Happy, Healthy Maxie!!

After a year of hit-or-miss allergy treatments, Max seems to be on the road to recovery, y'all!

A couple of weeks ago, we took the little guy to the vet for his annual vaccines.  I haven't been thrilled with the veterinary care he's received so far, so I decided to try out our local Banfield.  Since we travel so much, I wanted to have him in their national records network.  I was expecting a normal vaccination and perhaps another round of treatments for his allergies.  I was pleasantly surprised by a vet who took an aggressive route of preventative care (as opposed to the ameloriative treatments the last couple doctors have prescribed.)  In lieu of another harsh round of steroids, Dr. C. placed him on antibiotics, a strict ear-cleaning regiment, therapeutic baths, and a hypoallergenic diet.  The food is made from hydrolyzed chicken proteins, which his little system doesn't recognize as an allergen. 

After two weeks of this treatment, Maxie is healthier than I've ever seen him!  His ears are nearly free of nasty bacteria, his coat is thicker than I ever thought possible, and he doesn't have all the itching and hotspots that made him suffer so very much.  He was healthy enough to have his vaccines on his follow-up visit, and I think we've made real strides toward a more healthy life for the little guy!

I think all of this focus on wellness has made Max consider his own shaman powers; I recently suffered a pretty bad cooking burn on my hand, and he's strongly committed to licking it back to health! ;)