True Life: My Allergic Dog

Spring is in the air...and our lungs and eyes and sinuses. As beautiful as this season is, it comes at a price when you live in allergy alley. If you've been following us from the early days then you already have the 411 on Chaos and his allergies. In case you're new or joined us somewhere in between, here's the low down in a nutshell. Humans aren't the only creatures affected by allergies. Dogs can have them across the board as well from seasonal to food to life threatening. And if you live in the Ohio Valley like we do, chances are you and your pup have the seasonal kind to some degree. But unlike humans who often grow OUT of their allergies or at least the severity as they age, dogs are the opposite. When Chaos was 4 months old (springtime) he had his first allergic reaction. Our vet thought it was an isolated incident at the time. But it happened again and then again before we discovered there are doggie dermatologists. Who knew? The severity of Chaos's reactions was highly concerning since he was so young and we immediately had to put him on steroids to suppress the immune response. After almost a year of trying difference medications, a full allergy panel (where we discovered he's allergic to EVERYTHING), allergy injections and a antibiotics to combat the secondary skin infections he developed from continued reactions, we found the holy grail. Apoquel is a very new medication for dogs and cats with allergies like Chaos. It's a once a day pill that costs about 3 times less a month then everything else we tried. We learned about it early on with Chaos's diagnosis from the dermatologist but the major problem was that it worked so well and was the most affordable option and the manufacturer grossly underestimated the demand. We were put on a waiting list for it while we kept trying other treatments. Finally a visit to our regular vet's office gave us the golden ticket. They were put on the list of offices to receive Apoquel and Chaos went to the top of the list of patients. He was used to taking pill so tossing one in his food every morning was nothing compared to what we had been going through AND it worked like a charm. His skin cleared and his itching nearly went away all together. We went through several months where we weren't always able to get a full supply due to the continued shortage but finally the manufacturer caught up and we now pick up a refill each month without fail.

 

Dog bed

 

Chaos is allergic to all the lovely things blooming around here as well as cat dander, and shedding season is in full force. You're well aware of this if you have a furry family member. So this is his worst time of year. Fortunately, since he has been able to stay on Apoquel daily this year his reactions have been kept under control. He still gets a little itchy and his eyes get pink and we can just tell when he doesn't feel his greatest, but overall this is the best Spring yet. We have a humidifier to set up by his crate on nights when he seems bothered, plus it is completely safe to give him a dose of Benadryl before bedtime for extra comfort. We give him baths more often than normal to try and keep the pollen from the yard off his skin but finally I'm not in a constant state of worry over his reactions. Pittie lovers might already know this but Pit Bulls are especially prone to skin allergies and the lighter the skin color the higher probability. Chaos is a pretty rare case so we have been through the ringer with him and I'm happy to answer any questions you have if I can. I just thought it was time for a little update since it's been awhile and I can finally give a pretty awesome report. Living with a highly allergic dog is far from easy but we wouldn't change him for the world.

 

Happy sneezing!

21 Weeks

So we made it over the halfway hump to 21 weeks. I mentioned yesterday that the whole pants wearing thing is becoming an issue. You see, it seems that the 9 pounds I’ve gained thus far have hardly gone to my belly but have instead taken up residence on my ass. The company I work for has a business casual dress code but there’s sort of an unwritten rule that it’s more casual than business if you’re in the secluded area where my office is. Highly confidential information is handled by the teams I work on and next to so we are completely out of the limelight and any visiting clients don’t even know we’re here. If you follow me on Instagram you’ve seen some of my week day outfits of leggings, tunics and skinny non-dress pants. Basically the main rule is blue jeans only on Fridays and the rest of the week you can wear anything else that is presentable. That’s pretty convenient for a pregnant woman since I could wear a dress or leggings everyday if I wanted to. But as much as I love my leggings, I don’t want to be limited to them. So, I have a variety of neutral colored pants I rotate in from cords to white/black skinny jeans to olive/khakis. Up until now they’ve been getting progressively tighter but went on without a struggle and most of them still buttoned because they sit underneath the belly. But now that problem is just that, the BUTT. I was literally hopping around and contorting my body the best I could in attempt to get jeans on last Friday. Once I finally did get them up the zip and button part was pretty easy (although it’s a lot more comfortable to leave them unbuttoned with the belly band or hair tie). Shopping for maternity pants over the weekend proved I’m in no man’s land, stuck between getting my regular pants over my behind and not having a big enough belly to hold up the bands on the maternity pants. The struggle is real. The 2 pairs of jeans I did walk away with fit well enough for now but I know I’ll be tugging at the band until this belly finally gets bigger. Anyone else have this problem? I’ve heard it’s an anterior placenta thing and also that it’s a “boy” thing. Who knows. Today I wrangled myself into my favorite white skinny jeans and am rocking the belly band with them unbuttoned. And while having a bigger ass is a pain in the ass, I think it detracts from the fact that I’m looking chubby and maybe or maybe not pregnant.

Symptoms: Sweets, sweets and more sweets. I literally drool over Pinterest recipes and actually woke up Sunday morning with a NEED for the cinnamon vanilla pancakes I had pinned. I’ve probably gained more weight by now but I won’t find out how much until my next appointment in a week. I’ve had some mild heartburn and pretty annoying lower back pain but all the baby wiggles I’m feeling totally make me forget about it. The strongest movement comes when I sit or lay down after a lot of activity like a workout or just doing a lot of walking around the house cleaning or whatever. But it feel smaller bouts of movement all throughout the day. I was even getting kicked in the shower last night!

