# Alternative treatments for dog with chronic rhinitis?



## moodles (19 January 2013)

My 14yo cairn terrier has had a snotty nose/sneezing and throat clearing for about 18 months. He had 3 courses of antibiotics, the last one a month's course of a strong antibiotic with no success. The vet then did a dental under anaesthetic and x-rayed his head and scoped his nose. All fine except erosion of nasal passages due to the chronic rhinitis. Also blood tested for aspergillus (fungal infection) and nasal swabs = all negative. Although vet thought allergy unlikely due to his age, tried piriton with no improvement.

Basically vet thinks probably nasal polyps/tumour and next step would be CT scans. Am reluctant to put him through more tests in view of his age (and hes not insured) so priority is to make him more comfortable. He is very bright and well in himself but feel so sorry for him constantly sneezing etc. He is already on anti-inflammatories for arthritis so vet couldn't prescribe steroids. Did try anti-mucous powders but no effect.

Was wondering if homeopathy might be worth a try  - has anyone any experience of this or other treatments to try.

Thanks v much.


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## Dobiegirl (19 January 2013)

Did the vets do a culture of the mucous and if so what did they find.


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## moodles (19 January 2013)

yes vets did swabs of mucous and it didn't grow any bacteria or fungus and apparently viral infections are not normally so prolonged. This is why they were thinking polyps or tumours though some people have said mucous is then often bloodstained which his isn't. It is a yellow-brown colour.


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## Dobiegirl (19 January 2013)

I thought it was sounding like my friends dog but her dogs culture showed E coli and is now being targeted by strong Abs. He was originally treated for kennel cough which started in October with continued coughing and then sneezing with lots of mucous which is clear.

I do hope they find out soon what is wrong with your dog, the fact this is ongoing for 18months must be dragging him down and be extremely worrying.


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## Dry Rot (19 January 2013)

I had this condition in a line of dogs I bred. It was definitely congenital and I did eventually breed it out. But it was a nightmare wile it existed.

I gave a young dog from this line to a Czech friend of mine who was one of the top surgeons in Prague. I was mortified when he told me the dog had the problm as he was very fond of it and it was a very good dog. 

However, he prepared cultures and, as I understand it, tried sensitivity tests with a spectrum of antibiotics to find which were effective and he eventually cured the problem. My own vet who was a very good general practice vet had told me the condition was incurable (but only after he had tried various treatments and charged me a small fortune!).

So there you go. Would it be worth your while asking your vet to refer the case to one of the vet colleges for sensitivity tests?


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## moodles (19 January 2013)

Problem is that as his cultures haven't grown anything, there aren't any bacteria to do sensitivity tests against. With the congenital condition did it appear early on or only later in life? He was fine until about 12yo then started coughing/clearing throat a bit, especially on the lead so we switched to a harness. The snotty nose started a few months later. He caught kennel cough years ago from a grooming parlour and the symptoms were different. If you imagine a person with a really bad head cold, that is what he sounds like, which is why I feel so sorry for him as must be so uncomfortable with a head full of snot!


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## Dobiegirl (19 January 2013)

It might be worth pming Blackcob on here as one of her huskys had a similar problem I believe.


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## Booboos (19 January 2013)

My old dog had the same problem, late onset (when he was about 12 I think) just like yours. We also tried antibiotics, cultures, x-rays, scope and CT scan but no evidence of all of the things you have already precluded. In the end the vet said it was an allergy but they were not sure what to - even moving country didn't make a difference to him. He coped with anti-mucoids to clear up the nose sufficiently for nasal steroids to work (basically an asthma inhaller applied with a doggy appropriate gadget). My vet said that nasal steroids do not have the same side-effects as oral ones and he was on them for years. Does your vet think they would not be appropriate with his anti-inflamatories? Jakey was also on Metacam on and off and that seemed to work fine.


