also cause poor stamina, fearful behavior, night time anxiety, and dry tendons/ligaments which predisposes to acute soft tissue athletic injuries. 

Yin Deficiency: Your pet is running hot if, 1) panting with minmal effort, 2) excess drinking/urination, always thirsty, 3) seeking cool places to rest/digging holes to lay in the backyard, 4) heat intolerant, 5) dislike small confined areas like cars, 6) excess shedding.

Because we were down to our last Atopica pill, we also had to decide whether to purchase another refill. After discussing with the doctor, we agreed to stop using it for now, as it hasn't been as effective, and give her Claritin daily instead. 

Dr. A also prescribed some Chinese medicine, called "Si Wu Tang (四物湯)". I couldn't understand the doctor's Chinese (he's a Caucasian), so had no idea what he was trying to give me and was quite surprised when the tech handed me the bottle. Si Wu Tang means "Four Substance Decoction" in English. It is a common supplement used for regulating menstrual cycle, and probably almost every woman in Taiwan had taken it at some point. I was also surprised by the price tag, but both shocked and relieved to find the exact same thing online for one-third of the price. I do want to believe that the vet wasn't trying to rip us off, but had to charged us so much because it's not that easy to find and they can't just stock up as not that many pets would need it. Anyways, if we do need to keep her on it, at least I can get it online. I can probably get it even cheaper from Taiwan or just purchase the herbs directly from a Chinese herb shop.

The 4 ingredients in Si Wu Tang (四物湯)

Since we got back from the vet visit, we stopped the Atopica and started on Si Wu Tang and Claritin as advised. The frist few days were terrible. Maya was constantly scratching and there was no way to stop her. Fortunately, it got a bit better in the past few days, maybe it's the Si Wu Tang, the Claritin, or the weather. I just don't know. It's still far from ideal and probably just the same as when she's on Atopica. On the bright side, at least her poop is firmer (was really mushy because of the meds), and she had no problem eating up the herbs (even licking the bowl clean). I also found a new lip balm that seems to give her some relief and last for a while.

Applying some lip balm seems to help a bit

I guess I've been so frustrated, not really because I'm not seeing any immediate improvements, but that it feels like we are trying yet more random things that we hope would work. Maybe my expectations were just too high. I was hoping the doctor would say something like "I've seen many dogs with this problem, and they all got better by doing X, Y, and Z", or like "No wonder she's sick. You shouldn't feed her A and B, but give her C and D instead". I'm just so tired of "let's try this and that and come back in four weeks to see if it's better". It's like a black-hole, sucking up my patience, time and money.

It's sad that I waited a whole winter for warmer weather and longer day time, but now I just wish summer ends soon. Maybe I should just give myself a break and stop being so fixated on the idea of "fixing" her. Maybe I should focus more on the good things, like her sweetness and great temperament, instead of just noticing the wounds on her face. Maybe.