5 Generations Pedigree.

jazzyfizzle said:
Hi Jessica, that is why I spoke about the biopsy, that is the determining test for DM. Even my vet, who is AAHA accredited and a talented old time farm vet, knows nothing about DM or about how to diagnose it. From the photos I have seen of Smudge, he did look a bit different than the one dog I saw with DM, but it is very possible it presents somewhat differently on each dog.
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I know nothing at all about medical stuff. When I took him in (because at first I thought it was allergies! :lol:) they scraped his skin, and two seconds later the vet came back and told me it was hereditary mange. Is that a biopsy? Where they collect a skin sample to see? :confused2: They didn't send it off or nothing. She went into the next room.
 
Okay I'm going to put my 2 cents in here. I had a dog with severe skin issues. Her face looked a lot like Smudge's did only hers was on both sides of her nose. She also had cracked foot pads. To diagnose DM they have to do a "punch" biopsy(I think I have the right word) of the affected area. They have to take a skin sample with the underlaying tissues. A skin scraping of just the surface will not work.

My vet sent the biopsy to Texas A&M Veterinary School as they are the best in diagnosing and treating DM. Unfortunately her test came back as inconclusive so we never did find out what the problem was. She was treated with steroids and Omega3 capsules and the lesions on her face cleared up and never came back. She still had problems with her feet on and off for the rest of her life.

The problem with DM is it's pretty rare and most vets have no experience with it. Most of them never see a case let alone treated one. That doesn't mean they are a bad vet though. Hope this helps.
 
Fergusmom said:
Okay I'm going to put my 2 cents in here. I had a dog with severe skin issues. Her face looked a lot like Smudge's did only hers was on both sides of her nose. She also had cracked foot pads. To diagnose DM they have to do a "punch" biopsy(I think I have the right word) of the affected area. They have to take a skin sample with the underlaying tissues. A skin scraping of just the surface will not work.

My vet sent the biopsy to Texas A&M Veterinary School as they are the best in diagnosing and treating DM. Unfortunately her test came back as inconclusive so we never did find out what the problem was. She was treated with steroids and Omega3 capsules and the lesions on her face cleared up and never came back. She still had problems with her feet on and off for the rest of her life.

The problem with DM is it's pretty rare and most vets have no experience with it. Most of them never see a case let alone treated one. That doesn't mean they are a bad vet though. Hope this helps.
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When you say DM are you talking about Sheltie Skin Syndrome or Demodectic Mange? I've read that to find out if it is Sheltie Skin Syndrome you have to go to a specialist. I'm pretty sure it's not Sheltie Skin Syndrome, but I still want to learn more about it. You never know.

What I do find odd though is that the skin around his eye is growing back purple - the same color it was when I first noticed the problem. I'll post a picture later today as I just dropped him off at the vet. I was told that he would have to go through four dips. Today would be the fourth dip, so it might be his last one. A weiner dog got taken to the vet the same time this morning to get spayed. So that means there will be a vet there. So they better tell me something. :mad:
 
HopeShelties said:
When someone is talking about Dm, they mean dermatomyositis.
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Thanks. I did a quick google search. It looks like I've got more research to do! We'll see how today's vet visit goes. I'm curious as to where they are going to do the skin scrape. All of his fur has grown back (purple, but it's still there). The only place he doesn't have fur now is on his eyelid. Like I said though, I will take pictures of it when he gets home (although if they scrape the skin off in the purple area I can't show you!). I go to pick him up around two this afternoon. I don't think they put him under the dryer, because he's always damp. I'm guessing this is because it's a medicine dip.
 
Jessica, off topic a bit, but I have to ask you how Smudge did when you carried him to the truck?
 
Jessica when you pick up smudge make sure you ask to speak to the vet....you deserve to find out something, and I think they should dry him off.

Keep us posted
 
Smudge said:
When you say DM are you talking about Sheltie Skin Syndrome or Demodectic Mange? I've read that to find out if it is Sheltie Skin Syndrome you have to go to a specialist. I'm pretty sure it's not Sheltie Skin Syndrome, but I still want to learn more about it. You never know.
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Yes I was talking about dermatomyositis and I was in not suggesting Smudge had it. Heaven forbid! You've been through enough already! I was just trying to give you information as you had asked about skin scraping and biopsy. Dermatomyositis is pretty rare so it's not likely that Smudge has it. The discoloring of his skin is probably scaring from the mange and when his hair grows back you'll probably not see it anymore. Tazra's(my sheltie with the problem) hair grew back and she looked just fine.
 
Ariel said:
Jessica, off topic a bit, but I have to ask you how Smudge did when you carried him to the truck?
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You know, I think sometimes what we think is the problem with our dogs turns out to not be the problem. I've been letting him walk to the truck. No problems! :biggrin2: So maybe he was just being grumpy about being picked up? He's not quite got the hang of the whole walking business, but I'm not rushing it. I've also been giving him lots of treats so I think that helps.

I didn't mean to make it sound like he was soaking wet. :eek2: He's mostly dry. He sheds like crazy afterwards though.
 
Long post!

I'd like to start off by saying that I've never been more thrilled in my life to be Smudge's owner. I wish I had video footage/picture of it, but I don't. We were getting back in the truck after visiting my grandmother, and Smudge JUMPED INTO THE TRUCK. :biggrin2::biggrin2::biggrin2::biggrin2:

After leaving the vet's office, he walked right up to my truck, put his paws on the inside, and turned around to look at me. I'm so happy I could scream!

Now for the actual vet part. He has to go back for one more dip. They said he had to have four, but argued with me when I told them this was the fourth dip. Either this is the fourth dip or the vet lied to me about the first dip. Anyway, he goes back on the 14th. I looked at his face and noticed that they didn't scrape his face. So I asked them why. That started an argument. They said he didn't need his skin scraped after the first time, because after the first scrape they knew the mites were there. Fair enough, but every time after that how do you still know the mites are there? How do you know when the stopping point is? They said it took four dips, and that they knew because his fur was growing back. The vet I liked was there! I guess maybe I just haven't been seeing her? Anyway, she was doing surgery so I couldn't see her. I talked to the groomer and the girl at the front desk. The groomer was getting tired of trying to explain it to me, and so she called the girl that worked at the front desk. The girl at the front desk said, "Well, I haven't been working here for very long so I don't know exactly, but..." I shut down after that. She told me everything I needed to know right then.

So now I'm at a loss about what to do. A vet hasn't seen him any, and they are not doing skin scrapes. Is this normal for this type of mange? I really need some help here, because I don't know what to think. Maybe I am being too difficult.

I do think the mites are gone. He looks so much better. I did ask them if they had ever heard of Smudge's breeder, and they said no. They did, however, tell me about the other lady! I don't know if anybody remembers or not, but there was a lady I used to work with who ran a shady dog business. They told me (without even knowing that I knew her!) that they have to deal with sick puppies/dogs that this woman has bred all the time! I'm looking into this as well. This woman is listed on the same webpage as the webpage my breeder was on!

I will post pictures of his eye later, but for now here’s some pictures of him at my grandmother’s house in his Howl-o-ween collar.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=9289250&l=a51b1a2bf7&id=611815429

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=9289251&l=5ada25ce70&id=611815429

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=9289242&l=daabc180bd&id=611815429
 
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