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## Dry Rot (20 January 2013)

moodles said:



			Problem is that as his cultures haven't grown anything, there aren't any bacteria to do sensitivity tests against. With the congenital condition did it appear early on or only later in life? He was fine until about 12yo then started coughing/clearing throat a bit, especially on the lead so we switched to a harness. The snotty nose started a few months later. He caught kennel cough years ago from a grooming parlour and the symptoms were different. If you imagine a person with a really bad head cold, that is what he sounds like, which is why I feel so sorry for him as must be so uncomfortable with a head full of snot!
		
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Have you considered a second opinion?

I was a failed vet student which gives me enough knowledge of vets to be cynical! I am not suggesting your vet isn't excellent, but sometimes it is not a bad idea to have someone look at a problem through a different pair of eyes.

My dogs developed the condition after 1yo which, of course, was after I had spent a lot of time training them as they were all working dogs.


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## twiglet84 (20 January 2013)

It's possible it could be a mass or polyp bit without a CT scan you won't know. Sounds like your vet has been very thorough. 

I probably wouldn't go for a CT scan either, if it is a mass it's not an area for surgery so knowing isn't going to help and ultimately the treatment will be the same. We are treating a 15yr old cat with chronic rhinitis at the moment and is currently on a tapering dose of prednisolone and a course of antibiotics. Another younger patient we have has a course of antibiotics when he flares up and does fine on this.  

Xxxxxx


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## moodles (20 January 2013)

Thank you for the replies. I am reluctant to seek a second opinion if it means him having to go through loads of tests again. He hates going in the car and going to the vets and don't like to stress him out at his age. Will definitely ask vet about the nasal steroids as haven't heard of that treatment. He is on Rimadyl x2 daily for arthritis which has an anti -inflammatory effect but vet wouldn't prescribe oral steroids unless we stopped the Rimadyl. Not sure if he would prefer to be snotty or hobbling around!


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## twiglet84 (20 January 2013)

The steroids would help as an anti inflammatory too but side effects worse than NSAID. My rottie was on trocoxil for arthritis but had to go on steroids for IMHA secondary to neoplasia and not been lame since starting them. Xx


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## moodles (20 January 2013)

Twiglet - what is IMHA? Also what are the side effects of steroids for dogs? Is your dog on steroids long term or is it usually a short course to try and decrease the immune response. My cat had steroids for hair loss/skin irritation but a couple of injections did the trick (she won't take tablets). x


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## Booboos (20 January 2013)

Jakey was on Flixotide, given with a doggie inhaller gadget, two puffs, twice a day - no side effects for well over 4 years. The only thing I would say is that the first time the vets tried to manhandle him and force the inhaller over his nose would would have been disastrous over the long term (can you imagine having that fight over and over 4 times a day!). I had to step in and stop them, then took a few weeks to condition him to the gadget and by day 3 he was eager to have it over his nose as he knew it led to a treat (also if they get stressed about it they can stop breathing which defeats the purpose).


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## moodles (20 January 2013)

Am def going to ask the vet about the inhaler option but do have concerns about getting him to accept it, Despite his age, hes a typical feisty terrier and very awkward when I just try to wipe his nose for him. Early on in the vet investigations, they suspected a foreign body (grass seed or similar) up his nose and tried to investigate with forceps but he was having none of it!  He does like treats though so hopefully bribery would work!


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## twiglet84 (20 January 2013)

Immune mediated haemolytic anaemia, she's started on a fairly high dose and was drinking and weeing lots, panting. Bloods showed some liver changes which could be steroids or the neoplasia. Might be worth trying the inhaler first if side effects are less likely and it's well tolerated, but that flixotide is steroid so would that be effective enough to treat arthritis and rhinitis or will you have a wobbly dog with No snot? x have a chat with your vet. They'll have the answers xxx


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## Superhot (21 January 2013)

Definitely worth seeking the advice from a homeopathic vet.  Not sure where you live, but would absolutely recommend Chris Day in Faringdon or Richard Allport (London area I think).  You will probably need a referral from your vet, and be prepared to answer a lot of questions, the consultation will last at least an hour!


