Viv  told me she can cure the allergies and(IBD). Once IBD has been diagnosed they can never eat foods they have eaten before. As they settle you can introduce a novel protein they haven't eaten before. Ernie has been through so many foods and N.Z. has a small range this is limited.

From what I understand from vets and IBD group IBD can never be cured. They can go into remission, but flare up any time. Some can be managed with diet alone. Many IBD dogs also have allergies.

From the start I am not sure what to think about him being cured, but if it helps his allergies, it could help with food issues. 

20 August first treatment.

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I took in samples of anything he is likely to come in contact with. Dust, bedding, food, cleaning products, plants, collars, toys, my make up etc.

Ernie is allergic to all the food I took except rice, apples, carrots and kiwi fruit. He is also allergic to house hold cleaners, sand, Prednisone, the food he is on and many plants except wandering willie which surprised Viv as most dogs are.

In the first treatment his immune system through the nurses arm, told Viv which samples to treat that day.

 It  was like something out of the twilight zone standing in a room paying a vet to listen to an arm. If it seemed nuts now little did I realise how insane it would get.  

He was treated for dust, flea allergy and some cleaners. He had to stay outside for 27 hours. It was hard hearing him wimper and want to come in and this night there was a frost.  If I thought this was hard enough I soon learned I was mistaken.

27 August.

This week he had a few days vomiting.

At 7am this morning Ernie lay on the floor shivering. I took him to bed with me and kept him warm. As I was seeing Viv later I didn't call the vet and he seemed better.   At the vets he lay on the floor not interested in anyone and they had to keep trying to get him to sit. This wasn't like my busy Ernie.  I asked if he could have over loaded his kidneys. Viv said he couldn't over load his kidneys, but she had been worried about his excessive drinking and had been speaking to a specialist  who said the Pred wouldn't have been good for him if he had kidney problems. . She suggested several things it could be. He had been like this for some time so for now I just wanted the allergies sorted, Viv agreed one thing at a time and  if we fixed the allergies it may help him.

Last weeks treament worked. Not that I could see a difference, but I said I would keep an open mind. 

This week he was treated for plants, laundry powder, and dishwashing powders. This meant  for 27 hours I couldn't touch him if I was wearing clothes that had been washing in the last 10 years, couldn't be feed from bowls that had been washed and no plants, dirt or grass.  Viv suggested the garage  in his crate. I hated doing it to him, but if it  helped him I had to. I don't know what the neighbours thought with me trying to hold him at arms length while my poor boy just wanted to snuggle up to me.

Then trying to get him to go to the toilet and not touch anything was a nightmare.

I bought a paper suit  to wear , put his coat on so he wouldn't brush past plants, and took him to the local tennis court to pee. Even though it was dark, the white suit must have stood out, and I am sure many people wished they had their cameras.

I shook his food from the bag to  rain down into his crate.

This was killing me. I worried about him  being sick this morning, but didn't want to keep going out to him and have him think he was coming inside. My poor wee guy had no idea why he was isolated from me and as I closed the garage door I saw him trying to look under.

3 September.

I can't believe it. The plants and dishwashing liquid showed an allergy this week. I had been so careful. I didn't sleep all night worried about him.

It was done again this week along with food.  Viv said I had a 20 min window before I had to isolate him so I quickly drove home trying to decide if it was best to leave him in the garage again or inside. I decided  inside where he could be with me and  blocked  off the front deck so he could pee there. Once inside I couldn't take him outside again  for 26 hours as he could touch  plants, dirt, or grass. I soon realised this was a big mistake. .

As  I saw him standing by the kitchen cupboards I thought "Oh heck I washed those yesterday when I did the dishes." What about pot plants, or have I dropped dirt or leaves inside after work. I crated Ernie and sat beside him while I watched T.V.

I have been sick and my brain isn't functioning so perhaps this wasn't the best time for his treatment.

Ernie refused to go to the toilet on the deck. I stood on the deck in the rain trying to coax him to go. I am sure by now the neighbours are ready to have me committed wondering what on earth I am doing,  but I am getting a bit too fed up to care. It  didn't help with Viv telling me he may have kidney disease so my mind was spinning. I can only imagine how horrible it must be for my boy, and I hated doing this to him.

I just hope this thing works.

10th September.

Ernie still isn't any better and Viv has decided to put him on Prednisone. The reason I am paying so much money and putting my boy through this is so he doesn't have Pred. Viv works Wednesday mornings and  getting time off  work is causing a  big problem. My client is not alone when she thinks I have lost my mind.

 All along I am sure it is the food he is on. It is better today as he can stay inside and I can touch him. He just can't eat. The arm also told Viv he needed topical cream for the allergy rash. He doesn’t have a rash and this confused Viv. The arm has also told Viv his problems are not  psychological.

You could have blown me away with a feather when 2 days later I woke to a shiny coated black Lab. Not a sign of dandruff or as it had become snow flake . I raked at his coat trying to scratch up flakes, but none. As much as I wanted to beleive this would work I couldn't understand how it could.

There has got to be another reason.

 I opened a new bag of food  this week and it had an expiry date of Sept 09.  A couple of times I have opened a new bag and he is a little better for a few days so have wondered if the food changes as it gets older.

 Could it be the food or has the treatment worked.

It doesn't really matter. If Ernie feels better then that is all that matters.

17 September

A week later and Ernies coat is still looking good. Today he was treated for various vitamins.  Viv says she has now cured his IBD and  allergies, but  said he isn't quite right and wants to repeat some of the tests and do other things. We could go on for years and never treat everything he is ever likely to come into contact with. If he is cured why treat him again.?

I am having trouble getting my head around it. If it was just allergies I think I could cope better.  I am not sure what to believe. We have come so far and I don't want to make him sick again.

Viv tells me IBD isn't an issue now as she has cured him, but he could still develope allergies to things. This is a little confusing for me.

If the treatment has worked  and he  eats forbidden foods it will not  make him sick, which is really all I hoped for.

I think for now the best is continue as I have been and wait and see. 

We have one more treatment.