This post contains what I would call a true Slice of Life! Our dog has hives!
Saturday night my husband was working on his old truck, a 1962 Ford Unibody, in our yard. He let the dog roam around while he worked. We have a large yard, about 3 acres, and the entire perimeter has an underground electric dog fence. It works well, but Molly – the dog – rarely gets close to the edge. Inside the yard is a large swath of grass (too large, but that is another post) and numerous perennial gardens, as well as our 30 tree home fruit orchard.
At some point, my husband noted a prominent area of swelling, probably the size of a dime on Molly’s side. She’s a very light, almost white, yellow lab and her coat is sleek and smooth, free of blemishes. The darkened, raised spot was noticeable. It didn’t seem to bother her, so we just figured that she got stung by one of the many bees that visit my gardens.
But, Sunday morning, it was obvious that Molly had hives! Her coat hid numerous areas of swelling that changed the appearance from sleek to lumpy! She also seemed to be scratching more frequently. But, through all this, she wasn’t irritable – taking whatever it was, in stride.
Immediately, we started to wonder what could have caused it. Of course, if she had been stung the night before, it could be an allergic reaction to the sting. But, we realized we had given her a new chew bone (but the initial spot was there before this treat) and had started her on new dental bones. Just like with humans, one is never sure what causes a rash or hives. We considered everything.
To make a long story short, (since I promised myself to write less today since yesterday’s post was quite lengthy), Molly still had quite a case of hives last night. Over Sunday and Monday, they both waxed and waned. Mostly gone, my husband gave her a dental stick and they seemed to return shortly afterward. Might we have the cause of the hives? Maybe. The dental sticks (a brand new to us and the dog) will be withheld for now.
Through all this, she still is not bothered too much. It was odd to see her coat and skin appear lumpy. This morning, however, it is almost completely back to its normal “sleekness.” She’s in good spirits, and thus, so are we! Hopefully, are dog hives are done!
Today is Slice of Life Tuesday. Thanks to TwoWritingTeachers.org for hosting this supportive weekly forum to enable us to share our writing!
The Apples in My Orchard 
A pet dog is a family member. Your post reminded me of our pet Sheroo. You might like reading about him at http://soansrezones.home.blog/2019/10/09/a-pawful-companion/
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You wrote a lovely post about your dog! Thanks for sharing it!
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Your Molly reminded me of Sheroo because he too looked like her. Appreciate your taking time out and reading it.
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I noticed that too. (That they looked alike.) I am also a cat lover and look forward to your post on your cat!
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You can check it here http://soansrezones.home.blog/2019/12/17/catchoos-here-to-catch-up-with-you/
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Dog hives! I never knew! I’m glad that they are mostly gone & that Molly was so good-natured throughout the experience.
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Thanks for your comments! Yes, Molly is back to her old self. Three days of Zyrtec and she was fine! We gave the dental bones to a friend with dogs.
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Oh for the motto of most Labs I know: Take it in stride! (I only knew Labs before we got our rescue, a shepherd, dobie, terrier mix. Yikes! The antithesis of a Lab. I wonder how mine would fare with hives? Tranquilizers, anyone?)
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Thanks for your comment. Yes, we are lucky she was so laid back during this experience. She is fully recovered now and doing well!
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I don’t think I’ve heard of a dog getting hives. Thanks goodness she’s ok. And those are some beautiful pictures of her with the Black Eyed Susans. 🙂
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Thank you so much for stopping by and for the compliment about Molly! She is a beautiful dog! I never thought about a dog getting hives, either! But, she’s fully recovered, and we are thankful she was so good about dealing with it.
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Poor Molly! But she is beautiful, hives and all. We had a yellow Lab who had constant skin issues – the vet told us the breed and this color, especially, is very prone to allergies which manifest in their skin. And in ear infections… it amazes me how these loving creatures suffer, yet their spirits remain high. I hope by now she’s all well and am glad you know the cause.
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Interesting! We are learning about labs as Molly is our first – pure bred – and we know that might cause additional health issues for her. She is a beautiful dog; thank you for the compliment. She’s fully recovered and doing well now. Our only other issue with her health has been a sensitive tummy (loose stools) but we have that figured out as well! We love her!
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