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## Natalie01 (22 January 2013)

Hi all I'm new Iv just joined to comment on this post after battling 18months of snot for my 3year old Alaskan malamute including bloods,biopsys,ct treatment for aspergilliosis everything u name it all clear allergy test show he's allergic to everything nearly £12000 so u can imaging what Iv tried 3 vets including Liverpool for a full week of tests! The snot gets to his lungs he's had 4 cases of pneumonia! Advised to pts several time!! I finally rung Chris day I'm a very long way away so had a video consultation! He sent me some drugs my dogs snot has reduced I'd say around 90% and what snot he has is clear not thick green stuff!! I went to my vet on sat he said cos I'd already paid for the allergy shot to keep up to them they won't harm he had the snot on sat bloody snot was bk Sunday I'm soo mad!! No allergy shots Chris day doesn't think it's a allergy cos of the extreme of the snot!! I can tell you what Chris day recommended if youd like!


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## moodles (23 January 2013)

Yes please do let me know what Chris Day recommended. I didn't realise a video consultation was possible, but that would be a great option as I am based in Kent and as I said before, my dog's not a great traveller and hate to stress him with his breathing probs. Sorry to hear about your problems with your Malamute, especially in such a young dog. My dog is 14 and fortunately so far his condition is not life threatening, just uncomfortable for him. Thay did wonder about an allergy as cause for his snot, but nothing in his environment or routine has really changed so why would he suddenly develop allergies at 12 yo.


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## Natalie01 (23 January 2013)

Tj just started one day with a cough n went from there really! Touch wood these tabs have helped! He recommend kail bich 30c and merc sol 30c also I have a neubilizer thing lol which I put bergermont and tea tree thyme I stick him in my bedroom on a evening shut the door stream it out lol if u can crate him put streamer in there and a towel over just leaving one side open Tjs to big to crate! Hope this helps it's worth a shot as its herbal!


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## Brindle (11 May 2014)

Natalie01 said:



			Tj just started one day with a cough n went from there really! Touch wood these tabs have helped! He recommend kail bich 30c and merc sol 30c also I have a neubilizer thing lol which I put bergermont and tea tree thyme I stick him in my bedroom on a evening shut the door stream it out lol if u can crate him put streamer in there and a towel over just leaving one side open Tjs to big to crate! Hope this helps it's worth a shot as its herbal!
		
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Hi there, I have been searching the internet about chronic rhinitis as our 3 year old whippet has been diagnosed with the complaint, when it came across your comments.
Like you, we have spent a small fortune on diagnosis and treatment but have got nowhere. Recently our dog has also gone down with pneumonia, and he was extremely poorly. It sounded like the treatment you found was effective. We are desperate to find an answer. Is your dog still doing well on the herbal treatment?


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## Dobiegirl (11 May 2014)

My friends dog continued to suffer this condition and as he was staying with me and with her permission I gave him some organic coconut oil which I give my dogs most days. After about 3 days there was an obvious improvement and a week it was completely gone. This dog had had cameras up his nose,swabs and cultures done, been on all different abs,steroids,piriton with absolutely no benefit, this dog was so bad , he would snot up the walls,furniture and your clothes it really was horrendous. I forgot to say he also had an extreme dental makeover as well as the vets wanted to explore every avenue. We are all now of the opinion its allergic Rhinitis but for the cost of a jar of coconut oil its worth a punt, it certainly wont do him any harm and might actually help.


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## blackcob (11 May 2014)

It's not herbal, it's homeopathic and will not be doing a thing except draining the owner's wallet! That a homeopathic vet or doctor can even exist baffles me. 

For what it's worth my dog with allergic rhinitis is now being symptom free on a low dose of steroids (prednisolone) though I've got a steroid nasal spray coming next week to trial as this would be a preferable option over the oral version. 

