Hydroxizine AKA Atarax is a great drug for treating severe allergies, it is by far the best antihistamine for reducing itching. It does have a high amount of sedation as a side effect and is also marketed as a sleep aid. OTC Zyrtec is a good alternative since it is a metabolite of Atarax and has less sedation. You may want to find a vet that specializes in allergy treatment and have the dog skin tested to identify exactly what it is and isn't allergic to. You could consider allergen immunotherapy to reduce and potentially eliminate the allergies.
Update on Booger's "allergies"
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Booger has been sneezing for a couple of months, and we thought it was seasonal allergies. We've been monitoring it to see if symptoms get worse or if he seems to be bothered by it. Recently the lymph nodes on his cheeks swelled up & he started spraying droplets of blood when he sneezed. We took him to the Pets Are People, Too. Mini rant here: PAPT is 1/10th of a mile away, which is why we go there. Unfortunately, they seem more concerned with selling you stuff than treating anything. That being said, the doctor seemed unsure of himself & told us it could be an allergic reaction (which we could treat with antihistamine), or something bacterial (which we could treat with antibiotics), or something in his nose. That's about all he said, so I told him we'd go buy benadryl & monitor it. $50 to be told to go buy benadryl, a diagnosis I could have come up with on my own!!!
The benadryl reduced the sneezing drastically, at least initially. Unfortunately, Booger became snotty & congested & was having difficulty breathing clearly through his nose, which created more sneezing. And instead of blood drops, he started spraying snot & blood droplets. We stopped the benadryl after 3 days of no improvement.
I made an appointment with a vet recomended by Robyn (Yodeldogs) for this morning. First, they all greeted us with "Hi basenjis!" instead of giving us funny looks. Second, Andrew knew the vet tech…. they worked together when Andrew was a kennel tech at another vet clinic 8 years ago! Third, the vet seemed sooo much more knowledgable & less like a salesperson. She laughed at the antihystamines, and said no bottle of pills will fix Booger (unfortunately!). So we have to take him back next week for x-rays of his head to determine if he has a bad tooth, and to take cultures of his nose & lymph nodes. She also said it could be a nasal tumor.
So, I just wanted to post this because this was such an unusual thing to encounter (bloody sneezes)... I couldn't find any threads that address this topic. And then the first vet had no clue.... And also for good wishes that this is not as serious (or expensive) as it feels. -
I am surprised that they are waiting till next week for the xray and to do the cultures? Seems that it is something that should be addressed sooner rather then later?
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The vet didn't seem to be concerned that it was an immediate issue. She has many years of experience & comes highly recommended from Robyn, so I felt I could trust her (believe me, I was ready to leave Booger right then & there if I thought it would help in any way.)
He's not suffering nose bleeds, just spray of blood droplets when he sneezes (she said its probably dry nasal passages & irritation that is causing cappilaries to burst from repetitive sneezing).
Once we took him off the benadryl, his condition hasn't changed much. We will continue to monitor it & if it gets worse before his appointment next week, then we will get him to the emergency vet asap.
Also, she wants to do the x-ray first to see if there is a bad tooth that is causing this. If that doesn't reveal anything, then she will move on to the cultures. -
I made an appointment with a vet recomended by Robyn (Yodeldogs) for this morning. First, they all greeted us with "Hi basenjis!" instead of giving us funny looks. Second, Andrew knew the vet tech…. they worked together when Andrew was a kennel tech at another vet clinic 8 years ago! Third, the vet seemed sooo much more knowledgable & less like a salesperson.
I am glad that you had a good experience. You will be hard pressed to find a veterinary clinic with more experience with Basenjis than them and yes, they all love the breed.
I was just there yesterday with Baron. The cyst on his leg has hardened so I had a needle biopsy done. No cancer cells were seen but it's time to take the thing off. Estimate for surgery and laboratory biopsy of the mass is $400. gulps
Anyway, I hope you get to the bottom of Booger's problem soon.
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I just read this and your original post and as I was reading I was thinking, hmm might be a nasal tumor. The elderly JRT that I pet sat for years had a nasal tumor. Of course with my luck, his symptoms of droplets of blood while sneezing started when I was taking care of him one time. Freaked me out so I rushed him to the vet as an emergency because I've never seen blood from a dog's nose. The vet thought it was possibly a nasal tumor but because he was so old and already had congestive heart failure, they didn't want to do anything to try to biopsy it or resolve it because he most likely wouldn't make it thru the procedure because of the anesthetic.
Sure enough, within a couple of months, he started to develop a bump up that could be seen between his eyes, where the nasal passage goes up to the forehead.
The symptoms you describe of the sneeze and the blood droplets, was exactly how Apatche's tumor first showed itself.
Definitely not trying to alarm or scare you but wanted to pass this on.