Weekending

Some people like to keep their weekends busy, filled with all the things that could not be fit into the rest of the week. Some people go the relaxation route, taking 2 full days off and leaving all the worries of the week behind. And some people like to mix it up depending on the weather, current mood or simply what seems most fitting. We are these mix it up people. 

Saturday morning I got up early for a much needed and long overdue haircut and highlight. I always feel so refreshed afterward, like that fresh and clean feeling when you get a shower after a tough workout or organizing your home. I was in such a good mood I cleaned the floors, drank iced coffee on the deck in the sun and even did the grocery shopping, which I almost never do on a Saturday afternoon. Chris had his day full with dog training so we did our own thing until early evening. My little sis turned the big 2-5 last weekend but was in California at the time so we had a belated dinner celebration at a nice restaurant. 

Sweater / Phone Case

I saw this recipe for vanilla cinnamon pancakes on Pinterest last week and was up early again Sunday to give them a whirl. I used our griddle and added cinnamon syrup and strawberries and I'm surprised that between Chris and I there were still any left over. We walked it off at the park since it was a beautiful sunny day. It's good to spend one on one time with the dogs every now and then when you have 4 of them so we just took Chaos and he was loving having both of us to himself. 

We went our separate ways for the afternoon so I could go shopping with my mom for maternity jeans and he could log more dog training hours and run a few errands. I'm still in between my regular jeans being pretty tight but not quite big enough for maternity yet. We did find 2 cute pairs at the Gap Outlet that fit okay for now but I'll definitely be able to grow into them in the coming weeks. They were only $9.99 each! Target was a bust as I'm nowhere close to getting in their maternity line yet but instead I came home with a cute wire basket for blankets in our living room and a decorative wood + metal lantern that I just love. Chris and I reunited for an evening walk and then grilled out for dinner. Beef burgers for him, veggie burger for me. We watched one of our DVR'd shows and called it a night. 

The weekends always seem to fly by so quickly, no matter how we spend them. But there is a satisfaction to one that is productive, relaxing and fun. Have a great week friends!

16 Weeks

16 weeks and I think I have started to “pop” a bit. I’m pretty surprised that all my pants keep zipping and buttoning but they are definitely feeling tight. I have a desk job and spend most of my work day sitting down. It’s not quite uncomfortable until the end of the day but I think I’m ready to switch over to the belly band I recently bought. And probably be wearing a lot of leggings + tunic outfits. I’m coming into the in between stage where my regular clothes still fit, just snuggly, and maternity clothes are too big. My next doctor appointment is next Friday so I’ll know how much weight I’ve gained. I figure if nothing else I’ve gained at least a few pounds of Pop-Tarts. I can’t stop eating them. I limit myself to one a day but it’s a struggle. I was hooked strictly on brown sugar cinnamon for a few weeks but finally switched it up with strawberry this morning. It’s still hit or miss in the veggies department but I made soup last week with tons of veggies and spices and it was delicious. I’m also digging these popsicles since they fulfill my constant cravings for sweets but are a bit of a healthier option. I’m feeling more movement these days, what I would describe as wave like or little taps, usually mid-morning during my snack (baby must really like the Pop-tarts) or as I’m getting ready for bed. I’ve tried feeling it myself from the outside but to no avail. I know baby is still small and it’s early to even feel movement myself but I just can’t wait for Chris to be able to feel it too. The other night I was laying on my side next to Chaos on his bed for a little snuggle sesh and he had his head pressed up against my belly. I felt a few taps, which I now recognize as the babe, and just then Chaos lifted his head and looked up at me with a what was that? expression. Coincidence? Probably.

Symptoms: Round ligament and hip pain have joined the party. The round ligament pain comes and goes quickly, thank goodness, and typically happens as I’m getting up from sitting or standing for a while. My hips are more sore than anything, like I worked out hard for a few days and didn’t stretch. It’s mostly uncomfortable at night. Also, my gums bleed a little when I brush my teeth. I’m a freak about brushing my teeth for 2 whole minutes (timed) every morning and before bed so sometimes it seems like a lot of pink in the sink. But apparently this is totally normal and no cause for concern. On Friday I stopped at the grocery on my way home and couldn’t bring myself to leave behind boxes of bakery cinnamon rolls and cherry coffee cake. The sweets cravings remain strong. But don’t worry, I only ate one piece of coffee cake when I got home and one cinnamon roll the next 2 mornings. I shared the rest with hubby and there are still cinnamon rolls left.

If you haven’t noticed I tend to get behind on these weekly updates. There is just so much going on and it’s also easier to say how the week went the more days I have to include. I’m actually at the end of 16 weeks and will be 17 weeks tomorrow. So really the biggest thing about 16 weeks is that our sweet little niece was born. Paisley Marie is a few weeks early and a tiny little thing, but doing well and is incredibly cute. She arrived the day I turned over the 16 week leaf and Chris and I got to meet her over the weekend. It was an exciting feeling knowing that in less than 6 months we will be holding on our newborn. It’s nice that the little cousins will be so close in age.