In the early stages of his condition we trialled various antibiotics, antihistamines and antimucolytics - all worked to various extents but only in the short term as is typical for the condition. He was scoped and x-rayed twice in the course of the last two years to check for tumours or foreign bodies and had negative aspergillosis samples. His nasal turbinates have remained intact despite the repeated infections which is good.

His allergy is to house dust mite which is impossible to eradicate, though I spray the house twice a year, damp dust and steam clean frequently to try and manage the exposure. 

http://veterinarydigest.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/canine-chronic-inflammatory-rhinitis.pdf - this is a useful guide to the condition.


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## Natalie01 (11 May 2014)

I'm sad to say tj was put to sleep around 6months ago he couldn't carry on he had pneumonia 13times and the last time was in the emergency 5 days wen I go him home he could barly walk, if anyone is interested please search pcd in dogs Iv been doing to research with vets in America, sadly Tjs lungs couldnt cope was the saddest day of my life but nobody could help and after 17000 pounds I couldn't put him through any more intensive surgery the only thing Tjs body couldn't handle was steroids the smallest amount that's what killed him it shut him down


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## Dobiegirl (11 May 2014)

Natalie Im so sorry to hear about tj, how heart breaking but you did everything possible for him, he was lucky to have you.


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## Natalie01 (11 May 2014)

The homopathic tablets defo worked for a while I can't stress enough it work it's very cheap to buy so worth a shot tj spent 2years of thick green snot trailing across the floor after we started this it stopped altogether for 4months I did come back but he was great on it god knows why but I had my boy back for that time so I'm happy for that


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## Saneta (12 May 2014)

blackcob said:



			It's not herbal, it's homeopathic and will not be doing a thing except draining the owner's wallet! 

I'm sorry you feel this way.  We will simply have to disagree.  I only know the excellent results mine and friends dogs have had thanks to homeopathy.  I don't pretend to understand how or why it works, I only know it does.  Incidentally, many vets also practice homeopathy, so with all their 'normal' training etc, I guess that must say something.,,
		
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## blackcob (13 May 2014)

Any vet practicing homeopathy is a charlatan that I wouldn't allow within 10ft of my dog. Either they genuinely believe that homeopathy works, displaying such a fundamental and wilful misunderstanding of scientific principles that they should never have been permitted to graduate... or they know and accept that it cannot possibly have any effect but are still happy to take your money for it. Not sure which is worse!

I try to be as open to ideas and tolerant of other people's beliefs as a Groan Up but this is one of the few things which I remain vociferous about because I feel it so often takes advantage of people who are vulnerable and desperate.


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## Dry Rot (13 May 2014)

Reading about all these sad problems prompts me to relate a little success story.

Rhinitis was a recurring problem in my kennel about ten years ago. Maybe one dog in twenty would get the problem. It cost me a small fortune until one day my vet inadvertently dropped the comment that it was incurable.

A year or so later and with no more problems, I sent a dog to a leading surgeon in Czechoslovakia. The dog settled in well and his new owner was delighted with him. Then I got a message saying the dog had rhinitis. I assumed the dog was a write off and did not enquire further. A couple of months later I heard from the surgeon that the dog had made a complete recovery. My friend told me they had made cultures of the pathogens causing the problem and carried out sensitivity tests to a whole spectrum of antibiotics. They had found a couple that were effective, had put the dog on these, and that was the explanation for the recovery. Sorry, I do not know what antibiotic my friend used but it is an approach that might be worth discussing with your vet.


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## Fides (13 May 2014)

Homeopathic medicines that work are called medicine - like aspirin


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## blackcob (13 May 2014)

Fides said:



			Homeopathic medicines that work are called medicine - like aspirin
		
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I think you may be confusing homeopathy with herbal/natural remedies.


