hi everyone,
i told a vet my dog is scratching a lot lately although she is on advocate and droncit, the vet without asking me further questions, sold me piriton 4mg to feed her daily for 30 days.
i thought it was too much for her so the first week i broke the tablet into half and feed her 2 mg, then on the 8th day i thought i was going to let her take the 4mg as advised but she wrenched the whole day and vomited yellow foam, didn't eat or drink and insisted on lying right by my side which usually she wouldn't.
Today is her 10th day, why should i do?
I'm very hesistant to call up the vet as he doesn't seem helpful or caring, in fact was very impatient with me & especially to my poor dog who was shivering non stop at the vet.

You ought to be able to speak to your vet whenever you need to (within hours) and feel confident doing so.  You also need a good vet that you can access in emergencies 24hrs.  If you don't have this relationship with your vet then I'd consider changing. 

Piriton is commonly given to dogs with allergic reactions and sometimes quite high doses can be given - however I'd be looking for reassurance as 4mg for 3.5kg does seem very high.  I'd also be looking for more useful advice on other things you can do if your vet suspects allergies.

I know you say the vet didn't ask you questions but did you question him?  Have you given your dog Droncit (for tapeworm) and Advocate at the same time, did your vet advise this was ok and check the dosage for your dog?  How old is your dog?

You say she was ill on day 8 - how is she now?  I wouldn't presume to give advice of a medical nature but I would urge you to take your dog to a vet.  Some dogs can manage a day or two without eating but coupled with extreme lethargy and vomiting I'd be pretty worried if she were mine.   You also need advice on what treatment she should be receiving, Piriton only works with some dogs - is she also still scratching?  Let us know how you get on, I hope a new vet can reassure you and help your dog :)

Hi, I am very grateful for your concern.

Have you any experience with easipetcare, I always thought that this is so cheap, that I would stick to it but now unless there is a new vet there, I wouldn't go there for anything major.

I walked in to reception, told them my dog is itchy & her ear is oozing and smelly, waited a while as there was no one there before or after me. Then we followed the vet into the bare room, the moment I carried my dog onto the metal table, her teeth started clattering loudly and shivering and when the vet reached for her head, she growled softly to warn him off. He looked disgusted & went to recommend some medicated ear drops WITHOUT looking into her ear, but I gently "forced" the vet to please look into her ear. He grumpily strode off to get his gadget in another room.

Came out, the receptionist told me she already had the drugs ready before the vet even looked at my dog, as she said all dogs have the same syptoms, i.e. ear problems and itch; so same drugs.

Droncit & Advocate were adminstered about 2 wks before piriton intake. My vet didn't advise me anything, but I kept asking him questions; but the way he speaks to me, like I'm stupid.

My dog is 4.5 years old. She is still off piriton as I want to give her stomach some days' rest. I think I'll start her off again but with 2mg this second time. She is refusing to go near her normal dried and wet food, so I'm giving her bland boiled chicken and duck these days, I think she eats better than me. I'm also coaxing her to drink water, which she would after I keep touching her gums with my wet fingers.

She is still scratching, but the second I catch her irritating her ear, I would give her a few chances before a sock goes on, so she can't contaminate her smelly ear further.

I would stop the piriton, take her to another vet.

I use easipetcare for vaccinations, I would NEVER use them for anything else.

The thing about ears is that problems can be caused by a number of things from lack of hygiene or poor ear design (!) to an allergy.  Without good diagnosis and the right treatment you can get recurring problems and very serious infections.  Bad ears are painful for your dog and distressing to both dog and owner and I've seen dogs scratch until their ears bleed.

Piriton might be an appropriate treatment but it's vital to understand the nature of the ear problem and I'd expect the vet to discus your cleaning regime and to prescribe soothing drops as a usual first option with a follow up appointment in 7-10 days, often with AB's too.  Most vets I think would start with Canaural or Surolan or something along those lines so your receptionist isn't wrong to anticipate them.  Identifying the cause and best treatment for ears often involves a bit of trial and error so do find a vet you feel comfortable with as you're likely to be seeing them fairly often :)  Do you know anyone nearby who would recommend a vet for you?

Oh and by the way - as you've probably found out - price isn't necessarily the best reason for choosing a vet...  Hope all ok soon

I'm shocked that the vet wanted to give ear drops without checking that her eardrum was intact; certain drops, which are fine if the eardrum is intact, will cause even worse problems if the eardrum is perforated. If her ears are really bad she might need to be sedated to have them properly investigated and cleaned.