The Tao of Woo...

It is official: Gypsy is allergic to Texas.

Since returning to Dallas last weekend, Gypsy's itchiness has spiraled out of control. Despite my efforts to ease her suffering, my poor baby has an ear infection, two yeasty back paws and something that looks almost like a cold sore just below her nose. Trevor has been telling everyone that my dog has herpes. But in reality, it is just a spot rubbed raw from all her desperate chewing and rubbing.

The vet says Gypsy suffered a severe allergy attack caused by leaving arid Colorado and returning to Dallas. Sound familiar? To help bring Gypsy's symptoms under control, the vet injected her with a steroid, gave me a prescription for Temaril-p (an oral steroid/allergy pill for itching and inflammation) and provided a variety of drops and ointments for her paws and infected ear. It was an expensive "Welcome Home" trip to the vet.

The good news is that Gypsy is resting peacefully on the rug in the living room right now. She has been so miserably itchy this week that she hasn't been sleeping very well - just restlessly pacing, scratching and licking at all hours of the night and day. I wish I could have gotten her to the vet earlier. Poor Woo.

I do not have herpes...