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## Santino (24 February 2017)

Dear fellow dog lovers, I&#8217;m writing this because I&#8217;ve been on this board before in the past out of sheer desperation trying to find answers. I know how gut wrenching the feeling is of watching your beloved dog suffer and not be able to help them. Our dog Santino, a half Pomeranian half Chihuahua had been experiencing horribly severe sinus congestion problems for well over two years. 

He would be so stuffed up at night, making horrible congested sounds. He could barely breathe. We also had several humidifiers because we so strongly believed that it was the dry air which was a large factor in inability to breathe. We had a cool mist humidifier run all night in the bedroom and we had a warm mist vaporizer in the living room which we would hold him over as needed when he experienced his attacks of congestion. My wife Sarah would follow him around where he went with a saline spray mist inhaler to shoot saline mist up his nostrils for just for some temporary relief.

He would also reverse sneeze a lot and expel countless amounts of green mucus. He&#8217;d only seem to get temporarily better after getting the snot out so we would try to get him excited to make him sneeze and then Sarah would chase him around the house with a tissue pulling green snot out of his nose just so the poor thing could breathe. We tried a bunch of homeopathic medicines such as &#8220;Only Natural Pet Respiratory Support Herbal Formula&#8221; but it only seemed to make him even sicker; liquefying the mucus to the point where it was going down into the lungs instead of coming up and out of the nose, causing a wet cough.. 

His mucus would get so bad that he would start to become so sick he would need weekly doses of antibiotics, sometimes up to a month. We went to several vets, and after many examinations, a cat scan, and an endoscopy, we were told that he had some form of &#8220;non-specific rhinitis&#8221;, which essentially meant they did not know exactly what was wrong with him and was therefore placed into this vague category for which there was no appropriate remedy. This was probably one of the most upsetting and defeating aspects of Santino&#8217;s condition, the fact that no one had any answers for us and that there seemed to be no known remedies for such an abstract diagnosis. 

Does this all feel too close to home and sound way too familiar?

Then one day we had a major breakthrough. We took a trip out of town for a couple of days and stayed in a hotel and for the entire period away Santino experienced no problems, no congestion, no sneezing. On the way back we were on the train and when we sat down on the dusty old seats of the train Santino immediately had a reaction and started one of his congestion attacks. After observing this and conferring with my wife about it, I began to immediately explore the idea that he was experiencing an allergic reaction to dust and the symptoms of allergic rhinitis in dogs.

Although not extensively documented and not even mentioned by many of the conventional dog rhinitis information resources as a source, sure enough there were a few mentions online of the possibility that a dog could experience an allergic rhinitis reaction just like a human could to dust and in particular dust mites. That&#8217;s when it really clicked. I started to read about dust mites and how the dust mite feces, in combination with the vaporized dead bodies of the dust mites, could become inhaled once airborne and cause significant allergic reactions. I also learned about how the all homes in the UK have dust mites and that thousands of people experience allergic problems as the result of dust mites. Considering the exhaustive efforts we had made to try and isolate and identify the problem in order to address it, it was almost inconceivable to us that we hadn&#8217;t considered this as a possibility; that a dog might be allergic to mites the same way as a human might be. None of the vets we had previously seen had ever suggested the possibility of it being an allergic reaction. One vet we had seen had even done a test once to establish the presence of mites by putting something up Santino&#8217;s nose, after which he said that if there had been any mites present that it would&#8217;ve taken care of them. What I didn&#8217;t realize at the time was that it was whatever he had administered was merely a test to determine whether mites were actually present inside of his nose; it revealed nothing as to the possibility of whether he might be allergic to them when vaporized and airborne!

The truth is that we were running ourselves ragged addressing the symptoms all the while completely overlooking the cause. I think we had dismissed the idea of it being an allergy because the possibility of it being an allergy seemed too remote: allergic to what? Pollen? Household dust? We were convinced that he had originally contacted a virus such a Bordatella, which had then morphed into a chronic rhinitis condition as the result of scar tissue in the nasal passages.  The notion that it could be an allergy seemed like too abstract of a concept, having no ascertainable way of really honing in on a single source to concentrate on.

