Trig has had her share of various health ailments.

Liver Enzymes

Trig's liver enzymes keep coming up as severely elevated. It seems like the problem occurs simultaneously with injury or sickness. The vet always seems clueless as to the causes or even effective treatments.

Skin

Trig's skin is very sensitive. We have to use a certain kind of shampoo (usually Allergroom) so that she does not dry out and get a rash. When she had fleas, it took several weeks to get her skin back into shape after the fleas died. She had black flakes and even broke out in hives. Fortunately, we had some Benadryl on hand to take care of the itch.

Legs

Trig needs surgery to repair the tendons in her knees on both hind legs. Somehow, she managed to tear them while either jumping and playing or tearing through the house to bark at a delivery person. This surgery will cost $3,000 PER LEG and will involve putting some kind of device in her joint for support.

Weight

Trig's vets are always saying that she is fat and needs to go on a diet. She has consistently weighed between 100 and 105 pounds, all of it muscle. One time she became sick and lost 20 pounds. At that point, she looked terrible. We get frustrated because the vets really do not comprehend her breed. Her parents were much larger!

Medicine Allergies

Trig cannot have the heartworm shots that can be administered every 6 months. The one time she had the shot, she broke out into severe hives that night. Fortunately, an emergency vet was able to tell us what to do over the phone. Who knew that the same Benadryl for humans could work for dogs too?