My dog has allergies. Trigger unknown. He was previously under a vet in a different town and has had a special shampoo and steroid cream on repeat prescription to treat hot spots and keep his skin soothed. This worked great all of his until we moved towns and to a house with a garden. Last summer his skin was horrendous and his left ear was sticky and weepy. I took him to a local vet. Hundreds and hundreds of pounds later and various failed treatments we found a combination of allergy tablets and shampoo that worked. He stops itching in the winter so I took him off the tablets.
Summer rolls around again and his ear turns black and weepy and his skin flares up. I've been trying to get him in the vets for this and a broken dew claw since the start of june/end of May. They insisted it was not an emergency and they would not see him until today, obviously since he's been without his medication since the start of June his skin looks terrible.
We saw a different vet who diagnosed chronic dermatitis and chronic ear infection. I agree with the dermatitis diagnosis. He's had dermatitis (which to me means allergies?) since he was a puppy. The ear gunk, ime, is caused by his allergy not an infection but if they want to clean and give him antibiotics I'm willing to pay for that, although we tried that last year and it just kept reoccurring until we tried the allergy tablets. It did reduce the symptoms while he was on them so I'm happy to pay for them. This vet also wanted to give him antibiotic injections, steroid creams and take him to do a special wash on his skin. All unnecessary, imo but I'm sure it will calm the symptoms while he's on the steroids so again I'm wling to pay.
My issue is that he needs sedation for his dew claw treatment which means it needs to be an am appointment. I work for an agency swamped due to covid. We can't get time off without giving two weeks notice. There is no one else to deliver the dog to the vet at 8am so he will have to wait until August when I have time off booked. Its not ideal, I know but honestly, his dew claw is not bothering him much. He rarely looks at it. If it was bothering him I would call in sick to take him. I've booked the appointment for the 5th of August.
My issue is that his skin is bothering him a lot. He is really suffering and this new vet is refisimg to treat his skin until his dew claw is done. The treatments he's suggested cost £250+ for the initial treatment plus ongoing costs for the steroid injections and skin washing. Im very unhappy with the cost when I know the shampoo and allergy tablets he had last year are far cheaper and far more effective but I'm livid that they're willing to let him continue suffering even now they've finally agreed to see him. He's not registered at any other vets so I can't get a second opinion. Is it right that they leave his skin and ear treatment until I can take him for his dew claw? What options do I have? The vets reasoning is that his dew claw is the most serious issue and needs treatment first. He would not believe that his skin and ear bothers him more. I feel terrible for the poor dog. He is in pain and he is uncomfortable and there's nothing I can do for him until August. I can't afford to pay £250+ plus weekly injections while calling in sick every week.