Scratchy

Neva woke us up at 5am. She had to potty, but the real reason was persistent itching. It was so bad that she could not sit still; she was scratching, biting, and rolling around trying to ease the irritation. Topical treatments were not effective due to her fur, so we administered a Benadryl tablet to take the edge off until we could see the veterinarian.

The prognosis was inconclusive, although fleas and mites were not present. A steroid injection will provide relief for a few day along with Benadryl and medicated shampoo.

The Benadryl had calmed things down and the steroid was on board, so we took her to puppy playtime at The Dog Den. She chased, fled, wrestled, bit and licked the dozen of smaller puppies. With ten minutes remaining, we took a walk over to the bigger puppy group. She was a lot more timid, but overall no issues.

Neva was exhausted after the hour and we were tired from lack of sleep. We all returned home to eat and take a nap.

Neva is still wary of strange sounds and sights. The barking dogs in the neighborhood send her to the porch seeking safety. We walked the park and she is approaching other dogs and people with more confidence.

Stairs are still something to be avoided at all costs. So after our walk, we went downtown to practice. The village hall has four steps that are less intimidating, but still invoke fear. Using our magic treats we were able to get her up and down a few times, and then she was fine, running up and down fearlessly.