# Steroid Injection & Allergies



## Nelly (Feb 7, 2013)

We have just had a rather scary 24 hours with Nelly.

In the past she has had one ear infection with redness and itching, put down to her love of swimming and us perhaps not drying the ears as well as we should after this. This was a couple of months ago and went away with an ear spray.

Yesterday I noticed that her ears had become very red, swollen and scabby to the point of looking quite startling. She was also incessantly licking in between her toes which were also red but no noticeable lesions, stings etc. I made a vet appointment yesterday morning for the evening and stayed in with her during the day. By the time we got to the vet she had about 3 bumps over her head and torso.

Due to the state her ears were in the vet and I (reluctantly) agreed on a short-term steroid injection lasting for about 3 days. I couldn't really have rejected it because she was in so much discomfort. She was also given antibiotics, Pirotin and the ear spray again.

After the vet we came home and put Nelly in bed expecting her to feel a bit lethargic. We went to the supermarket for about half an hour and by the time we came back her face had swollen up like a balloon, especially around the muzzle and above the eyes. She was almost covered in hives by this time too. 

We gave her a dose of Pirotin and a cold shower and cold compresses to wash off any allergens that might be on the coat and to soothe the heat. We then called the emergency vet who advised another dose of Pirotin in an hour's time and was quite happy that her breathing was not restricted or laboured. Due to the fact that all of this happened in the time it took from the vet to her bed and nothing else I thought she had had a reaction to the steroid injection - they said this couldn't have happened.

This morning the swelling in the muzzle had gone down slightly, not much improvement with the hives but her left eye almost looked like a blind eye. It was as if the left pupil was stuck in constriction and a bit cloudy, where the other pupil was fully dilated.

Back to the vet this morning and no real info to speak of. She said it could be totally unrelated, a bump to the eye, a reaction to pain or a swelling in the 3rd eyelid.

I'm very concerned with all of these things and wish i hadn't taken the steroid injection even though she is no longer physically itching or licking.

I read through a lot of the archives on here re allergies and have only fed her turkey, banana and carrot since. 

Has anyone else's V had a similar reaction to a steroid injection or similar symptoms? 

I am a herbalist and know the benefits of treating the body as a whole rather than suppressing symptoms with chemicals, however I am only trained to treat humans, not dogs unfortunately. A lot of natural substances that are good for humans can have adverse reactions in canines so if anyone has found anything natural that helps with allergies your advice would be appreciated.

Of course we are still stumped as to what the actual allergen is!


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## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

I personally doubt this was caused by the steriod injection. Steroids generally fix you up in no time flat which why they are bad and yet so good. I would start thinking about ANYTHING that you may have changed such as laundry detergent, treats, household chemicals and sprays, even your own hairspray. Sounds crazy but my friends dog had a severe reaction to her hairspray when she changed it bec he was always in the door way while she was getting ready. Also, not sure how old your pup is but for one, allergies can develop at any time and for two, if this is their first autumn it could be fall allergies that you just haven't had a chance to experience yet. Good luck and keep us posted.


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## Nelly (Feb 7, 2013)

Thanks both. 

Yes, the emergency vet said that the steroid would really only combat the allergen and shouldn't have side effects to that nature. 

She is still pretty covered in hives at the moment and has just been sick (food) which i'm thinking might be due to a combination of everything, antibiotics, antihistamine, stress. 

Her muzzle swelling has gone down almost completely now and she isn't really scratching.

Is it possible that she could have been exposed to the allergen some weeks ago and it has taken until now to really show a bad reaction? 


I'm thinking about beach walks and possibly washed up jellyfish, my partner thinks she stood on one a few weeks ago and it only just dawned on me there when our breeder phoned saying she had been thinking about what could have caused it and thought of jellyfish on the beach.

I know reactions normally show up within 20-30 mins but I wondered if the swelling was due to it coming out of her system and manifesting on the skin?


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## Nelly (Feb 7, 2013)

Also SteelCity she is 11 months so this will be her first autumn. Thanks for your reply. I boiled her bedding in hopes that if there were any allergens there we could get rid of them asap


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## Nelly (Feb 7, 2013)

Hello everyone!

Just an update on Nelly's reaction. This morning all of her hives have disappeared and she is looking much brighter although was a real trooper throughout the whole ordeal!

Her muzzle swelling has gone down completely but still a little red as are her eyes. She has a bit of an upset stomach so we are having to skip breakfast this morning to try and settle it. 

The funny eye dilation and constriction is called Anisocoria - this can be a symptom of many things, some serious so any unbalanced dilation in your pup's pupils requires immediate vet attention. It's very easy to notice as the difference in pupils was really quite dramatic.

Everyday is a school day! Thanks for the replies HVF.


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