Not only were we running around blind without a cane, but after reading that dust mites actually thrive in humid environments we were horrified to realize that we were actually contributing to his worsening condition by running the humidifiers all night in the bedroom, the place where the majority of the dust mites are usually found and the place where poor Santino experienced the most trouble (within a couple years after purchase a new mattress will typically weigh twice its normal weight due to the amount of dust mites that have inhabited it (YUCK)). The day we returned home I spared no expense (considering the money we had spent on vet examinations it was a drop in the bucket) and ordered a mattress cover, a duvet cover, pillow covers (all specifically allergy tested), a HEPA dust mite and fine particle vacuum with a UV light to kill mites and their eggs, and most importantly an air purifier with a sonic ionizer and UV light to kill all airborne particles. After a few days of pacifying the house and making the necessary environmental changes, Santino&#8217;s condition began to drastically improve. 

Today Santino&#8217;s life is completely changed. He breathes easily and sleeps peacefully at night. He rarely experiences the same kind of difficulties as he did before and whenever he does start to experience congestion we flip on the air purifier and literally within minutes he is breathing normally again. No more vets, no more scopes, no more antibiotics, no more sprays, no more suffering. We are just beside ourselves with relief to think that we have discovered a cure and a way to restore the quality of life to our little boy that he so deserves. It was breaking our hearts to see him failing the way he was, getting worse and worse and not be able to do anything to help, which is why we felt compelled to share this story with others. I know that for some this may not be the definitive answer, as all cases are different, however, if we can reach just one doggy parent who might not have considered this as a possibility and give them the chance to change that dog&#8217;s life forever then by god we were going to try. 

If your dog suffers from rhinitis-like symptoms and you are starting to feel somewhat hopeless then we beg of you to consider the possibility of Allergic Rhinitis to dust mites, and invest in some anti dust mite mattress, pillow and duvet covers and a quality air purifier with UV light. We wish you all the best of luck and as a last word of advice NEVER EVER GIVE UP and NEVER STOP FIGHTING FOR YOUR DOG, the answer might be right around the corner, YOU JUST NEED TO HOLD ON!!!! Best regards Kris, Sarah, and Santino


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## Diane from nottm (22 March 2018)

I have never posted on the website before so I hope this works. This is about my 12-year-old dog who developed all the same symptoms as Santino did. He has been getting worse for year. Reverse sneezing and also outward sneezing and practically every time he sneezed lots of thick green mucus came out  going on the carpet up the walls on the furniture on the bed everywhere!  Over the period of year we tried antibiotics dental work x-rays on the head and then eventually a  Rhinoscopy and a CAT scan. Within the year we had spent over £3000 and the vet more or less shrugged their shoulders and said hes got chronic rhinitis and we dont know why and if he doesnt respond to antibiotics  there is nothing we can do. Then I read the post about Santino. Wow!. I went to the shop and bought  anti allergy pillows, anti allergy duvet, antiallergy mattress cover. I vacuumed the house and the mattress. I wiped all surfaces with a damp cloth. I borrowed a good quality air purifier from somebody and use that for an hour each day in the bedroom and the lounge. Within 48 hours he had improved 90% . He has the odd sneeze, with a little bit of mucus maybe once or twice a week but before the treatment it was four or five times an hour all day and all night. He still has a reverse sneeze once or twice today but hes always had that throughout his life. How can I thank you for alerting me to the possibility of an allergy to dust mites.  I first tried this treatment about four weeks ago and so far so good. I am praying every day that things continue the way they are and maybe even improve. Thank you, thank you, thank you, I am Alfies mum. Alfie is a gorgeous 12-year-old cross collie terrier who looks like a teddy bear and I love him


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