Boy, I feel for you Jennifer. Andy went through something similar a while back. He was on EVO at the time and it was what made me decide to go all raw with him. I think the Vet always wants to give you Derm caps because they have an idea of the dosage to give and I was told they have actual clinical studies with them. And the shots made him look like he was full of little bald spots.

On the spots she has been chewing at, I think you should try to stop her as fast as you can. I used Tea Tree Oil, it stopped Andy right away so they could heal.

 Quote: Jennifer Mullen

Nothing other than (((((hugs)))))

Thank you for the hugs.

I used to have her on all raw, the reason I have held back on switching her back over is her senior not so great teeth. We don't have a grinder and don't have the funds for one right now.

I might switch her back over to wellness core and see if it makes a difference.

I'm worried tea tree oil would set her on fire, but I do remember that EMT spray has some sort of super bitter agent in it...maybe I will try that tomorrow.

I bought one of those old hand grinders on ebay for 1.50. It'll do a whole chicken when it's anchored to the counter good. The tea tree oil is strong enough that just a little on the fur surrounding the wound was enough.

I'll have to look at those, because the grinders I found here were upwards of 200 dollars!

Like this one here. http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-UNIVERSAL-NO-0-O-MEAT-FOOD-GRINDER-CHOPPER-MILL_W0QQitemZ150358658519QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2302130dd7&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1205%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

This one is more like what I have.
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-RED-ENTERPRISE-MEAT-GRINDER-CHOPPER-TABLE-TOP_W0QQitemZ260445914354QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ca3c944f2&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1205%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Steve sent me a great book on allergies when Danke was having issues.
If you'd like, PM me your mailing address, and I'll pass the favor forward.

The grinder STeve is refering to is the type of grinder we used to use when I was growing up. It works a charm!

(Oh...now I have no excuse not feed RMB's to Lucy, do I?)

Thanks for the links! Those look to be not that different from the ones I was looking at, but a much much better price.

From what you were saying I need one of the kind that clamps onto the table if I am going to grind up whole chickens etc correct?

I wonder if in the meantime I should quite giving the EVO all together and just do THK. I wish I could give her smaller parts like wings or thighs, but she is the worst gulper I have ever seen and it is too much of a choking hazard.

She seems a little better today, she didn't wake me up a single time last night chewing or scratching so I assume she slept through the night without itching. I washed her bad areas with witch hazel and then applied neosporin plus pain relief to the bloody open areas. Tea tree oil would work if there was enough hair around the areas to put it on..but sadly there isn't, especially towards the end of her tail, the base of it isn't too bad, but down near the tip it is awful.

The other good news is that the holistic vet who made her better when she was so bad off I was considering that it might be time to PTS has managed to squeeze her in on tuesday, it is so worth the two hour drive.

Oh and just to be sure I gave her a capstar and then put a white sheet over her bed, no fleas fell off so I am positive at this point that its not flea related.

Mine has two feet similar to that second link and I use two bar clamps to anchor it on the corner of the kitchen counter. It's nice and stable so you can get some good leverage for leg bones. A good pair of shears is important too. You need to cut the chicken first to get it small enough to fit in the grinder.

Despite the itching being much better today she seems to have developed what I think are hives on the top of her head. They are individual swollen bumps under her skin, only on her forehead.

This is something she has never had before...She is doing a really good job of worrying me sick!
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