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I am glad that you are comfortable with the Vet and wish Booger well…. Was just commenting on my experiences....
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Do let us know what you find.
Having this test done, will settle your mind, and let you know what you have to deal with. -
Yes, good luck… and keep us posted.
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Robyn - I did LOVE it!! And I wrote your name on the referral section of my paperwork… don't know if they give a discount or anything for referrals, but we put you down either way. The estimate for this ranges from $185 (for just sedation & x-ray) all the way to $450 if the x-ray reveals nothing & they have to start taking samples from his lymph nodes & stuff.
Tanza - 2 years on the forum has taught me that you are much like me. You say what's on your mind & always have the best of intentions on your mind. It sometimes comes off as offensive or blunt to those who don't know better, but I know you better than that. I know you genuinely care about Booger & wouldn't have expressed your concern unless you thought it was important! I greatly value your knowledge, expertise & opinion!
Renault - Funny you should mention that... I was doing research before taking him to the vet, and nasal tumors was something I came across. The first vet didn't mention it, but the second vet did. I appreciate you sharing your experience with me, and don't worry, I'm already scared & alarmed!
We have an appointment for Tuesday, so now we're just making sure we're available for warmth & cuddling at all times, since that's all he really wants. We took everybody to the park a couple of days ago & it seemed to perk him up a bit. Today, however, within 2 minutes of being there, he started growling at a dog that was just sniffing him. He went into full defensive & finally lunged at the dog, snarling. Andrew decided he was too miserable to be at the park so he drove him home.
I'll keep y'all updated on our appointment Tuesday. Prayers, good thoughts, etc are all appreciated. -
Just curious, has either vet run bloodwork to see if there is an elevated WBC that would indicate infection? If he has an infection like a bad tooth he is probably feeling pretty miserable which may be why he is over reacting to other dogs.
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Prayers, good thoughts and well wishes on the way. Hopefully it will be something that is easily treatable.
Can I just say how ironic I find it that a dog named Booger is having nasal issues?!?! Sorry….no disrespect intended...I just found it humorous
Hugs to all of you, try not to stress out too much.
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Here some good thoughts for Booger!
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Prayers, good thoughts and well wishes on the way. Hopefully it will be something that is easily treatable.
Can I just say how ironic I find it that a dog named Booger is having nasal issues?!?! Sorry….no disrespect intended...I just found it humorous
Hugs to all of you, try not to stress out too much.
Thanks for the well wishes, and I appreciate the humor. While typing my original post, I noticed I wrote the following phrase, completely unintentionally: "Unfortunately, Booger became snotty…" which made me laugh. I wondered if anybody would notice.
lvoss, no bloodwork has been suggested actually, and I hadn't thought of that. The vet is open in the morning... maybe I should call up there & ask about it. Thanks for mentioning! Any advice on what I can do to make him a little more comfortable is much appreciated. He's eating normally & is content to cuddle up with us & sleep all day long, wherever we are. -
Does he sleep in your room? If so, maybe a cool mist humidifier would help…
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Thanks for the well wishes, and I appreciate the humor. While typing my original post, I noticed I wrote the following phrase, completely unintentionally: "Unfortunately, Booger became snotty…" which made me laugh. I wondered if anybody would notice.
lvoss, no bloodwork has been suggested actually, and I hadn't thought of that. The vet is open in the morning... maybe I should call up there & ask about it. Thanks for mentioning! Any advice on what I can do to make him a little more comfortable is much appreciated. He's eating normally & is content to cuddle up with us & sleep all day long, wherever we are.Not to put any pressure on you or the Vet.. but to me… blood work is one of the most important tools.... and I am surprised that at least even with an appointment next week ... that they didn't take blood while he was there.... If it was me... and I am a "freak" about doing blood panels.. I would have insisted on at least that.....
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Honestly… and nothing against the Vets... but I have never been to a Vet with a problem that the first thing that was suggested is blood work.....
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Please let us know what the blood work shows.
Hugs for you and your b. -
Good thoughts and special prayers to you and Booger.
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Not to put any pressure on you or the Vet.. but to me… blood work is one of the most important tools.... and I am surprised that at least even with an appointment next week ... that they didn't take blood while he was there.... If it was me... and I am a "freak" about doing blood panels.. I would have insisted on at least that.....
Thanks for letting me know. As Booger & Lola are my first "grown up" dogs (my parents took care of sick dogs growing up & we never had many issues until 1 got cancer), I really honestly don't know all the things I should be looking for or asking about. I will definitely call & ask about that.
Booger does seem a LOT better today than he did yesterday, which is good. I don't take this as much of a sign of anything, but it at least makes me feel better knowing he isn't so miserable. He's a lot perkier & more playful. He gave us some playful baroos earlier, too, which is a rare treat!
