Christmas night, my dh took our dog for walk around the neighborhood. There are, of course, quite a few undeveloped lots that our dog would love to sniff around in, but we keep her on the street so she won't end up with painful burrs in her paws and fur. She normally pees in our yard before her walk, but this time she went right out on her way. She stopped along the walk in one of these lots to squat and pee, and some insect has just chewed up her poor behind. Problem is, we didn't know it had happened. She didn't start to show symptoms of itching and discomfort until about 36 hours ago. We figured she needed her glands expressed and took her in to the vet this morning. The vet saw what is now an infection and had to sedate her & shave her hind end. She is TORN up and running a fever. 2 shots, 2 new meds, a taped up tail, an uncomfortable collar and $270 later -- we are home with one upset dog! We thought maybe this was chiggers, but the vet said the bites were too big for chiggers. She is seeing an increase in parasitic attacks on dogs because of weather rollercoaster we've been seeing. Whatever this is -- it's not deterred by Frontline, obviously. If you live in Pecan Grove, don't let your doggies wander up into any of the undeveloped lots or into the wooded areas for now. I'll keep you posted if my vet is able to determine the type of insect that attacked my dog.
