Mod hat on: Got you covered!
Now, with mod hat off: Possibly? I would think a tapeworm infection severe enough to be impacting immunity would be showing other symptoms too, though, like the weight loss and tell-tale 'rice bits' in their poop or around their anus.
Thank you!! Much appreciated!
I have a 2/3 year old tripawd that I just adopted after 3 months of foster. She's got itch issues. I'm trying different allergy diets with no success thus far, and she's on a large dose of Apoquel which doesn't really seem to control it much. She came from a clinic with exposure to many dogs. She was ravenous, especially when they put her on a round of prednisone to stop the itch at first (which could have weakened her immune system further?). It definitely stopped the itch, but came back with a vengeance as soon as we tapered off. I was feeding her a lot to keep weight on. Then I saw the tape worm segments in a poop and she was treated for it.
She sleeps with me in bed every night, and I don't have itch. So, it's not the sacoptic mange. And it's hard to say mange because she has such a beautiful coat everywhere except her belly (the hair has thinned even in places she can't lick) and elbows (I thought they were calluses from opting to lay on the cooler hardwood floor in the heat..).
I'm just trying to figure this out because right now, even on the Apoquel, I'm putting socks on her at night and an E cone during her daytime itchy spells.
Her otherwise gorgeous coat:
Calluses...or?